Eating / cooking trout

[FishNHunt]

I'm glad to see that others besides myself put the table pictures of a few trout that they have caught on here. I've never understood why some folks believe that EVERY trout caught should be released. I personally don't like the taste of brown trout or trout that have to set in a carry pouch on a warm summers day so brookies are off my "table list" as well. I also feel sometimes if a big ole rainbow got that big without being eaten it can stay too... most of the time. However, those trout that are close to a cooler full of ice better watch out. Those big green and blue back lake run rainbows in Calderwood, Cheoah, and Chilhowee with their orange and red meat taste like Salmon to me and I harbor no shame when I say "I LOVE them". Maybe it's just me but, I've fished the park a few times this year it appears the fish are running slightly larger on average that previous years. Could this be due to die off of some trout from the prolonged hot dry summers of the past few years leaving more food for survivers to grow larger? I am starting to think so. If that is the case than we might want to reconsider our "release them all" thought pattern some what.
I'm not putting down those that don't like the taste of trout but, still love the thrill of an explosive surface take. I don't like the taste of many ducks but, my heart still beats out of my chest when I work in a flock of Gadwalls. I will fill my bag with them and give them my friends who do eat them.
Like many of those ducks I have fixed trout in many different fashions and have came up with my own desired mixture that I like the most. Here it it.
First I remove all the skin and fins but the tail fin (love that crispy crunch) along with entire head
All this goes into a gallon zip lock bag
2 cups of corn meal
1/2 cup of flour (the wife says that flour doesn't help but I like it anyways)
liberal dose of garlin (with parsley) powder
liberal dose of Creyole seasoning(hope I spelled that right)
OR
Lemon pepper (prefer the Creyole)
salt and pepper
Dredge your fish in an egg and milk wash and then place it into the already prepared bag. Zip up the bag shake well and remove coated fish to the grease. Repeat until all are in the skillet.

This brings me to my question.
In alot of the "in the skillet" pictures I've noticed alot of you all keep your heads on with eyes intact. Is there any reason that you all do this? I'm curious.

[JayB]

"cuz a real man looks his food in the eye while he eats it ." ;) j/k...sort of.

Its less effort to cut the head off, supposely when the eyes turn white and hard, it means the meat is done as well. The cheek meat is a tiny bite, but it is good, no point in throwing it away, and well I guess there is something to being connected to what you eat. You killed it, you cleaned it, why nt leave it whole while you eat it?
I personally don't understand why everyone FRIES a perfectly good trout!? I understand frying catfish, whitebass, etc that have a strong taste, it helps reduce the fishy taste. But trout are so mild, I feel ashamed to ruin them by frying all the time. I really liked the taste of them sprinkled with a little salt and onion powder and roasted over an open fire. I also like to sprinkle them with a good lemon pepper mix, wrap in aluminum foil and bake in the coals of a fire, and when done serve with stuffing mix. Thats good stuff right there.

As for catch and release, I agree that it is good for the system for us to keep a few. And I am I really glad that this forum has never had, that I've seen, a flame war over that issue. I've seen forums where people have gone nuts over the issue of keeping fish or not, and you better not post a pic of a dead fish if you didnt want to catch **** about it.
I agree with you fishnhunt, if I caught a trophy, Id probably release it out of respect more than anything, but 8-10 inch rainbows beware! I'm out to get ya!

[Crockett]

I eat all types of trout. Just ate a nice 8 inch speck a couple weeks ago. Fishnhunt I don't have the problem with specks sitting a long time before eating because I don't bring them out to the stove I bring the stove to them. I always have a small skillet and camp stove in my daypack when fishing.

Jay I usually cook or fry my trout plain without all the cornbread and junk. I don't get to eat wild mountain trout to often so when I do get to I usually don't want a mouth full of cornmeal hehe but that is just a personal preference too and I have put cornmeal on them from time to time just prefer them without.

[Rog 1]

What a coincidence....I fried up some trout last night from a recent trip to the Park....when backpacking I will usually take a lemon with some salt and pepper and cook them in foil...otherwise I think it was Mr. Casada who says it best...dress them in a cornmeal tuxedo and release them to the grease...that's how my grandmother used to cook them when I was growing up and some traditions are hard to break...remove the fins and eat them like corn on the cob...ready for more but will have to wait a couple of weeks for my father's day trip with my son.