Eating your catch

Our family recently discovered the joys of fishing together, and we've brought home a little appetizer twice now.

Just curious if any of you have some input:

Our first catch was off Lake Geneva, of all places, and consisted of 2 bluegill, a sunfish, and a smallmouth bass (who arrived home very much alive in a bucket of lake water, much to my consternation - I was prepared for everything but actually killing them!). After cleaning, gutting and scaling the critters, and soaking them overnight in a couple changes of salted icewater in the fridge, I followed the directions for a shore lunch and pan fried them in a beer/Jiffy mix/cornmeal coating. I can't tell you how incredibly delicious they were - much more like blue crab than any fish I've ever had, particularly the feisty little bluegills.

Catch #2 consisted of 3 bluegill and a crappie, caught at Wolf Lake. They were iced immediately after being caught (so as to be dead and cold when we got home) and treated much the same way, except I didn't change the water as much. They had a kind of dusty flavor that cut through the sweetness and wasn't so nice.

Any ideas? I find it hard to believe that Lake Geneva is a cleaner environment than Wolf Lake (inside a State Rec. area and doesn't have any marinas, etc) so I'm wondering if icing them was a bad idea, or if it was the water changes, or if there's a variable with which I'm unfamiliar.

Mhays wrote:
Any ideas? I find it hard to believe that Lake Geneva is a cleaner environment than Wolf Lake (inside a State Rec. area and doesn't have any marinas, etc) so I'm wondering if icing them was a bad idea, or if it was the water changes, or if there's a variable with which I'm unfamiliar.

You are talking about the Wolf Lake on the Illinois/Indiana border?
No question that Lake Geneva is bigger, colder, deeper, cleaner. I'd expect the fish to taste correspondingly better.

And I'm mighty jealous of your bluegills, and VI's as well.

Sorry, not that Wolf Lake - the one in Bong State Park North of Kenosha - though I didn't think about the lake depth....hmmm....

We decided against the cheaper IL fishing license because our lakes don't seem very clean here; all of them seem to be right next to a major highway and to have some kind of industry right nearby. Ick

Ann Fisher is exactly right. Lake Geneva is one of the deepest , cleanest and coldest glacial lakes in the midwest (actually,it may be the leader in all those categories ouside the great lakes themselves). I have fished this lake extensively since the late 70's and can assure you....fish caught there really do taste better. In the old days, only Lake Michigan perch were tastier. Now, with the taste change attributed to the zebra mussel infestation even the big lake perch are second best. Even the ubiquitous Lake Geneva rock bass are really good (almost always some of these around under the docks).

hi.

Freshwater fish will all have some amount of "dirty" taste associated with them; this opinion comes from 20 years of recreational fishing, and 7 years selling fish at burhop's and dirks.

Fish eaten before rigormortis works through will have a much less dirty flavor than their 48 hour old counterparts. I actually prefer the muddiness of post-rigor fish, so I always leave them to age before fileting. A fish fresh from the lake will have very mild flavor, and the texture is more delicate (like crab meat).

Rigor sets in in as little as an hour, so for best results take your fish home live and execute them with a swift removal of the head and viscera, eat immediately.

Erik.

SushiGaijin wrote:
Rigor sets in in as little as an hour, so for best results take your fish home live and execute them with a swift removal of the head and viscera, eat immediately.

Erik.

Why wait till you get home, have the fire burnig on the shore, with a cast iron pan of lard waiting to be heated.

SushiGaijin wrote:hi.

Freshwater fish will all have some amount of "dirty" taste associated with them; this opinion comes from 20 years of recreational fishing, and 7 years selling fish at burhop's and dirks.

I'm sure to a large extent you are right, but I've also read/heard that with, at least catfish, it's the farmed catfish that has the dirty flavor and that channel catfish has a pretty pure flavor.

I rarely find any dirty flavor associated with commercial perch/blue gills or other lake fish I have eaten in the last few years--the fresh whitefish and lawyers (burbot) in Washington Island last summer were an ultra revelation.

Anyways, I am VERY jealous all of you who get your own catch.

Rob

PS
One day, for whatever reason, I was perusing the regs on commercial fishing in Illinois. It just did not seem as onerous as claimed, and I just wonder why you cannot find more local fish in restaurants. When I open my restaurant, we'll serve blue gills!

Vital Information wrote:

SushiGaijin wrote:hi.

Freshwater fish will all have some amount of "dirty" taste associated with them; this opinion comes from 20 years of recreational fishing, and 7 years selling fish at burhop's and dirks.

I'm sure to a large extent you are right, but I've also read/heard that with, at least catfish, it's the farmed catfish that has the dirty flavor and that channel catfish has a pretty pure flavor.

I rarely find any dirty flavor associated with commercial perch/blue gills or other lake fish I have eaten in the last few years--the fresh whitefish and lawyers (burbot) in Washington Island last summer were an ultra revelation.

