Smoked shad??? Caught a Gizzard shad 4oz under the the WI record yesterday...

[Tripplebeards]

I figured I’d try smoking it. Any other suggestions?

https://i.imgur.com/x0NEDrE.jpg

Here it is next to a 15.25” Walleye.

https://i.imgur.com/v6kPv7F.jpg


I thought it was a mooneye at first and got all excited that I broke the WI 2 pound 6.6oz record. Then I googled it and realized it was a gizzard shad and 4.26 oz light of the new record. Oh well, it put up one heck of a fight! It’s been a good week. I caught a dandy walleye the other day a hair over 7 pounds as well.

[BJK]

Good catch! Can't help you, I've never had either walleye or shad.

[bruce drake]

I'd be proud of both fish!

I learned to appreciate grilled shad in Japan. It's a very oily fish as its a member of the herring family so if you do it that way, you may find it either too strong or you'll love it. I like it with white rice and some good soy sauces but you may like it with lemon and bacon like this recipe from the folks in Connecticut who enjoy Atlantic Shad.
https://www.courant.com/hc-xpm-2012-05-02-hc-shad-cooking-sidebar-20120502-story.html

[Dukeconnor]

That thing is a MONSTER. Congrats.

I get to see thousands of dead shad most springs along the shores of lake erie and I have never seen one near that size.
If you smoke it and feel it is too strong, mix it with some cream cheese and spread it on crackers.

[gwpercle]

How about a Taxidermy job ... that rascal is big and would look good on the wall !
Gary

[Electrod47]

Walleye is the best eating fish. I wish we had some around here. Spent some time in South Dakota one year after Geese and Pheasant around Pierre, pronounced pier,. Ate Walleye for dinner at the hotel. Walleye appetizers everywhere., even Walleye sandwiches for lunch. The whole group of us from Texas would sit down to eat wherever and ask what was the Walleye specialty. All caught fresh from the Missouri River.

[MaryB]

I imagine it will be similar to smoked carp... greasy but tasty as a snack.

[trapper9260]

Catfish love fresh shad guts. They are mainly use for cut bait for catfish from what I know they are strong. The Walleye is the best of the 2 to eat .I caught both on the Mississippi River . If you do not like how the shad is to eat could use it for coon bait if want to. I have not ate any gizzard shad . here is a link for the search I did on gizzard shad https://www.google.com/search?q=eating+gizzard+shad&client=avast-a-1&ei=zOGBYMOeKsTK0PEPpY6Z2AM&oq=eating+gizzard+shad&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyAggAMgUIABCGAzIFCAAQhgMyBQg AEIYDMgUIABCGAzoHCAAQRxCwAzoHCAAQsAMQQzoNCC4QsAMQy AMQQxCTAjoKCC4QsAMQyAMQQ0oFCDgSATFQxztYvEdghlRoAXA CeACAAfYKiAGjMpIBBzUtMS40LjKYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6y AEPwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwjDtLa93ZLwAhVEJTQIHSVHBjsQ4dUDCA8&uact=5

[ShooterAZ]

I think that just about any fish would be tasty when smoked. I love smoked fish!

[jim147]

IIRC the Dead Meat show did an episode on cooking shad. It might be somewhere on the intwebs.

[Tripplebeards]

I'm on a roll. The bite literally shut down today. The only thing I caught was whopper 17" white Bass. It's my personal biggest at just under 3 pounds. I filleted it up.

[richhodg66]

I caught a gizzard shad close to that size one, snagged it actually. Never thought of eating one. I have smoked carp and buffalo and that makes for good eating.

Those golden eys are a lot of fun. Most of the year you can count on catching them but the house with worms under a bobber, not good for anything, but fun to catch. I caught one of them that was huge once, had no idea at the time Kansas kept records on them, but the one I caught may well have broken it if I'd checked.

[MT Gianni]

We saw smoked Goldeye on the menu in Manitoba. That's all I got.

[rockrat]

Love Walleye!! Grandad used to go to Minnesota during the Summer to fish for walleye. He made a big mistake, making me try walleye instead of the Hamburger I would order, after that, we had to catch a lot more fish to have a decent fish fry as I could eat faster than the others. I think he regretted introducing a 16 yr old to his favorite fish!!

[MaryB]

Northern pike is even better than walleye but it MUST be cleaned right. I fold the filet over on itself and scrub it against itself under running water, do this for both sides. Removes all the slime and blood from the filet, they give northern pike that fishy flavor many hate. I don't bother removing the Y bones. Just pick them out as I eat!

[Tripplebeards]

Mary, I agree! I made the walleye in the photo next to the shad along with a 17” huge white bass. The white bass fillets tasted way better and were firmer. I made some Northern the day before yesterday and also way better then the walleye. All were pan fried in shore lunch.

[MaryB]

Mary, I agree! I made the walleye in the photo next to the shad along with a 17” huge white bass. The white bass fillets tasted way better and were firmer. I made some Northern the day before yesterday and also way better then the walleye. All were pan fried in shore lunch.

Try salt, pepper, flour. Really light coating that lets the fish flavor shine through while still offering that crisp golden brown that is so tasty.

