Originally Posted by
SteelEyes
I release pre-spawn females as well, but I like to jig rather than troll, so not much of a problem.
As for cookin up the late season big fish. I cut up the fillets for fying. First I cut along the length, near the rib bones, in order to seperate the thinner lower portion of the fillet from the thicker upper portion. This keeps a consistent thickness. Also trim away the lateral line / red meat. Just a small cut along the length. Takes away a lot of the overpowering fish flavor. Then I cut the long into shorter pieces which helps me fit in my pan better.