rmrauscher
11/18/2019 9:29:43 PMSprague Lk sure was good to us in the spring. Didnt realize there was a good fall fishery also. They put up a great fight and great on the smoker.
rwl
11/19/2019 6:34:46 AMI think the lake gets more attention in the spring than the fall. Only saw 3-4 other boats yesterday, saw one caught still fishing. But the quality this year definitely makes it worth it. It could be worth a shot if you are coming over from the West side.
Fall fishing for me at Sprague usually involves some guesswork, particularly in the late fall when you don't know if the lake is frozen. I think Spokane people have a better handle on it because they drive by on I90. The lake is so shallow it is really affected by fall weather. 40 degrees yesterday was a lot cooler than it has been for me other years. In 2016 water was in the 50's at this time and action was steady unlike yesterday, but didn't get anything over 18". I should try smoking some of these up again. Even with bleeding and immediately on ice, my smoked Sprague fish in the past came out a little mushy.
Fall fishing for me at Sprague usually involves some guesswork, particularly in the late fall when you don't know if the lake is frozen. I think Spokane people have a better handle on it because they drive by on I90. The lake is so shallow it is really affected by fall weather. 40 degrees yesterday was a lot cooler than it has been for me other years. In 2016 water was in the 50's at this time and action was steady unlike yesterday, but didn't get anything over 18". I should try smoking some of these up again. Even with bleeding and immediately on ice, my smoked Sprague fish in the past came out a little mushy.
MotoBoat
11/21/2019 2:24:28 PM@RWL. I always connected soft Trout meat to taste like mud or dirt, and cause of soft meat from placing caught fish in a stringer and trolled around behind the boat in warm surface water (60 or above). But your saying meat of Sprague lake Trout to be mushy after smoking. I could only conclude that trout is perhaps under cooked when removed from smoker? Brining process alone firms meat, even if first mushy before brinning. Although, poor flavor of a mushy product before brining does not change after brining.
rwl
11/21/2019 4:07:50 PMThe brining definitely firmed the meat up compared with raw, but it still wasn't as nice as other trout or smoked salmon. I haven't done it a lot and I'm definitely not a brining expert. If anyone in the Pullman/Moscow area is interested in trying it out, I'd be happy to bring them some trout to smoke. It would be really interesting to know why trout from Sprague and Fourth of July Lake taste muddy.
downriggeral
11/29/2019 10:05:36 PMI personally never keep any Sprague trout. The lalke is shallow and the fish eat a lot of snails I have tried smoking to no avail. Mud is mud smoked or not. Bend the barbs down and have a ball C&R.
Go to Roosevelt for trout that are winners in every way.
Go to Roosevelt for trout that are winners in every way.