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Just moved here from Alaska, so please pardon ignorant questions... [bob  ]
Squawfish/pikeminnow, mountain whitefish, lake superior whitefish, or just 'whitefish'. From what I understand, pikeminnow/squawfish are meat eaters (smolt decimaters!), but the various whitefish are bug eaters ...like trout etc.
In Alaska, our "whitefish" (no clue what type) are best chopped up with a cleaver, frozen, and later fed to sled dogs ...not worth human consumption. Always disappointing when you caught them when fishing for trout or salmon.
What kind of whitefish are here in Idaho (Boise area, Boise River in particular)? Do people target these fish on purpose? Do they eat them? Are they worth anything more than a quick toss into the brush (forgive me)? What's legal?
Squawfish/pikeminnow I get ...they ARE native to the PNW, but dammed rivers create a lot of slow water that breeds them disproportionately, and they consume a lot of trout and salmon smolts. What's the rule on these? The aforementioned quick toss into the brush? What's legal?
Thanks,
Brian
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I know people that eat them, they are mild but bony. No limit or season, I slice open their belly and release them, same with carp. Crawdads gotta eat too.
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In rivers and streams populated with other salmonid species, rainbow trout eat varied fish eggs, including those of salmon, brown and cutthroat trout, [url "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_whitefish"]mountain whitefish[/url] and the eggs of other rainbow trout.
Mountain whitefish are bottom feeders, stirring up the substrate with pectoral and tail fins to expose insect larvae and other invertebrates, including [url "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snail"]snails[/url], [url "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish"]crayfish[/url], and [url "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphipod"]amphipods[/url].
They do nothing to hurt trout, steelhead or salmon populations and in fact contribute to their food sources.
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Almost forgot....in Idaho the mountain whitefish and the lake whitefish are listed as game fish. It is illegal to waste game fish.
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The limit is 25 per day . They are better tasting than trout Smoked , not as oily . They are good canned also . They are a game fish , don't waste them .
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Thanks, everyone! I knew you guys had all the answers! I really appreciate it! Perhaps if I catch a big fat one, I'll toss it in the smoker and see how it works out 
Brian
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I caught a bunch of whitefish at Deadwood this winter. Threw them in the smoker and they were pretty good. Not as good as the Kokes, but still, good enough to be worth my time.
Whitefish are not trash fish, so please be careful with the resource. Squawfish, aka NPMinnows are trash fish. Slay away........
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Not speaking from first hand experience, but if theyre anything like trout, I imagine the smaller ones taste a little better..
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Idaho has three whitefish species: Mountain Whitefish, Bonneville Whitefish, and Bonneville Cisco. All three are considered game fish species and have specific limits and seasons that vary by region. Fishing rules for each part of state can be found here:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/rules/
Or, download a full copy of the current fishing regulations here:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish...sRules.pdf
Remember, killing whitefish and throwing them back in the river is illegal and considered waste of game. If you don't want to keep them, just release them for someone else to enjoy.
Have fun out there.
Tight lines!
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[quote IDFG_Fisheries]Idaho has three whitefish species: Mountain Whitefish, Bonneville Whitefish, and Bonneville Cisco. All three are considered game fish species and have specific limits and seasons that vary by region. Fishing rules for each part of state can be found here:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/rules/
Or, download a full copy of the current fishing regulations here:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish...sRules.pdf
Remember, killing whitefish and throwing them back in the river is illegal and considered waste of game. If you don't want to keep them, just release them for someone else to enjoy.
Have fun out there.
Tight lines![/quote]
Good info... thank you! Thanks for being involved here as well...
Brian
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Quite often, whities have made my day by biting when the trout or steelies won't. you can tell when you have one on because they twitch their heads like crazy as they fight. I never eat them because I'm not a fan of the bones- I carefully release them like any other fish I'm not eating- I do know some guys that target them for their smokers.
I know squawfish/pikeminnows are destructive to trout, but they hit like a ton of bricks and fight somewhat valiantly, so I'm inclined to treat them nicely when I reel one in. I don't like to kill anything I'm not going to eat myself if I can help it, so I usually pat them on the head and turn them back, too.
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Having grown up in Oregon, I used to catch pikeminnows (PC name) on the Willamette River, usually when targeting salmon and using shrimp. For awhile, there was a bounty on them, but even when there wasn't, we always tossed them into the bushes... At the time, we believed them to be non-native. Didn't know they were native until just recently... but if mankind has made changes that cause them to be over-abundant, I don't mind doing away with a few...
brian
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