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[huntwriter]

Last fall fishing for pinks on the Fraser River I reeled this fish in. What is it? I am not very knowledgeable about the fish species here in BC and looking it up in the fish species identifying book yielded no results.

So finally I thought that perhaps someone here could answer me what fish species this is. Thanks!

[DragonSpeed]

Northern Pikeminnow

[Riverman]

Agreed.

[huntwriter]

Thanks DragonSpeed.

These fish were very aggressive. Every time I reeled the spoon in these fish would follow it as  the spoon came close to shore. Each cast I made would result in one f them getting hooked.

[Rodney]

One of my favorite species, soon to be the number one gamefish in the Fraser Valley.


http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fish_profile/northern_pikeminnow.html

[huntwriter]

Thanks Rodney.

You write in the fish profile "The northern pikeminnow is not usually targeted by BC anglers due to its poor eating quality." I took two home and found that they taste not to bad  but boy do they have a lot of very fine bones. It makes for some very slow and careful eating. As a child I once choked on a fish bone and ended up in the hospital, been paranoid about fish bones ever since.

[huntwriter]

This is a picture I took of one of the boys I kept. It's almost identical of the one Rodney has in the fish profile.

[poper]

why would you want to keep that! They taste like a dumpster!

[huntwriter]

why would you want to keep that! They taste like a dumpster!

Some folks think bass taste like dogfood and I happen to like them too and so are many others. I guess tastes differ from one person to the next. The only reason I never want to eat another one is because of all the small bones. But since I took two pikeminnow's home I WILL eat the last one too, simply because whatever I catch or shoot will end up on the table.

[Rodney]

huntwriter, the taste of particular fish species is culturally dependent. Northern pikeminnow in fact, as you have mentioned, has fine white flesh that is perfectly edible and has its own unique flavour. There are two factors that draw people away from eating these. One is that we are spoiled with the availability of pacific salmon in this part of the world (our obsession/addiction to them will be or is driving them to extinction). The second one, as you have mentioned, the amount of fine bones in a northern pikeminnow. Those who grow up in an Asian background such as my parents do not mind eating northern pikeminnow, because these fish are relatives of what are commercially available in Asia (common carp, grass carp, etc). My parents used to make them into soup, while I have friends who prefer to make them into fish cakes by grinding both the flesh and fine bones.

Also, I just like to point out one thing. It is not a good idea to retain a fish for eating when it is not identified for several reasons. One is that it might not be legal to retain it. Although it is not salmon, trout or sturgeon, there are in fact species in the minnow family that are protected in British Columbia. Native exclusively in the Fraser Valley, salish suckers are highly endangered. Although a salish sucker and a northern pikeminnow have distinct features that set them apart, their bodies look almost identical with one quick glance. Second is that eating an unknown species can be dangerous. One should find out what it is and whether it is edible or not before consuming.

poper, don't taste a dumpster.

Some folks think bass taste like dogfood and I happen to like them too and so are many others.

Love eating smallmouth bass, as long as they are kept early in the season before they retain the muddy taste, which is the same with rainbow trout in lakes.

[DionJL]

Personally I think it was a poor decision to retain two unidentified fish. If they were a protected species or a species your not allowed to keep you would probably feel pretty bad. In hunting that would be a huge no-no. The same rules should apply to fishing.

[Eagleye]

Here is a link for a description of Salish Suckers maybe Rod could add the species to the fish profile section.

http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/~schluter/stickleback/Salish_sucker/Salish_Sucker.htm

[doja]

After reading this post I'm wondering, are there pike(northern pike) in the fraser river? One would think so if there are pike minnows. if not why are there just pike minnows?

[huntwriter]

Rodney – Having traveled extensively around the world, including lived and worked several years in China (what a beautiful historic country and nice people). I understand perfectly what you’re saying about cultural diet habits. I have eaten things from around the globe that we here not even know exist, let alone eat them.

Dion JL – Appreciate your concern. I was pretty sure that I didn’t catch an endangered or protected species. Wherever I go fishing or hunting in the world my first task is to totally familiarize myself with the identification of protected species. I therefore knew that this fish was not a protected species because I could not find its image and description listed in the pocket booklet that I made of protected fish here in BC. As a traveling hunter and seminar speaker I cannot afford to make "mistakes" that could tarnish my name and reputation.
To sumarise. I was fully convinced that it is not a protected fish but still didn't know what fish it is. This has now been answered here.    

[Rodney]

After reading this post I'm wondering, are there pike(northern pike) in the fraser river? One would think so if there are pike minnows. if not why are there just pike minnows?

Northern pikeminnow and northern pike are in two different families and not related to one another. NPM is not the juvenile stage of NP.

Northern pikeminnow belongs in the minnow family, which consists of peamouth chub, various species of suckers, carp, etc.