Algonquin Adventures / fishing/weather question and stringer question

**Posted by brookchase** 5/17/2022 7:09 pm

My trip starts this weekend. I'll mostly be navigating rivers. It was quite warm (30 degrees) starting about a week ago, but is about to cool down into the mid teens in the coming days. What will this do to the fish in the rivers? I imagine the black flies will calm down.. will this change the fishing environment at all?

If I want to keep a caught fish for later in the day, is it best to keep it alive on the stringer or would it be best to kill it instead and then put it on a stringer?

Last edited by brookchase (5/18/2022 2:27 pm)

**Posted by scoutergriz** 5/18/2022 11:02 am

I always try to keep it live, as soon as you kill it bacteria starts it's job especially in the gut, and if you clean it before cooking the insides are vulnerable to waterborne bacteria unless you can put it on ice

**Posted by brookchase** 5/18/2022 8:56 pm

Thanks guys. I will honour the trout.

Mr. Pimple, I am a beginner fisherman and a little dense. Are you saying I should use bait that look like sucker fish? Or perhaps their eggs?

**Posted by PaPaddler** 5/19/2022 11:30 am

Maybe the best solution is to plan to eat fish that you catch closer to the end of the day, or closer to the time of consumption. It's a slippery slope though...sometimes you're catching them left and right but it cools off when you are thinking of keeping the next one!

We release nearly all (90%) of what we catch and typically keep two for the pan if we are close to the point of consumption - especially easy if you are camping along the river - and sometimes so fortuitous that you catch one from the site! That way they are quite lively on the stringer and the flavor is excellent.