Anyways, I am VERY jealous all of you who get your own catch.

Rob

PS
One day, for whatever reason, I was perusing the regs on commercial fishing in Illinois. It just did not seem as onerous as claimed, and I just wonder why you cannot find more local fish in restaurants. When I open my restaurant, we'll serve blue gills!

VI,

In my experience you have it backwards. The farmed catfish, due to its controlled diet has a much cleaner flavor, whereas the channel catfish will take on a muddy flavor. At least that's how my purveyor explained it to me when I was still in the restaurants.

Flip

Flip wrote:
VI,

In my experience you have it backwards. The farmed catfish, due to its controlled diet has a much cleaner flavor, whereas the channel catfish will take on a muddy flavor. At least that's how my purveyor explained it to me when I was still in the restaurants.

Flip

That's my point (and I may in fact be wrong). I know the conventional wisdom, but I've heard/read somewhere that the CW is not accurate.

Still, like I say, I could be remembering something wrong. I tried a quick Google search and could not find anything claiming what I say, but all the top hits were very industry oriented. Maybe if I look further...

...or I could be wrong

HI,

IT was my understanding that eating catfish raised by nature was a taste you had to grow up loving. There was no market beyond that. Farm raised catfish changed the whole culture as well as provided an income source. I will be going down to Southern Foodways meeting in October, I will ask those present about the differences between farm- and nature-raised catfish.

Driving down to Mississippi two years ago, I passed a catfish farm in Missouri:



In southern Illinois, there is Bob's Trout and Shrimp Farm.

Regards,

Like much else discussed here, this is clearly 'a matter of taste'. I would agree that freshwater fish have a different taste (and mouthfeel) vs. ocean fish, but wold tend to describe them as sweeter or nuttier as well as more delicate in character (as opposed to the less flattering adjectives above). As a result, freshwater fish really shine with simple preparations like frying. In fact, I can't think of any ocean fish which fries up as well as lake perch (or it's close cousin Walleye) , bluegill or crappie.

For me, when it comes to fish: fresher is better. I do not find it true that fish improve with time or after rigor sets in. For example... One of the highlights of any Canadian fishing trip is always the 'shore lunch', where anglers get to enjoy the fish (usually walleye and northern pike) caught only moments before. This is as good as these fish can get (and that's awfully good indeed!). In fact the difference in quality between eating these fish 'just-caught' and after any storage at all is remarkable. Those who have had the chance to sample freshly caught tuna sashimi (Literally eaten on the boat) usually find it incredibly spectacular as well.

Regarding catfish...I prefer wild, especially those caught from moving water (though I have to admit the farmed fish are pretty good). The farmed Vietnamese catfish is even better.


.

another wrench in the gears: water temperature and mating cycles effect fish quality. Late summer whitefish (clupeaforms) are terrible, but late summer wild catfish are amazing. As far as i know, it varies with each different fish.

Erik.

Thank you everyone for your input; we have been bitten hard by the fishing bug and I plan to re-create these two situations as much as possible, changing the few variables to see.

I'm going to bet that Erik is right; on our first trip even though some of the fish didn't make the trip alive, (we bought a new chain-style leader that might do a better job keeping them alive) they were still floppy, not stiff like the ones we put on ice instead of in water.

I'll keep you posted. We're learning more every day about the fishing thing, so someday we may be able to get the full day's allotment and have a fish fry...

Kuhdo and Erik - where do you go fishing locally if you plan to eat your catch? (Lake Geneva was fun but it's a long drive with a six-year-old)

Also, Erik - any tips on removing the head of a live fish? I am ashamed to say I went all girly and made Uberspouse do it for me, but I think we could use some instruction - It's not the same as a dead fish, where you can feel around with your knife for the intersection of the spine and skull.

Regarding catfish, we regularly go down to southern Illinois to visit family. One thing I look forward to is having a whole weekend of fresh fried catfish dining when we are in Grafton or Kampsville. According to my mother-in-law, who grew up down there, they catch the fish locally and fry it up the same day, which is why it tastes so much better. It's gotten to the point where I rarely order catfish "up north" any more.

There aren't a lot of restaurants down in that neck of the woods, but virtually all of them offer fresh fried catfish. I could eat it all day (and have).

Suzy

In this area, the only fish I regularly keep for the table come from Lake Michigan. Lately, shore fishing has been pretty poor, so over consumption hasn't been a real issue (at least for me). Although the situation is better now than in the past... these fish do need to be consumed in moderation...say no more than once a week or so ( because of pollution) and should probably be avoided by pregnant women entirely. Perch are much safer than bigger fish (salmon and trout) in this regard (and are to me the best tasting fish around anyway). Some of the forest preserve lakes (Busse woods and Axehead come to mind) are also good places to fish and have populations of panfish (and in the case of Axehead lake ,stocked rainbow trout) that are tasty and safe for eating.

