Fishing Tips

Pan Roasted White Bass with Wine-Butter Sauce

2 white bass or other whole firm-fleshed fish, about 1 lb each* (scaled and gutted)
6 large cloves garlic, peeled, cut in thirds
2 T olive oil
1 C flour
2 T fresh oregano, chopped
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp hot sauce
1 C white wine
1 T butter
2 T lemon juice
lemon slices for garnish

Wash fish and pat dry. Spread flour on a plate. Salt the fish and then dredge in flour, coating entirely. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil over high heat in a sauté pan large enough to hold both fish without crowding. When the oil is very hot but not yet smoking, add garlic and toss the garlic around for a minute. Place fish in the pan and brown 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Lower heat to medium, cover and roast for about 10 minutes, turning the fish once. Remove to a warmed side plate. (Note that the 10 minute cooking time is for fish about 1" thick at its thickest part. For thinner or thicker fish adjust the time accordingly.)

Add wine, raise heat to high and quickly reduce to a syrupy consistency, scraping all around the pan to loosen browned bits clinging to the pot. Add the butter and swirl to melt and blend. Correct seasoning and pour sauce over fish. Garnish with additional oregano and lemon slices.

http://www.stephencooks.com

Sauteed Yellow Perch

Pan Fried Or Sauteed Yellow Perch

Ingredients:

6 sm Yellow perch
7-9 " long
4 tb Bacon fat or lard
Salt and pepper
4 tb Butter
Cornmeal
1Lemon (opt.)

Method:

Dress, scale, and what the fish, pat dry, salt and pepper, then
dredge them in the meal or meal-flour combination.
Heat the fat until it is hot enough to cook at once, but not
burning, sputtering hot.Lay in the fish, turn heat down to barely a
medium flame, and begin to brown the fish. Keep the fish loose from
the pan bottom with a thin metal spatula.
Taking 8-10 minutes to a side (turn heat low if it seems to fry too
fast), brown the fish slowly until crisp. Do not overcook. When the
flesh is opaque the fish is done; one hopes its all browned by then.
Add 4 Tbs. butter to the skillet after removing the fish and
squeeze in the juice of a lemon, stir the fat and juices to loosen
the dredgings, and pour over the browned fish.

VARIATION:After removing the fish from the skillet, toss about 1/3
cup of chopped black walnuts.Brown lightly with the remaining
butter and sprinkle over the fish before serving.

Grilled Wild Turkey

Turkey: The hunt is over, time to grill and glaze!

Here is his dynamite recipe for turkey breasts that can be prepared on the grill. This one comes courtesy of his turkey hunting buddy who calls it: Orange Glazed Turkey Breasts.

“Just for the record, let’s say your turkey hunt wasn’t as successful as you would have liked,” Chef Tim says. “Turkey breasts purchased from your favorite store will work fine, too.”

Start your grill. Gas or charcoal grill will work. Aim to maintain a medium indirect heat.
Place a pan of water in the grill to help keep the heat moist. I often do this for most of my grilling recipes.
Once your heat is ready and your pan in place, place your turkey breasts on your grill. It is up to you about the seasonings – plain or otherwise works.
Time to make the glaze as the meat is grilling. You’ll need orange juice, honey and soy sauce. There is nothing fancy about this, but the trick is to avoid using too much orange juice.
While the breasts are cooking you want to make your glaze. Use orange juice, honey and soy sauce. Nothing fancy about it. The trick will be to avoid using too much orange juice. You want your glaze to rest on the breasts when you baste them -- not just run off.
Once the breasts are nearly done simply coat each with the glaze and finish cooking.
When done, remove the breasts and place on a plate or platter and pour any remaining glaze over them.

What to serve with the glazed breasts? If you are among the lucky ones to have morel mushrooms around, these are great additions – along with fresh wild asparagus and wild rice.

This is a wonderful, easy summer dish that gives you the opportunity to talk about your hunt, entertain your friends and family and feed them a nutritious and delicious meal.

Happy eating!

Salmon Fish Burgers

Fish Burgers

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon or trout fillets diced in ¼ inch cubes
1 pound white fish fillets diced in ¼ inch cubes
(white bass, crappie, walleye, cod, halibut, sea bass)
1 large shallot minced very fine
1 to 2 teaspoons Old Bay
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 splashes of Franks Hot Sauce
1 egg
1 heaping tablespoon minced parsley
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt and white pepper to taste

Method:

Beat the egg and combine well with all other ingredients. Form the mixture in patties and chill well to firm up the burgers, at least an hour. To cook, mix a little water with another beaten egg and dip both sides of each burger in the egg to coat. Then put the burger in more seasoned panko to make a coating. Chill until ready to cook. Heat ¼ inch of vegetable oil over medium high heat until it shimmers. Cook the burgers with minimum movement and only one turn until golden brown on each side.

Here yesterday, gone today

Have you ever fished two consecutive days in a row on the same body of water, and had the experience of loading up the live well the first day and finding the same location void of fish the next day?

This common phenomenon drives anglers insane. Many times, some anglers just pack up and go home, stating the fish just were not biting. Others will try to determine why the fish have moved on to other locations.

In many cases, inexperienced fishermen will move from place to place until they either fail, or accidently find fish. Others will “read the water” to determine what is happening below the boat.

Some of the key elements I use when reading the water include wind, changes in food sources, water clarity changes, and water temperatures.

Wind tends to be the key element. A wind speed variance or change in direction will move fish in almost every case. Frequently, the fish have not moved far from the previous day, sometimes just several hundred yards. Far enough away that yesterday’s location holds zero fish, and your longest cast cannot reach the new spot now holding the fish.

The wind-blown side of the same structure is a quick and easy check of conditions. As the wind blows on a reef, rock bar or hump, it tends to push plankton and other small organisms into the structure. The bait fish will follow the plankton as it is a primary food source. Once the bait fish, like shiners, move in (or in heavy winds get pushed in the structure); the predator fish will soon follow. Again they are following their food source. This is similar to a Packer fan looking for a tailgate party during football season.

One extremely tough “reading” condition is flat calm. Under this circumstance, a check of the weed lines might be your best bet. The weed line edges will hold the most actively feeding fish, as they wait in the weeds to attack unsuspecting targets which move in the open water. By moving your presentation a little quicker under these conditions, it can create reaction strikes from negative feeding fish.

There is no exact science to reading water. It takes time, knowledge, and deductive reasoning to become proficient at reading conditions. There is still a high failure rate using this system, but it does improve your odds over guesswork.

Fishing Tips

Pan Roasted White Bass with Wine-Butter Sauce

Sauteed Yellow Perch

Pan Fried Or Sauteed Yellow Perch

Grilled Wild Turkey

Turkey: The hunt is over, time to grill and glaze!

Salmon Fish Burgers

Here yesterday, gone today

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