pout slayer please read

[Ely Lake Expert]

I was just curious if you actually go out with catching eelpout in mind? Do you eat them? Just because on Ely lake where I live in the winter we catch 7 to 8 pound pout on a regular basis and no one ever keeps them. We are usually just mad because it was not the hog walleye we were hoping for. I even know a guy who pulled up a 16 pounder fishing for walleyes. Everyone around here thinks they are useless, including me. They seem to be in the same place as the walleyes.

Ely lake expert

[Guest]

dang nabbit, I'm on my way!
pout = the poor man's lobster. I still contend pout tastes as good, if not better than walleye.

[Guest]

Walleyes have no taste, except for the taste you put on them. 'pout aint all that bad. They are a freshwater member of the cod family. Many fish products (fish sticks and the like) found in the grocery store and made from cod. In Alaska 'pout are a large part of peoples diets. They are no uglyer than catfish, which are good too.

see ya out there

[Northlander]

I can guarantee you that when the bearded wonder reads about those pout he will be pounding on your door,or e-mail site, to get on that lake! PoutSlayer loves pout and I can tell you first hand that he can cook up a mean pout. Besides he also loves when he can catch a few eyes with them. You will hear from him I can guarentee it. Thanks for the info.

[Guest]

hey over there on ely lake.... if you catch any of those huge pout give me a ring and ill head over from buhl to pick them up... i never used to eat them either... then i tried them... you dont know what you are missing.

Short Fat Guy
[email protected]

[pout-slayer]

Yes I do sometimes fish for the lowly pout. If you can get past the slimy ugly part,pout aren't a bad fish to catch.They are a problem if you are fishing ia an ice house with other people,due to their habit of swimming in a circle.As for eating it's like DirtyB22 said,poor mans lobster.Most people cut out the back strip and cook it.there are many ways to cook POUT,one nice way is to cut it in scallop size chunks and batter them up and deep fry them.They do taste kinda like scallops.As you can see by the other posts they are a hidden delicacy. As AC/DC so nicely puts it.******For those about to pout we saluuuute you.*******

------------------

HOOK-UM

[biff]

I ate my first pout last year and it was pretty good. I wouldnt say its as good as walleye..but better than bass or crappie. And I dont really care what a fish looks like, I just want to catch it-not date it. If it will bite and put up a fight im all for it. But why is it when I fish for other fish I catch pout but when I specifically go for pout I catch other fish? Maybe I should try reverse psychology...yeah, im going after pout...dont want any walleyes...then I'll catch walleyes all day.

[rascalP]

A local at LOTW told us how to cut the backstrap and leave the rest(better than throwing it on the ice for the crows).My friend did it that way. I think he boiled it in salt water and dipped it in melted butter,but I'ld have to get the exact method from him. Like above posts, poor man's lobster. He did say that he would never leave a pout on the ice again. Personally, I would'nt leave any fish on the ice sept for some minnows

[SpikeRoberts]

Just a reminder that it is illegal to leave POUT or any other species on the ice. The law requires that you take it with you or return it to the water alive -- rough fish or not.

From the 2002 MN Fishing Regualtions, p. 29.

"Any fish that is caught and will not be utilized must be returned alive back into the water. A person cannot wantonly waste a fish that is caught by leaving it or any usable portion on the ice, thrown up on the bank, or intentionally killing it and returning it back to the water unless authorized."

The regulation does not, however, specify a definiton of utilized. For example, if you want to take rough fish home to use as fertilizer in your garden that is acceptable, I believe.