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27-02-2008, 05:27 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 126
| | | Zander - what to do with it The children like to go pond-dipping in a nearby small river - if you can pond dip in a river. One of the nets is quite large and we have caught a Zander a couple of times. It is undoubtedly the same one and in the same place. I have been told that we shouldn't really be putting it back as it a major pest and will play havoc with the other inhabitants of the river in that area. It is around 60 cm long so will only get bigger! Advice please  | 
27-02-2008, 05:35 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grimsby, Lincs
Posts: 1,573
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Leave it in, won't cause any damage  | 
27-02-2008, 05:59 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants
Posts: 5,379
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Catch it when it gets bigger..Then eat it  | 
27-02-2008, 07:07 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 5,046
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it 60cm is HHUUGGEEE!!! Eat it now I reckon! | 
27-02-2008, 08:11 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants
Posts: 5,379
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Gill Catton 60cm is HHUUGGEEE!!! Eat it now I reckon! | On the BBQ yummm | 
27-02-2008, 08:21 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: essex/suffolk boarder
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| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Gill Catton 60cm is HHUUGGEEE!!! Eat it now I reckon! | taste better than pike eat it
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27-02-2008, 08:29 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grimsby, Lincs
Posts: 1,573
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Why eat it, it's happily living in the river and will be doing a job eating sick and injured fish as well as cleaning up the dead uns  | 
27-02-2008, 09:09 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,884
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Your catching a 60cm Zander with a net regularly? what sort of a net are you using? is the fish weak or ill? doesnt sound rite to me, a healthy fish wouldnt allow you to catch it like this.
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28-02-2008, 09:23 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Yorkshire ( Gods Country )
Posts: 1,039
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogghound Your catching a 60cm Zander with a net regularly? what sort of a net are you using? is the fish weak or ill? doesnt sound rite to me, a healthy fish wouldnt allow you to catch it like this. | Absolutely my thoughts on reading this post a two feet long zander is a heck of a fish,,,Either the fish is Sick/Dying or you mean 60mm or You are the greatest pond dipper of all time ,,,, Would like to know more
Andy
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28-02-2008, 11:10 AM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 126
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by coasty Absolutely my thoughts on reading this post a two feet long zander is a heck of a fish,,,Either the fish is Sick/Dying or you mean 60mm or You are the greatest pond dipper of all time ,,,, Would like to know more
Andy | Ok, I have checked an image we have - sorry not posting it as the children are in it - and it is about 40 cm. Don't they say fisherman always exaggerate? It is quite a big net - probably another good reason not to put the picture up - but it is nice to ensure that the children catch something. The children will spend hours playing in streams and rivers and love to catch things, write down what they have caught and then let them go. When we lived in Silverstone their record for sticklebacks one afternoon was 184. We regularly catch bullheads and minnows too and where we are now there are small roach and we have caught a young pike. The zander is the biggest fish we have ever caught - by a long long way - but now you mention it, it is a bit dopey - but I am an excellent fisherman  Didn't know they were edible though. Will ask the children whether they want to eat it or leave it there - my main concern was that we were being irresponible in putting it back but it seems not! | 
28-02-2008, 11:30 AM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: SW Ireland
Posts: 845
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote: |
but now you mention it, it is a bit dopey - but I am an excellent fisherman Didn't know they were edible though. Will ask the children whether they want to eat it or leave it there
| I don't think you or your kids should eat it if it might be sick or in some way unhealthy.....  | 
28-02-2008, 05:51 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants
Posts: 5,379
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by JennyS I don't think you or your kids should eat it if it might be sick or in some way unhealthy.....  | I could just be dormant from the cold weather. They don't eat in the winter just lie at the bottom in a semi comatose state..But don't eat it just in case..They are a delicacy in France but the frenchies eat anything.. | 
28-02-2008, 05:55 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: West Molesey, Surrey
Posts: 1,654
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Very bony fish if you don't like pulling bones out every mouthful.
Cheers,
Adam | 
28-02-2008, 05:58 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants
Posts: 5,379
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman Very bony fish if you don't like pulling bones out every mouthful.
Cheers,
Adam | I thought that was pike or are they almost the same..I have never tried either.. | 
28-02-2008, 09:05 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,884
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayleigh I could just be dormant from the cold weather. They don't eat in the winter just lie at the bottom in a semi comatose state.. | Zander will still be fairly active over winter in Britain, will still hunt etc. Even dormant fish dont allow you to catch them like this, its very strange.
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28-02-2008, 11:08 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grimsby, Lincs
Posts: 1,573
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Fish that don't eat during winter won't last long  most predatory fish will feed well during winter, because the prey fish get together and a easier to catch  | 
28-02-2008, 11:17 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants
Posts: 5,379
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Lincs Yellowbelly Fish that don't eat during winter won't last long  most predatory fish will feed well during winter, because the prey fish get together and a easier to catch  | When you have pond fish you are told not to feed in winter..I thought it applied to wild fish too..  | 
29-02-2008, 08:43 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,884
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Pond fish will still feed, but will eat small invertebrates etc. Some wildfish eat very little in the winter such as tench and carp. Some such as roach and perch remain quite active and still eat regularly. The predatory species like pike will still eat. Bigger lakes and rivers are less affected by the cold than a garden pond due to them being bigger bodies of water.
__________________ Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they're in the game!! | 
29-02-2008, 09:09 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Yorkshire ( Gods Country )
Posts: 1,039
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Zander and Pike are very active in winter, I would say that this behaviour can only be down to illness,,,,
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29-02-2008, 09:46 AM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Caversham, Reading, Berks.
Posts: 539
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Hi,
Never seen a zander in this neck of the woods so can't comment on eating them, but pike although being boney, have a triangular style bone system, it's easiest to cutlet them, i.e. cut vertically through the backbone into chunks and not from head to tail.
I agree with not having that zander for dinner, doesn't sound right.
Max.
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29-02-2008, 12:28 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants
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| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogghound Pond fish will still feed, but will eat small invertebrates etc. Some wildfish eat very little in the winter such as tench and carp. Some such as roach and perch remain quite active and still eat regularly. The predatory species like pike will still eat. Bigger lakes and rivers are less affected by the cold than a garden pond due to them being bigger bodies of water. | Oh yes! I just remembered my hubby used to go dead baiting for pike, he used to catch double figures in winter..  | 
29-02-2008, 12:36 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 126
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Will have another look for it next time we go "dipping." | 
29-02-2008, 06:08 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lancashire
Posts: 1,575
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it If you catch it again, I would definitely bash it and eat it. Though if it anything like Pike, I'd sling it in the bin instead.
Regards, Chris | 
29-02-2008, 09:23 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,884
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisJB If you catch it again, I would definitely bash it and eat it. Though if it anything like Pike, I'd sling it in the bin instead.
Regards, Chris | Bit of a waste of a life 
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03-03-2008, 08:40 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lancashire
Posts: 1,575
| | | Re: Zander - what to do with it Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogghound Bit of a waste of a life  | If I was going to sling it in the bin, very true (sorry mate), but if I was going to eat it I'd sooner bash it and cook it first, rather than tackling it alive.
Regards, Chris |  | | | |