11-20-2006, 10:32 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Most folks who have tried to eat the larger macks share your views that they are really not worth keeping for the table. Sure, you can smoke them, or whatever, but there are so many better eating fish...why bother.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the other hand, the "pups", under about 5 pounds, can be very good eating and are popular with a lot of Gorge fans. DWR encourages anglers to catch all they can and keep all they catch (within the limit) of those smaller fish. They are the ones who are the most competitive with rainbows and other species for a lot of the available forage.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The big macks, over 20 pounds, are old fish. They are a lot oiler and the flesh develops a strong fishy/muddy taste. Their main attraction is the difficulty in fooling them and getting them to bite...and then being able to wrestle them in for a release. Some guys fish all their lives to catch a fish over 20 pounds and you may be able to hook one 3 times that size in the Gorge. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We will all be watching the burbot population and what it does to other other species...either positive or negative.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On the other hand, the "pups", under about 5 pounds, can be very good eating and are popular with a lot of Gorge fans. DWR encourages anglers to catch all they can and keep all they catch (within the limit) of those smaller fish. They are the ones who are the most competitive with rainbows and other species for a lot of the available forage.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The big macks, over 20 pounds, are old fish. They are a lot oiler and the flesh develops a strong fishy/muddy taste. Their main attraction is the difficulty in fooling them and getting them to bite...and then being able to wrestle them in for a release. Some guys fish all their lives to catch a fish over 20 pounds and you may be able to hook one 3 times that size in the Gorge. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We will all be watching the burbot population and what it does to other other species...either positive or negative.[/#0000ff]
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