Poll
Poll Question: What is your favorite way to prepare fish on canoe trips?

Fried    
  34 (53.1%)
Seared    
  6 (9.4%)
Poached    
  5 (7.8%)
Baked    
  10 (15.6%)
Grilled    
  7 (10.9%)
"Sushi"    
  1 (1.6%)
Other    
  1 (1.6%)




Total votes: 64
« Created by: DentonDoc on: Nov 18th, 2009 at 4:40am »

 25 Fish ... Its what's for dinner (Read 25439 times)
BrownTrout01
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #20 - Nov 22nd, 2009 at 5:00pm
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I was told the proper way to cook a fish is to start a fire and get the pan hot before making a cast! I did this once, but frying up fillets at 11:30 pm seemed like ringing a dinner bell.

The other few times we have eaten fish on a canoe trip, I immediately cut the gills to bleed the fish before filleting. We then headed back to camp and started a fire. I was told to do this from someone I know who worked in a fresh fish/seafood store. I guess the theory was that it improved the flavor of the meat.

Anyone else hear anything like this?
  
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Old Salt
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #21 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 12:33am
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Yeah, that's how it's done in Alaska! The gills are cut to bleed the fish. Salmon is great that way. I'm hoping to try this method in 2010 in Q.
  
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db
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #22 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 7:08am
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How, exactly, do you cut the gills? Angle? Where? Pretty quick death I assume?

I use a stiff fillet knife and sever the spine on game fish, assuming it ends any possible suffering and bleeds 'em out. Slicing the spine is the hardest part so if you were a fish, how'd you rather go?

I've bagged more often since the white headed walleye trip. I needed to deep six two carcasses on that trip since the gulls weren't cooperating at one campsite. Cleaning fish wherever, away from any campsites is always a plus.
  
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kypaddler
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #23 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 2:32pm
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Yo Jimmar,

How happy I am to see your message, because as much as I rave to my friends about fresh Quetico fillets (or chunks or shreds, i.e. sometimes we make fish stew and gumbo, for variety), I was tempted to post a venison-related message.

What's better: Walleys or smallies cooked over a fire of pine coals on the edge of a lake in the north woods, while watching the northern lights and listening to the loons?

Or peppered venison loin seared over a fire of black locust coals on the edge of the dark Kentucky woods, while watching the Leonids and listening to the coyotes and an owl?

At this moment, I cannot say.

And sorry for digressing from the thread, but after a week of sleeping out and savoring deer cooked a dozen different ways, with my hands curled around a rifle and a field-dressing knife, the paddle and fillet knife seem distant memories.

Oh, and quickly:

Re: "properly aging" the venison. More sins have been committed against a vension carcass than are in the Bible. How many non-hunters have been turned off venison because the animal wasn't shot properly and the meat properly afterward?

Re: how we cook fish. Another in the group, he the fish-maestro, has assumed all fish-cooking responsibilities over the years. The rest of us would not presume to get in his way. But we typically pan fry (often for a sandwich lunch) tho sometimes we poach (the fillets not the game animals). And yes, sometimes a stew with rice. And baked once or twice in foil.

-- kypaddler


  
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Old Salt
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #24 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 3:55pm
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db wrote on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 7:08am:
How, exactly, do you cut the gills? Angle? Where? Pretty quick death I assume?


Just a quick slash cut to the gills on both sides. Sorry, I don't have any gory pics. They bleed out pretty fast. We also clubbed them, immediately upon landing, to kill them before employing this technique. If you 'google' 'alaska fishing', you will find some good pics and videos.
  
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jimmar
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #25 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 3:58pm
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kypaddler wrote on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 2:32pm:
What's better: Walleys or smallies cooked .....

Or peppered venison loin seared....

-- kypaddler




They both sound pretty darn good to me!!! As deer season winds down I start daydreaming about camping and fishing again.

On aging...ok if you can control the time at temp(keep it from freezing/thawing/freezing or keep it cool enough, 40F to 50F) I do all my own processing, lots of debate on this topic but back to fish..

I was on a walleye charter on the Detroit River, and the captain (who has thousands of walleye go into his live well each year and spend a few years in the pro tournaments) did cut just below the gills to bleed the fish. Then pumped in fresh water before returning to the slip.
  
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kypaddler
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #26 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 5:38pm
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because the animal wasn't shot properly and the meat properly afterward?

I left out a word. "meat properly HANDLED afterward."

sorry.

Carry on with the fish discussion....

-- kypaddler
  
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BrownTrout01
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #27 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 5:54pm
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[quote author=db link=1258519214/20#22 date=1258960086]How, exactly, do you cut the gills? Angle? Where? Pretty quick death I assume? [quote]

Yes exactly as OS described. Not sure if hitting them on top of the head always kills them, but it does seem to knock them out. I don't enjoy doing it, but it seems like the quick and humane thing to do. I also thank the fish for providing me with its life.






  
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kentuckian
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #28 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 8:25pm
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HAS ANYBODY EVER TRIED WHITE WINE AND HERB MARINATE ON YOUR FISH FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES.IT HAS 1/4 CUP OF OLIVE OIL IN IT SO AFTER IT MARINATES YOU POUR IT ALL IN YOUR SKILLET.THE WALLYS WILL CRAWL OUT OF THE PAN.BEST I HAVE EVER TRIED.I LOVE SHORE LUNCH BATTER BUT JUST SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
  
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PhantomJug
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Re: Fish ... Its what's for dinner
Reply #29 - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 9:40pm
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BrownTrout01 wrote on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 5:54pm:
I also thank the fish for providing me with its life.


You thank the fish?
  
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