How Do You Bring The Freshest Fish to The Table?
Fish is one of earth's natural wonders and has satisfied our palates since the beginning of man. Their flesh is light and delicate, lean and is packed with protein, the anti-oxidant vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. All play a role in keeping our hearts and immune system functioning as it should. The most popular fish we consume is tuna, salmon, flounder, Pollock and cod. But considering there are about 25,000 species of fish, there is enough variety of edible fish for the most discriminating taste. But how do you know when you are bringing the freshest fish to your table? When you approach the fish market, let your nose be your guide. Really fresh fish has a very light smell. If it has a strong fishy smell pass it up. It may have been processed incorrectly after being caught. If the fresh catch from the fishing boat has equipment to flash freeze the fish, when it arrives to you it will not have that strong smell. You should also check the date the fish was packaged (especially if you are purchasing at your local supermarket). Fishy smell will permeate even through plastic. Don't buy it. You will also want to have a look around. The market and the staff should be very clean. The fish should have that just caught look. Not that slimy feel. The eyes should be bright and shiny, not dull and sunken. The gills should have the redness around them. These are all signs of freshness. Another sign that your fish is not fresh is that when you take your finger and press the flesh the indentation remains. Fresh fish will not do this. When you bring your fish home, use it within two days. Fish deteriorates very quickly. Much quicker than beef or chicken, so make sure that when you use it, it's almost right away. Your health is very important so feed your body and be safe. Now if you are one of the millions of avid fisherman and prefer boating and catching your own fish, then freshness is generally not a problem if you follow some basic rules. It's quite simple. Ice! Whether you have a fishing boat or pleasure craft, all boats can have an ice packed cooler. So bring home the catch, put on a hot frying pan or turn on the grill and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Freshness is the most important thing about your next aquatic culinary meal and your family will love it. How can you tell when your fish is cooked? The most common mistake is over cooking. When the fish changes color and it is uniform all the way through, it is done. Don't go a minute more. You will make a rubbery mess. You want your fish to maintain it's moisture and you can do that with vegetable oil or butter. Below is a great example of a moisture rich fish recipe. 2 1/2 pounds red snapper fillet with the skin
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning blend
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes or regular tomatoes chopped
(if you like anchovies you can add them)
1 quart chicken stock fresh or from a container from your supermarket
1 loaf crusty bread Season the fish with salt, pepper and seafood seasoning. Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil & garlic. Add snapper, skin side down and cook for 3 minutes or till golden brown then flip the fish for further cooking. Add wine then add chopped tomatoes and stir in chicken stock. Stir the mixture gently so you do not break up the fish. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook another 3 to 5 minutes to combine the flavors. Serve the fish in bowls with lots of broth. Serve with plenty of crusty bread. Enjoy! About the author Philip G. Jones
http://www.adventure-boating.com Philip is an author researcher and is dedicated to providing information, resources, news, books and articles for you to examine and process. Adventure Boating
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No Boat? Join Your Local Bass Club
Having been an avid basser for years, and not having the wherewithal to purchase a boat, I've often felt cheated and frustrated about not being able to get out to deeper waters (where I was certain the real bass were). Having succumbed to this delimma for some 40 years or more, I finally had something come my way that I never knew existed: my local bass fishing club.
I mean, I knew bass clubs existed, but I didn't know they were for me. For one thing, how can you join a bass fishing club if you don't have a boat. Additionally, isn't it just the best bass fishermen that are in these clubs? These guys do tournaments and such. Not sure if I could measure up.
Low and behold, the old saying "you won't know if you don't go" proved itself once again. Thanks to an Internet buddy, I was enlightened. I got the address and went to my first bass club meeting. It was simple, friendly, fun and I was fishing with them that weekend.
First off, let's address the notion that you have to be a great bass fisherman to belong to one of these clubs. This is not true. In fact, most of these anglers are people just like me, only with a little more experience (remember, I didn't have a boat - I was bank fishing). Most of these people are happy to share that experience with you.
Secondly, you do not have to have a boat. In fact, most clubs are looking for non-boaters to help share the expense of the trip with someone who owns a boat. Brilliant!
That really surprised me. Why didn't I know this years ago? It makes perfect sense, yet somehow this information escaped me.
Owning your own boat can be expensive. A decent boat purchased new can easily run you around $15,000. Ouch. Then there is the issue of storage, insurance, fuel, the trailer, something to pull it with, maintenance and a whole slew of other expenses that come with the package.
But not for the non-boater. I paid my bass club dues (very affordable) and within 2 days I was out with the gang on my first local bass club fishing tournament - in a boat. My share of the costs was extremely reasonable compared to those in the last paragraph. It was a 3 day trip and we even shared the cost of a room.
Don't ask how the fishing was; that's a whole other article.
In this club, we go out once a month to a different lake and have our own little bass tournament. Each time we go out, the non-boaters are matched up with a boater (also a different one each time). This way, you get to learn a little something from everyone.
So, if you are bank bound like I was, and want to head out for more exciting fishing, go online or open up the phone book and contact you local bass fishing club. You could be out on the boat in no time. Whether or not you catch any fish remains to be seen.
Do You Know How to Fillet a Fish?
Finally you've caught the perfect fish. Now, do you know how to fillet your fish?
