Whitefish

[Chromaflage]

Awhile back I read an article in F&S about a guy who goes out and intentionally targets white fish - and I'm not talking C&R either. This guy claimed that whitefish are very edible and quite tasty.

While fishing on the Deschutes, we inevitably catch substantial numbers of whitefish. I have oftent thought about this article and have been tempted to throw a couple in the cooler and cook it up back at camp. However, up until now, I have decided against it. A long time ago I got harassed by a guy once really badly for putting two 12" trout in my cooler while on that river...so I've been leary about creeling anything on the Big D.

Has anyone ever eaten one of these critter? I'm game to try, but have often wondered if anyone shares the same opinion as the guy in the article.

ORS

[BigFishFever]

hmmm Whitefish...

In my opinion they are quite tasty...with a good smoke, pretty bony, but they are still good..When the weather got down into the 20's we would go out and target these critters all the time, on the Naches River. They would pool up in large holes, and we would fish em with a double red fly, maggots, and a bobber setup...hard to catch due to the light bite, but really fun, and a great smoker..

We also targeted these up on the Columbia by Vernita bridge, we dragged speedo cable, with a 2 fly setup directly above it (speedo cable acted like a slinkly setup, that would drag through the rocks).
Hardest part of this was to keep your maggots warm, I watched my father throw the maggots in his lip like a big dip..he said it kept em warm and alive (UCK!!)...me I just threw the container under my arm pit...
He also said that the maggots kept any cold sores/dead skin down)

[Darth Wader]

A friend caught a few on the D and smoked them. They turned out pretty good.

[Smj]

O-Redside...When I lived in Utah I would target White Fish in the winter time, on the Weber River. The river was closed to trout but not White Fish, we would catch(and release) almost as many Browns as White Fish. I would use a two fly set-up, a chamoise nymph tied on the end of my mono, about a foot above that another fly tied to a loop with a 6" leader. Put a spit shot or two about 7" up from the bottom nymph and that was it.

Eating...I don't ever recall eating one fresh, I used to smoke them. The ones we used to catch were 8-14" or so. I used a basic brine for the Little Chief, could add some other flavoring if you wanted to. Scale 'em, Gut 'em, cut the heads and tails off and brine for about 8 hours and rinse. I would put pieces of toothpicks in the cavity of the fish to hold it open for the smoke to penetrate and to help the fish cook quicker. I used only the top rack in the smoker and put toothpicks through the center of the tail section and hung the fish head end down, from the top rack.

I always thought the suff was delicious, we would make a smoked fish spread with it all the time, or just wrap a whole fish in foil and take it on the raod.

I would think any trout purist flyfisher don't ever keep anything type guy would like people keeping White Fish, I think besides nymphs they also like to feed on the eggs of other fish (native trout).

Smj

Tasty firm white meat, liberal bag limits.

[LCFisherlady]

I talked with a guy in the tackle shop here on the east side. This fellow targets white fish to eat(his opinion was they were better than trout). His statement was they are very good eating , and not any more boney than trout.. He filets them and coats them with breading, fries to a golden brown.
Personally, I have not tried them but they sure can be fun to catch. I might just take one or two home next time we catch some and try them.
J

[Jimmy Carl Black]

They sure beat the 8" stockers.

[StinkyFish]

Whitefishing brings back some great memories.. this ws the first place my buddies Grandpa took me fishing (Deschutes) No limit at that time and I tell you what we had a blast. As far a eating goes Grandma made a beer batter and made fish N Chips for us. Man that sounds good.

Thanks for the Flashback.

PS Part of the fun was we would catch our own bugs to use for bait..

[Radke]

Growing up in Bend in the '60s, we found whitefish were a whole lot easier to catch than Brown's. My dad said if we want to catch them, we need to eat them too, he wasn't too big on catching and wasting anything. We found they were just as good as a trout to eat. We didn't admit to eating them though, they were respected at the same level as a carp is today. Don't know why, they are a pretty neat fish.

[Chromaflage]

hmmmm.....maybe I'll have to try it this year - I'm game for just about anything once. In some respects I think they're almost as fun tocatch as the Redsides....ALMOST!! :grin:

[Riverkeeper]

In some respects I think they're almost as fun to catch as the Redsides

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Wow, I dunno about that. Maybe you could change your name to OregonWhitefish. :grin:

We ate one on the crooked last month. It is about as good as trout, which is not surprising since whitefish are closely related to trout and salmon. Lilnorthfork was planning to return for a "freezer-filler" whitefish trip, but then again he is the king of suckers. I don't think it was quite that good.

[garyk]

Smoked whitefish along with a hearty bean soup - now THAT'S good living. Perfect wintertime meal.

[FishSniffer]

I've heard about whitefish but not sure I've seen one. Can someone post a decent picture of one?

[Riverkeeper]

[FallRiverGuy]

If you fillet them they are not bony. The meat if firmmer than a trout and I think they would smoke up tastey. I have only eaten one with Riverkeeper and Lilnorthfortk, but I would do so again.

[rola76]

Excellent alternative to steelie fishing during winter!! This is a fish that you can catch in big numbers, especially on the Yakima and Columbia.

Good eating when smoked, a little bony and oily, but just smoke 'em a bit longer.

Whitefish flies and eggs.

[FallRiverGuy]

Keta,

The white fish that Riverkeeper posted was caught on a nymph in the Crooked river. A beadheadded brassie took several fish.

When I was a kid we fished the Sandy in the fall when the caddis were getting close to hatching. We could drift the periwinkles along the bottom and catch dozens of fish per day.

