Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Soooooooo, expecting my first fish harvest soon.

What size should trout get to before they are ready to eat

We start eating when the average size is 300g, but prefer 'em at 400-500g.

Bigger than 500g tends to be too big for the plate but still small enough to be a PITA to fillet.

I just caught 2, one was 220 and the other was 300 and he wasn't the biggest one either. Sounds like it's almost time for smoked trout

When your hungry

Trout: 300g/300mm is a nice main for one, or entree/salad for two, cooked whole. If you're into fillets then you'll need to grow them a bit larger.

I prefer SP and barra slightly larger (getting barra to size over a summer is weather dependent, just as with trout over winter).

I reckon the trick is to pace yourself so that you start eating some fish when they're ready (soon) but to still have some leftover at the end of the season, when the plants have taken off for their spring/summer growth spurt but it's still just a little bit too cold for the barra to go in. If you take too many too soon, you'll be eating smaller fish and running the system on seasol and/or hummonia later, versus not eating any fresh fish now and freezing the entire harvest of good sized fish as the hot weather arrives (if the heat doesn't kill all of them first). (Frozen fish is cat food around here, well it would be except that they prefer fresh fish just like I do!) This of course only applies to the "seasonal" fish species; species which are run all year benefit from being continuously harvestable.

It's all a balancing act, with one eye on the weather!

Start eating them now and pace it so you will be down to the last few as its getting too warm. Well thats my theory anyhoo

This post wins, plus I've already harvested all my bigger heads of broccoli

sounds like you're ready to start eating then if they're hitting that size. So, as the others have said, start eating gradually to reduce your stock !


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