I was just wondering how much fish is actually consumed that is harvested by anglers. From May till October we are blessed with oppourtunities to literally fill our freezers. Loading up on bottomfish in the spring and then tuna and salmon in the summer seems to be a common practice around here. I personally only freeze halibut and ling cod which is usually gone by fall. I dont freeze salmon unless I am stocking up for a smoker run, after which it is promptly devoured by friends and neighbors. I guess I am just curious to see how much fish actually gets eaten and how much gets wasted. Good Luck-TBJ

We eat Salmon at least once a week. We're not huge fans of bottomfish so I don't spend alot of time fishing for them.

Its very rare that any fish goes to waste at our house.

I might have a filet or two that goes bad every other year or so, usually when the filet loses its seal when vac-packed. We probably eat 25% of the fish we bring home with most of it going to co-workers, clients, friends, and land owners who have allowed me to hunt on their property. We probably bring home 50-120 fish a year depending on how good the boys and I do and end up eating fish at least once a week, but usually more.

very rarely in my house do we eat anything but what we have gathered, be it fish or fowl... duck, goose, chukar, quail, pheasant, salmon and crab are all regular dinners at my place.
i try to eat all the fish i catch or give it away to people... my next door neighbor is 85 and he gets a lot of fish as he is no longer able to fish himself but still loves to eat it. plus he gave me all his gear when he retired from the sport so i owe him big time...
i would guess that people that frequent this board rarely let much go to waste, the biggest waste i see is from people who make their annual trip and fill the freezer only to forget about it and throw it out before the big trip next year.

i only keep enough for me(or whoever wants to share) can eat fresh -- i don't care for frozen fish, unless it's halibut that's headed for a bath in the deep fryer.

fish has been in somewhat short supply this summer for me, but the fun is just about to start in another week or two, and hopefully last through march, weather permitting

We smoke 50-100 fish a year...eat and give it to friends constantly...BBQ a few springers...2005 total smoker action was 50 ho's 50 humps [egg supply] 110+/- lbs of nookie and a few brats...2006 was probably only a 50 fish year...LOVE that smoked fish...as long as it's done right !!!

once a week usually altho this year its seeming like every two weeks due to low retention. and i refuse to buy fish. when i am doing good ( fall ). i give a share away to my grandparents as they have given me there fishing equipment as they have retired from the sport. but most me and the wife eat. although it made it easy meeting the neighbors last fall ,when we moved to monroe, after firing up the smoker in week two and giving it away warm.

just curious how do humpy eggs do fishing wise. i was planning on retaining for the same reason and then smoking the meat and giving it away to freinds and whatnot. and was wondering how well they do.

As much as I can.

If I have more than I can eat, say a big fatty, I usually invite company over or take it to my inlaws and cook it there.

The rest I smoke.

None gets wasted, lots goes to friends, family, my stomach, and the smoker. Smoked salmon is the ultimate gift, and as sky-guy found out, bargaining chip.

Usually give about 90% away,about half fresh and half smoked. We have some sort of fish twice a week. Only fish I buy is Ahi tuna or prawns.

Fresh hump eggs are the KIND...smaller n tighter than others... but to each his own...

I don't barter recreational caught fish. I give some away to family and friends. We eat most of it. I still have 7 summeruns in the freezer and just had half a one the other night. Delicious. My wife fries rice and puts the left over steelhead in the rice with soy sauce and brocolli. My son wants me to smoke his fish up. They should stay good in the freezer until the end of the year. I finished off my springer last month.

I didn't get any nookie in the Sound when 9 and 10 were opened. to be honest I didn't try too hard. We've had crab twice a week since it opened. Steelhead carcuss is great bait for crawdads and/or crab. It doesn't get wasted. I haven't tried the beaches for coho yet this summer but will likely go and BBQ some up fresh. My buddy gave me 3 chunks of halibut as he brought back a bunch from Vancouver Island last week and filled his freezer along with some ling and nookie. My wife made some halibut ceviche last Sunday. Friday and Saturday I ate sushi at Whaling Days.

All I eat is fish or elk or deer or ducks. I'm exagerating here but not by much.
I don't think my eight year old has ever had a cow steak.
Nice.

I can't say I'm perfect with consuming EVERYTHING I catch, but I'd say 95% of the time it either ends up being eaten or frozen or given away...So I only waste 5% of my caught fish

In the past I would Horde then end up wasting. Now I try to make sure as much as possible is eaten fresh by myself or friends. What isnt eaten fresh is saved for a smoker load. When I return from a run to the coast I now look forward to droping off a fish or two befor I get to my house. I have a few friends that don't fish that really apreiciate quality fish that is less than 48 hours old. I did the same with deer for years but now look forward to running out a month or two befor I get to hunt. It just makes success that much sweeter...

We eat everything. Probably minimum 3 days a week, maybe 4 we eat fish, all caught by us, all kinds. My kids love it, salmon and ling cod are their favorite. My wife sometimes gets tired of salmon. We save most, but not all of the remains for crab bait or fertalizer.

No waste here, I eat or giveaway everything I catch to friends and neighbors who reciprocate. If there's a slight indication that frozen fish is starting to turn, then it goes in the brine and gets smoked.

With 5 kids who never tire of catching or eating Salmon, halibut, lings, rockfish, crab, clams, oysters, etc. we never waste a thing. Probably only give away 10 %. My girlfriend got tired of sockeye last summer but the kids and I didn't so we just kept on grilling it night after night.

At my house we eat fish and/or game 2 to 4 times a week. Been a quite the roll recently. In the last half of July we ate fresh halibut twice( thanks to a friend who had been to the ocean), last piece of frozen ling, fresh Chinook three times, fresh crab 3 times, and a frozen geoduck. In addition consumed about a half dozen smoked kokanee for lunch will fishing (at times washed down with a kokanee!).

In addition hosted a block party on Saturday and supplied barbqued Chinook and bowl of cracked crab .

Have been recycling fish frames for crabs; kokanee carcasses make excellent crab bait.

Tight lines
Curt