Smallmouth Bass Fishing In The Winter?

[Mikej]

Nice discussion of the "Old Days" of fishing in the Willamette! But sad we got another noob that can't bother to acknowledge members effort to help with their question. Or answer a simple question to them.

 

[Duneblaster]

Smoked trout, salmon and steelhead = good. Bass... no thanks. They're just another garbage fish. Sure, they're a blast to catch on all the wacky lures but that's not enough reason to replace trout with bass. I used to be into bass fishing but at some point you have to ask yourself WHY. You practice catch n' release because you don't want to eat them. Would you rather eat trout in a shtf situation or a pile of nasty garbage fish? The garbage fish you thought were a great idea when you stocked your farm pond. Warm water game fish taste like dirt if they're taken from small bodies of water.

Bass should be removed by anglers like they're doing with all the snakehead in the Potomac River. The big largemouth bass eat stuff you wouldn't want to eat, from baby ducks to mice & other small rodents. And because of this largemouth bass can sometimes be full of tapeworms.

 

[Mikej]

Smoked trout, salmon and steelhead = good. Bass... no thanks. They're just another garbage fish. Sure, they're a blast to catch on all the wacky lures but that's not enough reason to replace trout for bass. I used to be into bass fishing but at some point you have to ask yourself WHY. Would you rather eat trout in a shtf situation or a pile of nasty garbage fish.

Bass should be removed by anglers like they're doing with all the snakehead in the Potomac River.

I might agree with you. But growing up fishing many waters they call "Blue Ribbon" now the trout were from cold clear streams and lakes. Very few opportunities now to catch, keep and eat those kind of fish. The "Pellet Heads" they fill waters with that would never be able to actually sustain a population of those trout of my past are extremely rare, and highly regulated. And "Trout" that are planted are nothing at the table like trout that have grown naturally in those cold clear waters. Kokanee, I suppose, could fit that bill in some waters here in the West. Bass and warm water fish don't eat garbage. They eat the same things trout species eat. Heck, even the bull-head catfish from Siltcoos Lake's green stained water in late summer taste as clean and pure as a mountain spring. When cooked properly, of course.
Personally? For some reason I never cared for bass, small or large mouth. But not because they are trash. I just preferred salmon and steelhead once I moved away from the real trout waters.

 

[Duneblaster]

Yes, I know what you mean. I used to catch brown trout in Wyoming & northern Colorado. Never tried catfish from Siltcoos but have caught some coastal cutthroats from that lake.

I knew someone that used to stock their pond with spawned out steelhead, they were big and tasted like cat food. He fed them pellets and those smelled like cat food. If you're gonna put in a pond make it deep and connect it to a fast moving creek. I wouldn't rely on a sprinkler or fountain to keep oxygen in the water.

 

[kmk1012]

I've caught several trout on bass gear recently, most likely because I'm doing something wrong but nonetheless caught em'

 

[Mikej]

Yes, I know what you mean. I used to catch brown trout in Wyoming & northern Colorado. Never tried catfish from Siltcoos but have caught some coastal cutthroats from that lake.

Ah yes! Never fished Colorado. Spent good times in SW Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Utah, home state, had some dang nice trout fishing too.

Any old running water in ID and MT would hold trout. Not just the big names.

 

[orygun]

We ate all of the bass my wife caught and there were no complaints from either of us. The catfish I caught was a muther to skin, but was very good, too.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

Smoked trout, salmon and steelhead = good. Bass... no thanks. They're just another garbage fish. Sure, they're a blast to catch on all the wacky lures but that's not enough reason to replace trout with bass. I used to be into bass fishing but at some point you have to ask yourself WHY. You practice catch n' release because you don't want to eat them. Would you rather eat trout in a shtf situation or a pile of nasty garbage fish? The garbage fish you thought were a great idea when you stocked your farm pond. Warm water game fish taste like dirt if they're taken from small bodies of water.

Bass should be removed by anglers like they're doing with all the snakehead in the Potomac River. Bass eat stuff you wouldn't want to eat, from baby ducks to mice & other small rodents. And because of this largemouth bass can sometimes be full of tapeworms. They're what you'd call an unclean fish.

While I'm not a fan of bass in PNW waters, I think you need to adjust your recipe. I've found them delicious when prepared properly. FWIW, nothin' beats sockey/kokanee.

 

[Mikej]

FWIW, nothin' beats sockey/kokanee.

Wrong. Just my opinion. Willamette/Columbia river Spring Chinook beat everything. Everything if you believe that fat in the meat is what makes red meat fish good. I would think Sockeye may be fine if they travel many miles to spawning grounds. Fish that enter fresh water with fall/winter rains and spawn quickly don't have the reserve fat like spring Chinook that enter fresh water during springtime water flows do. And don't spawn until fall/winter rains fill streams again. Summer steelhead have that same thing going on.

 

[WAYNO]

Everything is relative, and everybody's palates are different. I am not a big fan of salmonidae, but I find the lesser salmon, as well as steelhead, more tolerable. Spring Chinook is my least favorite. It's just too fishy.

As well, I far prefer ocean bottom fish, cod, and halibut.




.

 

[thorborg]

I don't know where they go. I've never had any luck when the water turns cold. Even in the lower Umpqua where I use to catch tons of the tasty fish, when the water went cold, they disappeared. Maybe Hawaii or California?
My favorite fried fish from Oregon rivers.

 

[Mikej]

As well, I far prefer ocean bottom fish, cod, and halibut.

The ocean fish we caught, not much of that except what we caught off the jetty, I found to be very delicate and get fishy smelling real quick within a couple days after catching/processing. I was always anal in treating caught/kept fish properly. when I had my small boat there was not room for a cooler big enough to get a large salmon on ice. More than a couple times we came in early to get a salmon of good size on ice. And a couple times cut the head off to get a fish in the small cooler in the boat.
I like fishing and catching, salmon/steelhead, more than eating it. I got great pleasure sharing the fish with neighbors/ people I worked for. I seldom froze red meat fish.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

Wrong. Just my opinion. Willamette/Columbia river Spring Chinook beat everything. Everything if you believe that fat in the meat is what makes red meat fish good. I would think Sockeye may be fine if they travel many miles to spawning grounds. Fish that enter fresh water with fall/winter rains and spawn quickly don't have the reserve fat like spring Chinook that enter fresh water during springtime water flows do. And don't spawn until fall/winter rains fill streams again. Summer steelhead have that same thing going on.

How dare you disagree with my palate? The nerve of some people!

 

[orygun]

Wrong. Just my opinion. Willamette/Columbia river Spring Chinook beat everything.

Nope. Dungeness beats anything from my perspective.