Surf Fishing The Outer Banks of North Carolina
My first experience surf fishing was with my father on Wrightsville Beach, NC in the 60's. He parked our shiny black Ford Fairlane in a gravel parking lot off the beach and we hiked over the dunes to the surf, carrying rods, buckets, tackle box and various other fishing paraphernalia. I remember him catching bluefish, croakers, puppy drum and flounder as I played in the tidal pools nearby. Later, my grandmother would fry the filleted fish to a golden brown and we would eat them with hushpuppies and coleslaw.
Cincinnati Catfishing Bait
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Satisfy Your Thirst for Fishing ? 3 Parts to the Fishing Cocktail
Everyone who fishes either for sport or fun knows that while fishing itself is simple, catching fish is not. There are times when we think we have it all figured out, then days go by without as much as a nibble. What has happened, did we lose our expertise? Are the fish getting smarter? Maybe it's the weather. In fact there are many factors that weigh into whether we are catching fish or just passing time. Even though there are many factors, I would argue there are only 3 main parts to pouring ourselves the perfect fishing cocktail. Since drink names such as "Sex on the Beach" and "Fuzzy Navel" have already been taken, may I suggest "Fish on a Hook?" The drink may be made with any combination of the ingredients. They do not have to be of equal parts, but to make a "Fish on a Hook" all 3 must be present. So put your barkeeper's hat on and let's start.
Trout Species ? Brook Trout
Brook Trout: Frequently gullible, yet extremely tasty, Brook
Trout are wonderful trout to fish for - especially since they
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The Advantages of Underwater Fishing Cameras
Want to see what's really going on under the water or ice? You can eliminate some of the mystery beneath the water or ice and expand your knowledge by using an underwater fishing camera. An underwater fishing camera can be a wonderful tool and great fun too. An underwater camera can show you many things about your fishing techniques. It can be your eye underwater and you won't even get wet.
The Fish Dont Care What You Wear
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It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming. ~John Steinbeck
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There is a craze going on that produces big bass, it's called flippin.
Flippin puts the lure where the big bass are.....in cover!
You will want a 7 1/2 to 8 foot rod with at least 20 pound test on your reel with the drag tightened. You will also want a 1/8 ounce to 1 ounce weight according to the cover you are trying to go through. Don't forget the big hook, 4/0 to 5/0 is best in my opinion.
The Frugal Fisherman: Part II
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Photographing Your Trophy Fish
When it comes to catch and release lakes, it is important for you to be ready to catch your fish, take a prize-winning shot and release your giant back into the water for others to enjoy. Before setting out on your trophy trout fishing trip with your fishing partner or guide, keep these few photo tips in mind.
Bass Fishing? Watch Out For the Gators!
Lakes in certain parts of the country contain more than something you want in your livewell. Alligators. They can be no more obvious than a rock or a log, so be careful. You want to get a bite, not get bit.
Let me share one of my bass fishing experiences with you.
This is bayou country. When I go to the lakes south of Houston, I have to watch for gators. So I'm always keeping an eyeball peeled for 'em. But sometimes ...
So last night I look and everything is clear so I walk down to the water and start bass fishing. After a few minutes, while I'm looking around I see this big log. This big log that gets oddly thinner at the end up on the shore and thicker in the water, and has odd bumps on it. Hold on .. that doesn't look right. I look further up the log to see how far it extends into the water and...
It has 2 big ol' eyes ... lookin' at me!! And it's only 10 feet away (just a quick couple of steps for a gator). Ooookay!
I slowly and calmly reel in my line (on the outside - on the inside, I'm in total panic) pick up my gear and move on.
So I go over to this other part of the lake, and now it's dark so I get up on a pier. I'm sitting in the woods in the dark and I hear something walking down the pier towards me. Not heavy enough to be human footsteps. With what little bit of starlight there is, I can see something about the size of a medium dog coming at me. What do I do now?
Well, I can't see what it is, but I can tell it's not a dog. So I get aggressive towards it to see if I can scare it away. Fortunately, it worked. I pointed the tip of my fishing pole towards it and it scampered away.
As it left I thought it looked like a large raccoon. Probably nothing to worry much about after all, but they can be aggressive and rabid. But it's creepy in the woods in the complete dark not being sure what's around you.
Then, in the water, I see the outline of this huge catfish swim right up underneath me below the pier I'm on. Wow! That's a big one! I've got to move bait up and fish under the pier and catch him!
So, I decide to put a light on it and see if I can get a better look at this monster. I aim the spotlight straight down into the water and...
Hey, look at that weed ... there were no weeds along this pier earlier. Hmmm. So I lean further over the pier to get a better look at this mystery weed .... YIKES!
THAT'S NO WEED - IT'S A CLAW - A BIG CLAW!
There is a gator right underneath me!!
Apparently (and I was able to confirm this on follow up visits) the gator is savvy to the fact that people catch fish and put them on stringers around the dock; making a great free and easy meal for the gator.
That's enough. I'm goin' home. Forget all about that macho stuff and learn how to play guitar.
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Organization is Key to Successful Fishing
Talk to a professional angler like Kevin Schweder(2003 PWT Rookie of the Year), and you will quickly find out that organization is a major part of their game plan. Keeping rods and equipment organized provides many advantages, not the least of which is allowing the angler to spend more time fishing.
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Competition between offshore and inshore anglers has skyrocketed within the
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The Challenge of Brown Trout Fishing
Brown trout fishing can prove very challenging. This is due in part to the fact that brown trout are smart fish. They tend to feed at dusk or at night. They do put up a fight though and that can be a great challenge to the fisherman. But, because of the difficultly to catch the brown trout, this fish has not been a big time game fish. But, there is much to know about it anyway.
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