QuietJourney Forums - EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico

Apr 17^th, 2026 at 5:09pm (UTC)

QuietJourney Forums › Boundary Waters / Quetico Discussion Forums › Fishing Tips for the BWCA and Quetico › EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico

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EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico (Read 11522 times)

Jon Inukshuk Offline Posts: 134 Location: Amery WI Joined: Dec 20^th, 2011	EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Jan 29^th, 2012 at 1:35pm	Quote Print Post
	Does anyone agree with Stu Osthoff of BWJ that only one fish meal per trip is the limit? And that it's better to not keep any? I was shocked to read his opinion on this subject. I fish to have a meal not to see how many fish I can put through a traumatic experience. Jon Bratt Bird Island


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wally Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1987 Location: Minni-soda Joined: Apr 3^rd, 2003	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #1 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 1:44pm	Quote Print Post
	I could care less what Osthoff thinks.


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Snow_Dog Voyageur Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1858 Location: Twin Cities Joined: Jul 11^th, 2003	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #2 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 2:20pm	Quote Print Post
	I think you should consider how much pressure the particular lake you are fishing gets and then let your conscience be your guide. I really don't think there is a one-size-fits-all answer. Wally will tell you what you are allowed to do legally is the only limit you need to worry about and in one sense he is right. He's also entirely correct that what Osthoff thinks should be a total non-factor. Just because someone has the ability to share their opinion with large numbers of people doesn't make their opinion any more correct. I will tell you that fish aren't capable of the level of higher thinking you assign them that they would require to be traumatized. But that's just my opinion (based on the research I've done). You are of course entitled to your own opinion. Bottom line, if I'm fishing a heavily travelled/fished lake in the BWCA I'd be far less likely to eat a meal of fish from those waters. If I was on a dead-end side lake with no campsites, I'd worry a lot less. But I fish the Q far more often, mostly because there is a lot less traffic/pressure and a lot less need for me to worry about sustainability. I will eat multiple meals of fish and I will not stop fishing just because I've caught a meal.


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DentonDoc Voyageur Inukshuk Offline Posts: 3468 Location: Central Texas Joined: Dec 27^th, 2003	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #3 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 3:50pm	Quote Print Post
	Yes, I agree that STU should only have one fish meal per trip. Now if he would only take ONE (rather than 20) trips a year, we'd be good! dd


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Jon Inukshuk Offline Posts: 134 Location: Amery WI Joined: Dec 20^th, 2011	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #4 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 4:40pm	Quote Print Post
	I have always thought fishing pressure in canoe country was insignificant to fish populations compared to what I see going on on motor accessible lakes. So I'm glad you all seem to agree. I wonder why Stu feels so strongly. I am kind of joking about the fish trauma. I often chuckle when returning a fish, thinking about what a strange experience that must have been for the fish. Jon Bratt Bird Island


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Westwood Inukshuk Offline Posts: 669 Location: Was Minnesota Now Iowa Joined: Mar 4^th, 2005	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #5 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 6:17pm	Quote Print Post
	When I plan my menu, I plan on eating fish once a day. Sometimes plans change. For example, last September, my wife caught a 8 pound trout that died. So of course we ate more than one fish meal that day because a 8 pound trout fillets to almost 4 pounds of meat. To keep the fish fresh for the second meal, I used my basketball net which was intended to be used as a anchor to keep the fish fresh. After the trout is filleted, put the meat in a plastic bag. Put the bag in the basketball net with enough rocks and sink the fish in deep water. I also think it makes a different on what type of fish you are eating. If you are eating small mouth bass which many consider an invasive species in parts of Quetico, why not eat two meals a day. I enjoy eating fish, but eating fish twice a day gets old. Westwood


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pine_knot Inukshuk Offline Posts: 908 Location: Springboro, Ohio Joined: Mar 31^st, 2009	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #6 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 11:25pm	Quote Print Post
	Given Stu's a guide and focused on giving clients a grand fishing experience, it doesn't surprise me at all that he's an advocate for catch and release. Nothing wrong with that. Most folks who visit canoe country pay enough to catch and eat what they can...nothing wrong with that either. Personally, I spend most of my money in the Quetico. And given the fees, I'll eat eat fish every few days and not think twice about it. With one exception. I've found a couple of relatively small Quetico lakes with lake trout and/or big smallmouth and I won't keep fish from these lakes...but that's just me.


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mastertangler Inukshuk Offline Posts: 3111 Location: florida Joined: Feb 1^st, 2010	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #7 - Jan 29^th, 2012 at 11:46pm	Quote Print Post
	pine_knot wrote on Jan 29^th, 2012 at 11:25pm: Given Stu's a guide and focused on giving clients a grand fishing experience, it doesn't surprise me at all that he's an advocate for catch and release. Nothing wrong with that. Most folks who visit canoe country pay enough to catch and eat what they can...nothing wrong with that either. Personally, I spend most of my money in the Quetico. And given the fees, I'll eat eat fish every few days and not think twice about it. With one exception. I've found a couple of relatively small Quetico lakes with lake trout and/or big smallmouth and I won't keep fish from these lakes...but that's just me. I am very much inclined to agree with PK on this one. I have several friends who are professional bass guides. It is not uncommon for them to catch 50 to 70 bass in one day if they are chewing. All of them refuse to keep even 1 bass........The more your living depends on healthy populations of fish (or game) the more protective you are liable to be. I also agree with PK on being selective about size and place. I won't think twice about eating a 16" eye out of Basswood but would certainly let all fish of significant size go. Remember that in the Canadian shield fish may tend to grow slowly........it seems a shame to eat the big ones. And lastly........trauma? Fish can be physically traumatized by being played to long where they expend all their energy.......or from being brought up from the depths (such as lake trout in the heat of summer).........But what about the fish just going through a hurtful unpleasant experience? Remember a fishes musculature is quite different than ours. A hook in the lip is probably quite similar to a spine in the mouth when said fish is munching some poor innocent other fish.........Oh that's right........quite a savage realm they live in isn't it? I laugh when people look across the lake early in the morning with just a wisp of fog........."It's so peaceful" they are apt to comment........when just underneath the surface creatures are biting and killing with reckless abandon........


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Drewfus Inukshuk Offline Posts: 291 Location: Illinois Joined: Mar 11^th, 2008	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #8 - Jan 30^th, 2012 at 12:07am	Quote Print Post
	I agree with many of the above posts. The "trauma" bit I think can be summed up by deep catches, being played out, deep mouth/gill hooks, and fish handling (most of that was summed up above). Stu can have one fish meal per trip. Good for him. When I go, I hope to eat fish every day. I don't keep everything I catch. Large fish go back in the lake regardless...there is just too much meat on a big fish for two guys. I'm one of the people who think the smallies are taking over a lot of the northern lakes. I don't hesitate taking and eating smallmouth even if my paddling partner doesn't eat bass. I know that pregnant women aren't supposed to eat fish due to contaminants. I get this and that sort of thing should not be risked regardless of location. That said, for the rest of us, the water up there is very pure, where the water is coming from is very pure. I don't think twice about drinking straight from some of the lakes up there, and as for fish contamination, it is a non-thought. Fish regulations are in place for a reason. Follow them and the fish population should do just fine.


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Puckster Inukshuk Offline Posts: 1208 Location: St. Paul, Minnesota Joined: Feb 10^th, 2009	Re: EAting fish in BWCA/Quetico Reply #9 - Jan 30^th, 2012 at 2:16am	Quote Print Post
	I want to thank Stu for giving us something we ALL can agree on! Go Stu! prouboy


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