How to remove eel pout

[fishmaster LOW]

Poor man's lobster! Filet out the back straps, dice into 1 inch chunks, boil in mountain dew or 7-up, dip in melted butter, little salt and pepper Delicious! People are really missing out on good eating by thinking they are "gross & slimy"

[DaSwede]

I should sell my stuff because I don't like handling eel pout? Really? Seems a little harsh.

Look in the classifieds, boys. I bet you'll be seeing a bunch of ice fishing stuff for sale. I know plenty of guys that don't like handling them.

DaSwede

[leech~~]

GrizzlyAdams,

They do squirm more, but they aren't much more slimer then the nice Pike you are holding in your Avatar!

[GrizzlyAdams]

All I have ever heard about them is that they are slimy and will leave a "slime ring" around your house when they whip around and wrap. Have only caught one and that was quite a while ago. Hope to catch one soon though.

[NoWiser]

I'm sure most of the stories you have heard have been greatly exaggerated. I've caught hundreds and they are about the easiest fish to handle you can find. Nothing on them can hurt you. They squirm around a bit, but in my experience they VERY rarely will wrap their tail around your arm. Most people just like telling stories about them...

[bobbymalone]

that reads just as i said you cant LEAVE it

Pretty hard to prove intent to kill if you take it with you

If you are talking about leaving your keepers on the ice then sure.

CO's aren't stupid though. They know what frozen eelpout laying around your ice house means. and proving intent happens in court, not on the CO's citation pad.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

back in the day the indians use to pick em up for you off the ice (on mille lacs)

...and they showed more respect to the enviornment than some of these slob "sportsmen".

[sparkydm]

Not sure what to tell you. Just get in there and get the hook out! It's no big deal. I don't think they are any slimier than any other fish, their skin is just smoother. As far as the waste part, imagine what the shoreline must be like after ice out with all the fish that have ended up dead on the ice. Yuckers. I heard too that the DNR allows commercial fisherman to net them and sell them to stores and restaurants.

[walleyeking19]

They actually feel kinda cool to hold. When they wrap around your arm is the weirdest feeling ever though!

[leech~~]

Originally Posted By: gregg52

back in the day the indians use to pick em up for you off the ice (on mille lacs)

...and they showed more respect to the enviornment than some of these slob "sportsmen".

Gillnets?

[Wables]

If you are going to keep them, I recommend killing them before throwing them on the ice, and laying them out nice and flat. A semi frozen lawyer curled up in a ball is no fun to clean.

[irvingdog]

I'm sure most of the stories you have heard have been greatly exaggerated. I've caught hundreds and they are about the easiest fish to handle you can find. Nothing on them can hurt you. They squirm around a bit, but in my experience they VERY rarely will wrap their tail around your arm. Most people just like telling stories about them...

Um, no. No exaggeration. And when you get a big, bull pout on LOW, it's gonna wrap. I look forward to them on the big pond. The quality and yield of meat off of them is tremendous. Just don't open up the abdominal cavity. Trust me on that. Gutty.

And "feed the Eagles"? (not you, NoWiser) Seriously, it's not to late to come back and delete your post; save yourself some embarrassment.

[Vickie]

Actually, several years ago a mink farmer used to come out on Mille Lacs and load up the back of his pick up truck with eel pout. He'd drive around from ice house to ice house and pick up all the frozen eel pout and take them back to his mink farm. The mink loved them.

We haven't seem him since the eel pout are now being released back into the water instead of left on the ice.

Vickie

[Gordie]

how do you remove an eelpout... be a man and grab it and take the hook out its just a fish.

when I was a kid this guy my dad fished with would throw it out the door and hold the line and put the boot to it and the hook would just pop out. but I really dont think that you shuld do this.

[PerchJerker]

I don't mind catching eel pout, they're a good fight and lots of fun. They're no slimier than a pike. Just grab them by the head and unhook them.

One thing for sure, I'd rather catch pout than tullibee any day. You can smell those stinky tullibee when they're still 2 feet under the water if you ask me --- yuck.

[PierBridge]

Originally Posted By: gregg52

back in the day the indians use to pick em up for you off the ice (on mille lacs)

Bud Grant use to do it also!

[magnum mike]

Several years ago I watched some younger guys playing tulibee football on LOW. They were fishing close to us and after a few beers and slow fishing, they started playing catch with the fish. Severl hours later, we were in the Wigwam debreifing after fishing and they walked in the bar. They didn't get to order a beverage before they were asked to leave. They were told they were welcome to return but only after a shower and a change of clothes.

[trapperdirk]

LOL . Seems there are a fair number of folks that like to pick on the lowly ling . Yes ling are often even wasted because of their different look . Sure they will do a curl around the arm but they do not coil around it like a snake . There is nothing special needed to be done to remove them from the hook .No special care needed other than the same precautions you will take removing any fish from your line so you don't become a hook holder yourself .lol

As was mentioned they also are no slimier than pike and actually they make awesome table fare . They also can be a surprisingly good fighter .