[bluebird66]

Never tried Shad.

[Bmi48219]

I’ve tried smoking fish, can’t get them to stay lit.
Seriously, that is one awesome shad, congratulations!

[Tatume]

We "plank" them: The plank used should be of well-seasoned hickory or of oak, about 3 inches thick. 2 feet long and 1 1-2 foot wide. Any soft wood gives a woody taste that is most objectionable. Get a fine roe shad, as fresh from the water as possible, scale, split down the back, clean, wash well and wipe dry. Dredge with salt and pepper. Place the plank before a clear fire to get piping hot. Then spread the shad open and nail it skin side down to the plank with four large-headed tacks. Put the board before the fire, large end down. In a few moments reverse the board, so that the other end will be down, and do this every few moments until the fish is done. To determine that accurately, pierce with a fork, and if the fish is flaky it is perfected. Spread with butter and serve on the plank, or draw out the tacks and slide off on a hot platter. Planked shad, like terrapin, should be served with baked potatoes, and, if possible, with green peas and a lettuce salad. The shad roe should be parboiled first to prevent the sputtering, then fried.


I like it with white rice and some good soy sauces but you may like it with lemon and bacon like this recipe from the folks in Connecticut who enjoy Atlantic Shad.

Hi Bruce,

I believe you're thinking of American shad, which is protected (moratorium here in Virginia) due to severe overfishing. The gizzard shad is open for harvest.

Take care, Tom

[Bmi48219]

Northern pike is even better than walleye ....I don't bother removing the Y bones. Just pick them out as I eat!

Agreed, N Pike are 2nd only to yellow perch IMO and I speak with authority on the subject. As kids we ate so much pike I grew Y bones myself. A northern Ontario Indian showed me a couple avoid-the-Y-bone tricks:
Best way is to select the arrowhead shaped end portion of the filet from near the tail, there are no Y bones in that area.
If someone beats you to that, lay the cooked filet on your plate skin side down. You can see the tiny row of Y bone tails poking out of the filet. The meat above and below the row of bones is boneless. Use your butter knife or fork to separate the thick chunk of top meat from bones, then the bottom chunk. The Y bones and the thin strip of fish containing them go into the table scraps pile.

[Tripplebeards]

I cut the Y bones out my pike and save that bony meat portion for pickeling.


I have to say after I baked my 7 pound walleye today it tasted awesome!...accept for the lower rib meat...it was fishy in spots. The cheeks were the best meat!

https://i.imgur.com/EwO0FrV.jpg


I still have the shad in the freezer. It’s in line. I smoked my last Buffalo yesterday that I speared from about a year ago. It had a couple of freezer burnt spots on the edges I cut off before smoking.

https://i.imgur.com/kK65kAZ.jpg

[Butzbach]

I cut the Y bones out my pike and save that bony meat portion for pickeling.


I have to say after I baked my 7 pound walleye today it tasted awesome!...accept for the lower rib meat...it was fishy in spots. The cheeks were the best meat!

https://i.imgur.com/EwO0FrV.jpg


I still have the shad in the freezer. It’s in line. I smoked my last Buffalo yesterday that I speared from about a year ago. It had a couple of freezer burnt spots on the edges I cut off before smoking.

https://i.imgur.com/kK65kAZ.jpg

I wish everyone took this kind of care with God's bounty! Bon Appetite!

[Lloyd Smale]

Northern pike is even better than walleye but it MUST be cleaned right. I fold the filet over on itself and scrub it against itself under running water, do this for both sides. Removes all the slime and blood from the filet, they give northern pike that fishy flavor many hate. I don't bother removing the Y bones. Just pick them out as I eat!

yup mary your absolutely right. Walleye is in the pike family but pike is better eating. Nice thing about pike vs walleye is BIG pike are still as good as small ones. Walleye not so much. Most around here toss the big walleye back. No better fresh water fish then pike caught in COLD water. Round here ugly girls that can filet pike right are married off faster then the home comming queen.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I'm thinking catfish bait

[Tripplebeards]

yup mary your absolutely right. Walleye is in the pike family but pike is better eating. Nice thing about pike vs walleye is BIG pike are still as good as small ones. Walleye not so much. Most around here toss the big walleye back. No better fresh water fish then pike caught in COLD water. Round here ugly girls that can filet pike right are married off faster then the home comming queen.


Explains why my big walleye tasted a little fishy around the lower rib meat in spots. Northern pike never, no mater what size.

[farmerjim]

I'm thinking catfish bait

They smell so bad that catfish love them.

[trapper9260]

I eat chain pickerel back east with mash potatoes and was good just bake it . Then take the skin off and I did not worry about the Y bones since they were small . Now the next gizzard shad I catch this year I will have to try it out to eat .I eat everything else I catch . i just not sure yet how I will fix it up. I been out after the red horse sucker to can and pickle . You do not worry about the Y bones since they are you can say gone. the white suckers I de scale them and fillet and score down to the skin about 1/4 " and fried in the frying pan with some oil , I did roll in corn meal first and you do not notice the Y bone like you would it you did not score them .

[Tripplebeards]

I fillet the Y bones out of my Northern pike and save the bony strip for pickeling.