[ 01-05-2004, 01:30 PM: Message edited by: FallRiverGuy ]

[ORoutdoorsman]

Why would someone harass you for keeping trout?

FallRiverGuy,
Have you ever fished for whitefish below the Fall River Falls? That was a hot place to catch them 40 years ago.

[Chromaflage]

Keta - if I'm on the Big D and the redbands are being too finicky, I'm inclined to take a break and try to target Whiteys just for some quick action. We've cuaght some that would push 6 or 7 pounds!

ORoutdoorsman - Well, there are some who view the Deschutes fishery as strictly a C&R/Sport fishery. Believe me, some guys really frown on keeping ANY trout on that river.

ORS

[ 01-05-2004, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: OregonRedside ]

They ran 1 to 1-1/2 pounds on Odell and Crescent Creeks but the Fall River fish averaged 2-3 pounds with some in the 5-pound range. I've caught some big ones below the mouth of the Santiam on the Willamette River but I wouldn't eat 'em. They got carefully released to get bigger.


PS:

How about an Ifish Whitefish Derby?

[ 01-05-2004, 02:14 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[Chromaflage]

Originally posted by Keta:
PS:

How about an Ifish Whitefish Derby?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">What a hoot! Before they closed the Deschtues along the reservation in Oct, we used go over there in the winter and fish for "other" fish the same way we fished for trout. They only closed it to trout fishing. Dang it if we didn't catch more trout than other, but once in awhile we'd find a pocket of these bronze beauties and pounded them - always turned them loose, but it was a kick....no more though, i don't think anyway.

I think in the last 10 years, I've found every whitefish hole between WS and TC on that river. (Oh no, zipper lip whitefish holes - what has iFish done to me? )

I like the whitefish derby though.
:grin:
ORS

[ 01-05-2004, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: OregonRedside ]

[FallRiverGuy]

Originally posted by Keta:
FallRiverGuy,
Have you ever fished for whitefish below the Fall River Falls? That was a hot place to catch them 40 years ago.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Nope,
But sounds like a somthing I need to investigate this spring. The population may have taken a hit just the like the trout unless they move into the river from the big D.

Hmmm, a white fish derby...why not!

The population may have taken a hit just the like the trout unless they move into the river from the big D.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">From the fire retardent spill?

[Chromaflage]

I may have to look at Whitefish more seriously....still liking the Whitefish Derby idea - maybe on the Deschutes.

It's only fair - since I started this thread and know where the fish are, right. :grin:

I'm thinking between the March Browns and Salmon Flies

ORS

[ 01-05-2004, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: OregonRedside ]

[Chromaflage]

My daughters first fish on a fly on the Big D - all hers from set to net....proud of that Whitefish.

[lilnorthfork]

Riverkeeper - show em that pic of the whitefish on the grill. Grilled up nice... and goes great with Bushmills. lnf

[ 01-05-2004, 12:29 PM: Message edited by: lilnorthfork ]

Has anyone fished for them with nymphs and flyrods?
When I was a kid (a long long time ago) we would fish Odel and Crescent creeks for whitefish with flyrods.

[ 01-05-2004, 12:36 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[FallRiverGuy]

[/QUOTE]From the fire retardent spill? [/QB][/QUOTE]

Yes. I know that some browns have moved back into the lower river from the big D so maybe the white fish have also started repopulating.

[FishSniffer]

Thanks for the pics.

So, it is about the same size as a trout, has scales like a carp and it's hard to tell but does it have a double upper lip like a salwater kingfish?

FRG,
If I remember right,50 years of hard living and CRS has got too me bad, the whitefish below the falls were spawners from the Deshits.

I heard about the spill but nothing more about the damage. How bad did it hurt this beautiful little river?

[Chromaflage]

Originally posted by FishSniffer:
does it have a double upper lip like a salwater kingfish?

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I don't know if you can tell by this pic, but it gives you a general idea.

[happybrew]

I've caught a few while steelhead fishing. I only targeted them once, when the trout at Big Cliff Reservoir weren't biting, and I saw a bunch of big whitefish swimming around. They are pretty tasty, a bit stronger than trout, but good smoked or breaded and fried.

[FallRiverGuy]

Keta,
The fish took a hard hit. The fire and thus the incidental fire retardant contamination happened about 1 mile below the fish hatchery. It is my understanding that all the fish from that point downstream to the mouth were killed. I read that the fire retardant would also kill the aquatic plant and insect life, which would have been disastrous. A few weeks after the incident I walked down to the spill site and found that the aquatic plants were unaffected and were still teaming with mayfly larvae. That fall the browns still moved into the river to spawn so I assume that the lower river is repopulating from the Deschutes. The fish population above the incident site has dropped too. I fished at the hatchery the other day and saw at best 25% of the fish I have seen in the past. With the aquatic plant and insect life unaffected it will only be a matter of time before the fish population recovers.

[ripalip]

I am real surprised that more people don't target whitefish. I have fished for them since I was about 6 (thats been awhile). I fished for them in the Methow River a good portion of my life, then moved to the mid-columbia area. The record rocky mountain whitefish comes from the Hanford Reach. In the neighborhood of 5 pounds 12 ounces I believe. Below Priest Rapids Dam is one of the best spots in the state for these fish. In my opinion whitefish are much better tablefare than trout. I really don't believe they are as bony as trout. Skin them, roll in flour and fry. Darn good eating! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[FishSniffer]

ORedside,

From here that looks like an infant dolphin's face short the snout. Can't really make it out. Anyone else have a good head shot of a whitefish?

Thanks