Just skin them out like you would a catfish . You just cut around the head and pull the skin with a pair of pliers .The skin comes off like a sock exposing the back line to cut your fillets off of .

We try to hold a ling fling here amongst my friends and it is nothing to catch 150 in a night between us . The majority are just shaken off in the hole by giving the hook a twist with the pliers but we do take some home .

Also every year us Canucks join a club called " Nessie " . There is only one way to get into it and that is to post a pic of yourself kissing " nessie " the lowly ling . Yes we love and respect " Nessie " and she is gaining a bigger following every year . There is no need to misalign her or to be afraid of her because they are just a fish .

TD

[gregg52]

here's alittle story about eel pout for ya

my x worked at Infisherman back in the day one cold wintery day i was there picking her her up for lunch

i was in the pick-up had the portalbe in the back

while i was waiting Al was going in he stopped to ask for a report We got to talking he said he was heading out on gull in hour so Told me where he was going and said come on out

I said should i bring the portalbe he said naa we'll be snot

nosing it

It was like 8 degrees with a 10 mph wind

it was early ice so we had to walk out

Believe me i wouldnt been out there if he had not asked me

Al invites you fishing you go...Right !!

So we started out in bout 45-50ft of water and as the sun was going down kept moving up

at about 30ft i hooked a huge fish the fight was on

he had a camra guy with he was going to take pictures

Al came over with the gaf ready to pull it out

I was thinking coooooooool maybe I 'll get in the magaginze

Next thing Al threw the gaf up in the air and walked away saying pout.....I was broken hearted It was about 7-8lbs the biggest I ever caught but so what..lol

One of the guys did take it though

[GrizzlyAdams]

As stated originally I have only caught one and that was several years ago so I am not familiar with removing them or what they are like to remove. I am not worried about the slime or the fact that it is just a fish. So would this be different if I was talking about removing a muskie from the line having never caught one. I have caught several northerns including the one in my avatar and by the time I got it out of the hole and removed the hook I had a few cuts on my hands from the gill plates, etc. Not a big deal as it is well worth any cuts received from a fish that size. I have only caught one tullibee in my fishing career and yes that thing stunk up my hands worse than anything I have smelled fish wise. Would have liked to know prior to that to have a glove to avoid the stench on my hands the rest of the day. Not a big deal either but nice to know prior. Isn't this site for asking questions that we don't know the answer to regarding anything to deal with fishing. I don't have the privelege of fishing up north on a regular basis like a lot of you and don't have the experience yet with all the types and species of fish in this beautiful state. So to those of you who its second nature to catch and remove eel pout and other species that are mainly in the northern part of the state think about your first experiences with such fish and lighten up a little. As stated earlier I'm not afraid of them in any way shape or form nor am I afraid of the slime or cuts or anything. Just trying to be prepared for any and all possibilities and if there is an easier and cleaner way of doing things then please let me know. I have an 18 foot ice castle that we spent a fair amount of money on and want to keep it in the best shape possible for years and years of enjoyment. It was a huge purchase for us and don't have the money to replace it anytime in the near future. Now if it is my homemade house for local fishing no big deal as that is easier and cheaper to fix and maintain. So to those of you that have posted with quality comments and opinions thank you very much. It is greatly appreciated. To those of you with the smart a** comments please keep them to your selves. I love this site and have gained so much more knowledge by being a member as I am a self taught fisherman and just enjoy my time in the outdoors more than anyhting besides my kids.

[kapp]

'RESPECT YOUR POUT'

as resquested by the Lake of the Woods tourism dept

[bobbymalone]

As stated originally I have only caught one and that was several years ago so I am not familiar with removing them or what they are like to remove....

I don't think anybody is criticizing your question. You don't know how to do something until you know how to do something.

The criticism is towards those afraid to touch the thing and those that throw them on the ice to die for no apparent reason other than stupidity.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Thanks bobbymalone, It just seems that when a simple question is asked some people always have to throw in the smart a** comments. I really do appreciate all the advice. So again thank you to those of you with quality comments. I only want to know the ethical and safe ways of doing things while out on the lake.

[jerkbait]

Griz, I just lip the pout just like a bass and pull them out of the hole. If the hook is down deeper use a jaw spreader to keeps it's mouth open and if you have an extra set of hands sometimes you will need to pull on the line some to see the hook. I put them back in the water myself, the do feed on the same prey as walleyes, so the more bairt fish eaten the more the walleyes bite! I have not tried to eat pout yet, maybe someday.

[andrew chadwick]

Griz, I just lip the pout just like a bass and pull them out of the hole. If the hook is down deeper use a jaw spreader to keeps it's mouth open and if you have an extra set of hands sometimes you will need to pull on the line some to see the hook. I put them back in the water myself, the do feed on the same prey as walleyes, so the more bairt fish eaten the more the walleyes bite! I have not tried to eat pout yet, maybe someday.

they are better eating than walleye in my opinion!