I was wondering yal opinions on squawfish in lake washington.  I have read mixed feelings on another message board, some saying get rid of them, others saying release them.  I witnessed a squawfish saturday on lake washington busting on a school of fry, don't think they were bass cause they looked to 'silvery'.  If they were salmon smolt, not only are they hurting the salmon, but also the bass .  Should they go back into the water alive?  I know I get mad when they slam a crankbait and I mistake it for a big bass.

I was hoping you would reply Sarge, since you have the education and knowledge I guess you could say on the subject.

Amen Smitty

My grandmother used to clean them, cut them up in chunks and pressure cook them.  This made the bones a none issue and they were excellent used in all of the customary fish dishes. 

They were used in our family in sandwiches like the present day tuna fish.   8)

BillB

I ended my squawfish catches yesterday when I didn't catch one at lake washington.  You know Chris I had three in 3 trips.  I guess them biting is better than getting skunked, don't you think.

Hey Doug,
I always preferred to take my fillet knife and cut one set of their gills out.   It's kinda interesting to watch how they react to suddenly having the equivolent of full blown emphysema!

Hey Rob,

You bring up a good point that I should have mentioned. A study done by a grad student in our lab suggested that Northern pikeminnow are high in mercury and PCB's. The Department of Health is following up that study with another set of fish we collected for them. Until heavy contamination is proven conclusively, the state is being cautious and warning people not to eat them. Many asian and russian populations around the lake eat these fish frequently, so it is a concern.

The general principle for how contaminated a fish might be depends on the type of contaminant. Mercury for instance, is a heavy metal and sits at the bottom of the lake. Fish that eat little organisms living on the bottom, like sculpins, peamouth, small perch, etc. build up the contaminant. But, bigger fish like big perch, smallmouth, and pikeminnow that come by and eat these smaller fish REALLY build up contaminants and are the ones to watch. For instance, walleye in Lake Roosevelt are one of the most contaminated fish in the lake, and you are not supposed to eat very many, if any. The general rule is, the more fish another fish eats, the more contaminated it will be. Those higher on the food web are more contaminated. Updated Lake Washington consumption advisories should be coming out in the near future.

Chris

Well there is another reason to tell people about catch and release. Smallies are often caught dragging deep flats, thus on the bottom. They also gorge on perch and crayfish, also bottom dwellers. Maybe we can scare people into not eating them...worth a shot if the word gets out. 

Hmmm... squaw fish, good or bad?  The eagles that follow my boat claim they are not only good, they're great!  As the self appointed "squaw fish king" of Lake Washington, the eagles know my boat and follow me around the lake knowing that sooner or later the meal of the day will be served up. 

Now, some of you are absolutely right, the squaw fish is not to be killed because it is a game fish, but somehow every one of those little rascals hits their heads on the edge of my boat as I try to release them.  I have never seen a fish so tender right over the eyes - just the smallest bump leaves them circling in the water until the gulls come.  As soon as the gulls disperse, it means the eagle has arrived, and chow is on.

Personally I am confused -  it was a game warden checking my license on Lake Washington who told me not to release them alive.  So what's a guy to do?  Deny the authority of the law?  I suppose as long as the slippery little devils keep falling on their heads as I try to release them, the eagles will feast.

Anyone know what the state record is for squaw fish?  I've caught some monsters - hope I didn't release a record fish...