Bluegill Fishing (for a not-too-weird fish dinner)
Like 3 Dislike 0 Published on 12 Dec 2016
I have a special guest coming for dinner. She loves fish from my lake, but she is not on my weird diet. So, a fish dinner better taste just like a fish dinner. No weird stuff. Let’s see if we can satisfy my diet, yet satisfy her too; even if we have to pull one over on her! See the fishing equipment, lake info, and recipes below.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Inspired by the recipe found here: http://www.afamilyfeast.com/oven-roasted-brussels-sprouts-bacon/
Ingredients
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces of sliced onion
6 bacon slices, cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Clean and trim the Brussels sprouts. Cut large ones into fourths, small ones in half.
Place the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to evenly coat.
Pour the Brussels sprouts onto a large sheet pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then evenly sprinkle the onion slices and bacon pieces over the Brussels sprouts.
Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time, until golden and lightly caramelized.
Serve immediately.
Oven Fried Fish with Pork Rind Breading
Recipe from: http://fluffychixcook.blogspot.com/2012/04/healthy-oven-fried-fish-rocks-low-carb.html
Ingredients
1-1½ LBS small fish fillets
3 or 4 Eggs, beaten
1 Cup pork rind crumbs (Measure after grinding to crumbs)
¾ Cup parmesan cheese
1½ tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp Black Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine spices, pork rind crumbs and parmesan cheese in a medium casserole dish.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs.
Dredge each piece of fish in eggs and coat with crumb mixture. Place them on a metal rack.
Bake at 450° for 9 to 10 minutes. Cooking time will be shorter with thinner fish, longer with thick fillets.
THE BOAT: is a Bass Hunter that I ordered from Bass Pro Shops about 12 years ago. They no longer sell it. Also, the Bass Hunter company seems to be out of business.
THE FIRST BAIT: is a Crawdadz from Z-man Fishing Products, Inc. It is attached to a 1/15 ounce Shroomz jig head from also from Z-man.
THE SECOND BAIT: live mealworms. They are attached to a 1/16 ounce Mushroom Head Jig with a #4 hook from Gopher Tackle.
THE SPINNING ROD: is a tiny Daiwa SMC401ULFS Spinmatic-C SpinRod (4- Feet, Ultra Light, 1 Piece, 1-4 pound line test recommended). It can be found on Amazon, Fish USA, and other places.
THE SPINNING REEL: is a Pflueger Trion GX-5. This model is no longer made.
THE SPINNING REEL LINE: is SpiderWire, Ultracast, Invisi-Braid in 10 pound test, 2 pound monofilament equivalent.
THE BAITCASTING ROD: is a Shimano Compre, Model CPC68MC, 6’ 8” fast action, medium power. Suggested lure weight ⅛ to ¼ ounce. Suggested line weight 6 - 12 pound test. Purchased April 2016.
THE BAITCASTING REEL: is a Shimano Calcutta 50B, from about 2004. This model is no longer made.
THE BAITCASTING LINE: is Stren Classic monofilament in neon blue in 8 pound test.
THE BOAT: is a Bass Hunter that I ordered from Bass Pro Shops about 12 years ago. They no longer sell it. Also, the Bass Hunter company seems to be out of business. Boats like it are still sold under the name Sun Dolphin. Do a Google search for “two man fishing boats.”
THE LAKE: is called Lake Ketchabigwon (named by native Americans). It is almost 6 acres and is located in NE Ohio. It sits on 37 acres of property. The lake is private.
FISH IN THE LAKE: largemouth bass, bluegill, white crappie, black crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, and grass carp.
WHY KEEP SMALL BASS: We had biologists do an electroshock survey of the lake. They found too many small, stunted bass. Their advice was to remove all bass under 12 inches, and to release the bigger ones. This rule is usually the opposite in large public lakes.
LARGEST FISH CAUGHT: The biggest was a grass carp I hooked and managed to beach. It weighed over 30 pounds. Next was a channel cat (accidentally caught while bass fishing) of 10 pounds. The larges crappie was 14¾ inches and weighed 2 LBS and 1 oz. I did not measure the largest bluegill, but it had to be at least 10 inches. My largest largest bass was 6¾ pounds caught here at Lake Ketchabigwon.
VIDEOGRAPHY: The principal camera is my iPhone 6s Plus on a Magnus tripod. I also use an iPhone 5s as a close-up, counter-top camera when cooking. It is mounted on a small tripod. I use a Rhode microphone indoors to help lessen the echo. The video is edited on my MacBook Pro using Final Cut Pro X. I am the sole camera person and video editor.
LEARN HOW TO FILLET A FISH HERE: https://youtu.be/KgiGqlrB0LM
The background music is called “Country Girl.” It was purchased from audioblock.com.