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Just curious what you guys...and I mean everyone in general...do with big Lakers? With the consumption advisory I sure wouldn't want to eat anything that big and old. Of course, personally don't want to eat any Lakers, but I might have some smoked next time I catch some and can't release due to warm water.

#1) Realize there have been fish eating advisories in existence for Lake Michigan fish since the early 1970s and there are hundreds of thousands of people who have eaten Lake Michigan fish for the last 40 plus years. How many have you heard of that died from "eating those fish"? It's more hype than science by the enviros pushing their agenda.
#2) The fish advisories are based on samples from whole fish. Heads, eyeballs, gills, pubic hairs, meat and all the rest ground up. The toxins in the fish are 99% fat soluable, so eliminate the fat, you eliminate the toxins. Cut off all of the visible fat on a laker filet, skin the filet, cut off the red meat by the lateral line and you've eliminated about 90% of the fat. Now cook the fillet so additional fat cooks away and you are probably better off eating a lake trout from Lake Michigan than a Chik-File' sandwich.
#3) I would rather eat a grilled lake trout than a grilled salmon. Sprinkle with a little Lowrey's salt and some course ground black pepper and it's heaven. No butter, mayo, just fish, spices and heat.
#4) Smoking the fish is a good way to go, as well. Renders out the fat. A little smoked fish goes a long way at our house.
#5) Fish Boils are awesome with lake trout. Boil heavily salted water, add potatoes for 10 minutes, add onions for another 10 minutes, then add chunks of trout for another 10 minutes. Drain water, serve with melted butter. OMG is it good.

Yes...I know they sample all the "bad"parts when they do their advisories...though I believe Michigan has started just sampling the filets. As with all fish, smaller tastes better, a20lb lake trout cannot taste all that good compared to a 5lber. I'll continue to dump them back in as I catch them, don't like em, don't want em. May have to have one smoked next time they go belly up on the release.

Great thread, both informational and good reading.

Can your Lakers. Chunk the filet. Pack the chunks into a pint jar, adding 1 tsp. of canning salt, 3 tablespoons of tomato juice or bloddy mary mix, seal the jars and process @ 10 lbs. pressure for 100 minutes. You will love it

I've never found much difference in the flavor of a fish based on size. There's just more of the big ones to eat. I always figured "eating" sized fish was a term coined by people who don't catch big fish. Actually, I think the difference is when people try to fry or otherwise cook large fish. The breading or sauce on the fish is where a lot of the flavor originates. Cut a big fish into "small fish" sized pieces and then prepare. They will taste the same as a small fish.