im going up for a 3 day trip. Im going to bring 9 home.

I have the best attitude on here. The skunk is scared to even come close to me.

H3Fisher
Is that a little smolt in a steelie?
 
 
Thats nuts!

Looks like more than one there.

If more people would stay home it would be much better.  Give it a 3 year break and come back, I bet the fish are plentiful.
 
 

I'm willing to bet that smolt mortality due to walleye predation and spring fisherman, lamprey eels, pollution, and commercial Canadian gill net fishermen have way more to do with the reduced returns we have seen in the last few years than roping three at a time ever have.
 
The same C&R guys who never keep even one or two fish a year, saying these steelhead taste like crap, are probably waiting in line at Mcky Ds over the lunch hour for a pink slime burger.   If you know how to cook, process and eat them fresh, these steelhead can be very tasty.  Never freeze them for very long, always process and ice them within a couple hours of being caught, and try to prepare them within 24hrs or so of being processed. I'll take my chances with the PCB warnings a couple times a month, over eating fast food or other hormone loaded highly processed meats available at grocery stores today.   Here are some of my favorite ways to eat them.  The chowder is especially good as the fish really takes on the flavors of the soup after a day or two, and the prepared chowder freezes really well.
 
Dry Smoked

 
Grilled on a Ceder Plank With Dry Rub

 
Steelhead & Asparagus Chowder

The steelhead was de-boned (Fishing foreceps work great to pull the row of bones out of a fillet), then poached and flaked and set aside.   Then I cut and steam some asparagus between 1/2 - 2/3s done and set aside. 
 
Then boil some potatoes, onion, thyme, dill, salt, and pepper in vegetable stock.  Turn the heat back after the vegetables are done, and slowly whisk in a whole milk and cornstarch mixture (Can also use light cream instead of whole milk, I probably use around 2 or 2 1/2 cup to 2tbsp ratio of dairy to cornstarch)  Then add the fish & 2/3's cooked asparagus back into it and let it simmer and thicken for a few more minutes. 
 
That's it, gets even better after one or two days in the fridge.  Add in whatever other herbs/vegetables you want.  Some fish chowders call for lemon peel, but best to just leave it out in my opinion.  Lemon and dairy don't mix well and even lemon peel will curdle the milk/cream.

SteelSlayer77
A good way to eat the dry cured smoked steelhead rather than just plain is;  Take a block of philly cream cheese and let it warm up to room temp, then grate the smoked fish into it, roll it into a ball, and roll the cheese ball in almond slivers.  Gave a guy at work a piece of fresh smoked steel last year around Christmas time, he did that and brought the cheese ball in the next day.  Man was that excellent with some crackers!

That right there was the best post on this thread. I'm gonna try that. Thank you for the idea.

FishinGuy
I love that dip. Mix in some chopped green onions and or hot sauce too.

I use a bluefish patte recipe that calls for chopped green onion and hot sauce.  If I make some for a party, the bowl is empty within an hour.  I usually eat about 1/4 of it.  Great stuff. 
 
Like SteelSlayer said about the chowder, I prefer to put the smoked fish in the fridge for a day or two.  It seems to have a different taste than right off of the smoker, and enjoy the firm flesh over the moist freshly cooked.  Don't get me wrong, when it is smoked, I enjoy a nice portion right off of the smoker too...
 
Agree with the PCB risk over most other crap we eat.  I trim off all fatty sections and skin before cooking.  Also only eat about 5 meals per year, if that.

fish12

H3Fisher
Is that a little smolt in a steelie?
 
 
Thats nuts!

Looks like more than one there.

 
There were 5 smolt, 8-10 inches in length, in a walleye.

no doubt capt way too many variables beyond our control. funny how guys whine about contaminants in fish while their wifes clean the floor in their house with whatever new chemical gadget on the market is and those same all caring dudes don't say ****....cause they really didn't get a good education to know any better....which is ridiculous considering what our country spends to educate the populous...im starting to lean toward off topic sorry. catch em, grill em, eat em...in moderation....just imagine the fight or flight hormones those fish produce being caught multiple times that gather in the meat....yum...that's why they're delicious...lol

Make the legal limit 1 already. The best way to eat these fish are to nail it to a piece of wood for a good 24 hours and then eat the wood. Catch & Release. I do it, so should you! Three 7-8 lb fish consumed in a month or two???? You probably go off through metal detectors. #Nasty

pafisher
From what I have read about how these levels of toxins are measuered in the fish is that the WHOLE fish is run thru a grinder/blender and that is what is tested.Then they say the toxins are primarily in the liver and that dark lateral line on the fillet.So if you don't eat the liver or that dark lateral line you are missing most of the toxins reported.Also,if you follow the guidelines you are really missing the toxins.
Despite all that I still C&R because I'm not fond of the taste and it's a pain to drag them around,get them cleaned,and then keep them cold.I'm not from the area.
I think the Walleyes are doing the harm to the numbers of fish as opposed to 5-10 yrs ago,but there is still plenty of fish!

According to the articles I've read Pafisher, you're accurate in how toxins are tested and also about the location of them. I don't eat any fish without removing the lateral line and if I didn't have Steelhead smoked, I wouldn't bother eating them at all. I use circle hooks all of the time when bait fishing and release all of the trout unless someone asks me if I would get some for them as they don't fish. Trout just don't excite my taste buds. Different strokes for different folks.

fish stick
im going up for a 3 day trip. Im going to bring 9 home.

Wow, you're a regular Jeremiah Johnson, a real tough guy....If you can't afford to buy fish in a restaurant or store, you should've stayed in school.

You can always tell those fish. They are the ones with  the tandem fly rigs still stuck to there azzes or fins....WF