Smoking Goldeye

[yelik]

Hello You all, Just joined and have a new Digital on the way. I have a good number of Goldeye to Smoke. I beleive i will hang them to drip a bit, but looken for some help.
What kind of brine to use on a small scaled fish skin on?
How Long; Brine/Smoke? And temp.
as a said new at this any help is good
Yelik

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Yelik
Welcome to the forum.

I've never heard of Goldeye fish. Here is a link for a quick lesson on brining. Go about half way down the page and you will see some suggested brining times.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14

Here is a fish brine that is good.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=48

At the top of the fish forum you will see a post by Kumock, for a great brine for salmon, there is also a great brine for trout, but read the whole thread if your fillets are thin.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=1025.msg27570#msg27570

[La Quinta]

Welcome Yelik...I would also be interested in what a Goldeye is? I, as well, have never heard of it?

[westexasmoker]

Welcome aboard Yelik

I too am interested in what the heck is Goldeye....probably would'nt show up in my neck of the woods anyway, but then again I've had some other weird fish show up in a west texas store so go figure!

C

[West Coast Sausage Maker]

One of Canada's most celebrated freshwater fish is the goldeye, well known to gourmets. When smoke-cured it is sold as Winnipeg goldeye and commands a high price. The goldeye (Hiodon alosoides) and the mooneye make up the mooneye family of fishes. The two species look much alike and are found only in fresh waters of North America. Both provide fine sport for anglers but because of superior flesh qualities, only the goldeye is sought by commercial fishermen.

The goldeye is a small fish averaging about 450 g in weight and 30.5 cm in length. Its body is deep in proportion to its length and is covered with large, loose scales. Dark blue to blue-green over the back, it is silvery on the sides and white over the belly. Beneath its short, bluntly rounded snout is a small mouth containing many sharp teeth on jaws and tongue. As its name indicates, its eyes are gold-coloured. Curiously enough, they reflect light as do the eyes of a cat. The colour of its eyes and the position of its anal fin, which begins further forward than the dorsal fin, distinguish it from its relative the mooneye.

Goldeye are found in both Canadian and American waters. In Canada their main area of distribution extends from western Ontario to the Rocky mountains and north to Great Slave Lake. Throughout their geographical range, they are most often found in warm, silty sections of large rivers and in shallow lakes connected to them.

Lake Winnipeg was once the largest producer of these fish, but stocks there were almost wiped out in the twenties as a result of overfishing. Today the main goldeye fishery is centred in the North and South Saskatchewan River. Commercial fishermen use gillnets. Anglers use light tackle with wet or dry flies, small spinners, or natural bait.

When fresh, the flesh of the goldeye is soft and unpalatable. However, it was noticed as early as 1890 that smoking it as the native Indians did greatly improved its flavour. As a smoked product it rapidly escalated in popularity, with demand exceeding supply since 1930.

Now, as in the past, goldeye processing is done almost exclusively in the City of Winnipeg. The fish are gutted, lightly brined, dyed an orange-red colour, then smoked over oak fires. They are marketed as whole, processed fish.

[KyNola]

TBS,

You are absolutely an amazing source of information on many different topics when it comes to smoking.  Thanks for the info on Goldeyes.  I too had never heard of them.

KyNola

[Mr Walleye]

We catch Goldeye all the time on Diefenbaker Lake here in southern Saskatchewan. I've never tried smoking them but I know lots of people do. They are fun to catch, fairly aggressive for a smaller fish.

Mike

[yelik]

Deluxe. what an explaniation TBS. They are alot of fun to catch. Not many people smoke as they do use them for bait for catfish. They are truely about the best catfish bait you can use. We use pickerla rigs or small spinners. TYhe kids have a blast catchen them. we have a little river in our new of the woods (southern Manitoba) you can set your line and catch - cats, goldeye, crappie, mullet(suckers), carp, waleye and Northen Pike all on the same presentation. Cats, Goldeye, mullet, carp go to smoke, crappie walyeye & norethrn go to pan. I have smoken plenty of goldeye just looken to see if some one had the magic receipe.
Thanks for the help.
Yelik

[Gizmo]

One of the best smoked fish I have ever made was Crappie.  ;)

[La Quinta]

Mullet for me Giz...

[Carter]

http://www.mulletsgalore.com/

[yul]

 :) Cod for me closely followed by haddock. Mmmm.  :D

[La Quinta]

Thanks Carter....I actually clicked on it...:( Was pretty funny tho!!! :)

[Carter]

I know.  Sorry LQ.  I was in rare form on Friday, as you may have noticed from a couple of other posts I made.

Sleep deprivation will do that to you.

[La Quinta]

I didn't notice Carter...but now I'm gonna look out for them!!! :)