Dark Water, Green Death!

[nastygunz]

Now that's a bloody title!  This afternoon I went and checked out this little pond that I know of small shallow stumpy weedy.  I was looking into the water and their little minnows everywhere by the thousands jumping up to the surface skittering across which indicated to me the presence of a predator.

I was scanning the edge of the water and noticed some large Pickrell about a foot from shore just hanging out quite a few of them more than you would normally see.   I am not sure if they were thinking about spawning or already Spawned but I think they were definitely mauling the minnow population.

Naturally I had to unleash the graphite hammer on them!  I soon found success with a small bright colored tinsel streamer. 

My last fish of the day I was stripping the fly in and get a hit set the hook and caught about a 4 inch minnow so I was pulling him into shore and all of a sudden a big Pickrell blastoff the bank and hit the minnow and took off with it so I said the hell with it set the hook in the Pickrell and hauled him ashore 

[nastygunz]

 This is my fly after being ravaged in savaged 

[FinsnFur]

Ravaged and savaged!
Did ya keep em and eat it? Nice catch

[nastygunz]

I have never eaten a Pickrell although I heard they taste sweet but the meat is very bony.

[nastygunz]

Ravaged n Savaged was Our motto back in the day when we Navy men hit a port and my day the Marines were known for spit and polish and being tough fighters,Big Army for kicking ass on a worldwide basis, The Air Force was known for being high-tech and having really great food, and the United States Navy was known for hard-core drinking and partying and getting all the girls

[Todd Rahm]

One of the best white fish to eat...........ever!  Nicely done!

[nastygunz]

Hey Todd!....any special cleaning secret for them?

[Todd Rahm]

36" below
I either wrap in foil bake them until they fall off the bones.
or
Cut in small chunks, beer batter and fry. The Y bones are so small that they crisp up to the point they dissolve when ya eat the beer batter chunks (Just like halibut)

36" or bigger
I steak or fillet them. There's a few good videos on how to cut around the y bones and on the bigger fish its easier. You can batter these too.

[FinsnFur]

Also from the anal fin to the tail is a whole patch of bone free meat.

[nastygunz]

I think when I was a kid the old-timers used too pickle them too.