Eating Sucker Fish

[canepole]

Yes it's getting that time of year when the suckers run. It is the sweetest fish meat I've ever tasted. The method you mentioned sounds about right. The canning process supposedly dissolves the bones too. I've never had the canned ones, but had a guy tell me that it's like eating candy when they break open a can.

The canned ones your talking about was putting them in a pressure cooker like canning green beans, that's what dissolved the bones and yes they were good. They were more fun to gig though wading up small streams thats how we got them.

[sweetwater]

Yes, the method does work. My Dad would snag suckers every spring and he used the method you described. He called the method "hacking the fillet." The only difference being he had the benefit of a lifetime of experience which allowed him to hack the fillets without using his fingers or anything else as a depth control guide. Suckers do have a nice texture and a mild taste, however their flesh is a bit delicate (maybe from the hacking) and they do not withstand freezing as well as other species will.

[Can't Fish]

Those are interesting methods and have never had them that way. The way we use to do them when I was growing up we cleaned them soaked them in salt water and smoked them with apple wood and they tasted great.

[raincheck]

For yrs when the suckers spawn they swim up river & we would dip net them or hook & line catch them.We would can them & smoke a few.The canned sucker taste as good as the canned salmon from the store.IMO

[stripernut]

love them canned. mix an egg, yellow corn meal, diced onion and form into patties.

[Olgrey]

Thanks for all the replies. I know nothing about smoked fish, but does smoking do anything to the bones to dissolve them? If not, how did you eat them without having a problem with the bones. It is getting to the time of year when suckers are most active and wanted some ideas on how to prepare them. Do you have any fool proof directions for smoking them? Thanks for any information.

[HURRICANEBOB]

No attempt to hi-jack honest question.

It doesn't seem like bait shops carry suckers much anymore around cumberland. Shiners now seem to be in vogue.

Any reason for that?

And yes, I have smoke sucker left over from the livewell from a fishing trip.