By the way, care has to be taken with fish caught from smaller lakes and ponds as well...especially those situated in farmland (as is the case with many lakes in southern IL). Because of pesticide runoff many of the fish from these idyllic looking bodies of water have hydrocarbon levels high enough that they practically glow in the dark...and should never be eaten at all. Check with local DNR to make sure about the particular body of water you will be fishing.

Regarding the dispatching of live fish.... smaller fish can usually just be held down and beheadded with a quick stroke of the knife/cleaver. Larger ones are traditionally knocked out with a sharp blow to the noggin first. A wodden billy club like device (somewhat creepily referred to as a priest) is the traditional weapon of choice, tho any blunt object will do.
Good fishing!

Thanks, Kuhdo; I was thinking about Busse Woods today - several nice little lakes there. We aren't good enough fishermen to go over the recommended table limit - though the DNR site makes me wonder since it says you can eat limited amounts of fish from the Chicago River.

We went fishing yesterday (for practice, not to eat; I was fully expecting to pull out the Simpsons 3-eyed fish) in the North Shore Sanitation Canal in Evanston, where surprisingly fish were biting despite the posted warnings that the water "is not suited for any human body contact" (though from what I read fishing is allowed) Yeesh.

And, not to get gory here, but when you're lopping off the head, do you do it from the outside edge of the gill, or from where the skull meets the spine?

When it comes to cleaning fish,there are two ways to go.... If the fish are to be filleted, you really don't need to cut off the heads at all (or gut or scale the beasts). This can be done quite nicely by making cuts 1) along the belly then 2)behind the gills then 3)along the spine. Using a good thin fillet knife you can then cut along the rib bones and (leaving the skin attached at the tail) just flip the fillet free towards the tail. Then, cut along the skin(starting at the tail end) holding the knife horizontally, to separate the skinless fillet. Flip the fish and do the other side the same way. Really quick once you get the hang of it. Small fish can be done this way, but some waste is unavoidable. You wind up with a pile of potato chip sized fillets...very tasty but you'll need a fair bunch to make a meal. You'll also sacrifice some flavor by cooking them without skin and bones

The best tasting method for small fish involves cleaning/gutting and scaling the fish, cutting off the head (behind the gills) and then frying them whole, with skin and bones intact. Taste is much better and no waste (a few panfish will go much further this way)...but more trouble to clean (and to eat...watch out for bones!).

I generally don't eat what i catch, but occasionally i will break that rule. The Fox river/chain of lakes and the Kankakee river were my favorite spots for years, although i have probably tossed more lures into lake michigan than anywhere else locally. I used to hit belmont harbor every day after work (weather permitting). The Kankakee is considered one of the cleanest bodies of water in Illinois, is about 40 minutes out of town, and hosts a whole slew of different fish...put a 4 or 5 inch minnow on a 1/0 hook and a couple small split shot about 3 feet underneath a slip bobber, toss, and hold on.

Erik.

Mhays wrote:Kuhdo and Erik - where do you go fishing locally if you plan to eat your catch? (Lake Geneva was fun but it's a long drive with a six-year-old)

Also, Erik - any tips on removing the head of a live fish? I am ashamed to say I went all girly and made Uberspouse do it for me, but I think we could use some instruction - It's not the same as a dead fish, where you can feel around with your knife for the intersection of the spine and skull.

I use a stainless steel glove for cleaning fish. It prevents the hand from getting stabbed by the fins. It can also be used to protect yourself when using a mandoline.

The first thing to with panfish is to scale them. After scaling, even if they are still alive is to hold the fish upright and cut down through the top behind the head and continuing down, cutting just behind the gill plate almost all the way down, and then turn the knife towards the tail and cutting off the very bottom of the belly all the way past the vent hole. Then gut the fish by just yanking out everything inside. Wash with running water, and you are done.

The fish should be frozen immediately if you aren't cooking them right away. One of the best ways to freeze is to put them in a container of water and freeze the whole thing solid. This prevents freezer burn. Another good way is to vacuum pack in foodsaver bags. Wrapping the fish in ziplocs before vacuum sealing will prevent the fins from puncturing the vacuum bags. Fish frozen either of these two ways will keep them for as much as a year.

We've got three big bags (maybe 75-100 fish) from the summer of bluegills and crappies in our freezer right now. I think it's time to fry some up!

Thanks, imsscott! Very clear anatomy.

Where do you fish for your 'gills and crappie?

Mhays wrote:Thanks, imsscott! Very clear anatomy.

Where do you fish for your 'gills and crappie?

I have been fishing in Little Saint Germain lake in Northerm Wisconsin the last couple of years, but have also fished for bluegills all over the northwest suburban area and up to the chain of lakes. After all, the bluegill is the Illinois state fish. They're everywhere. I like eating bluegills almost as much as lake perch or walleye. Crappie are usually a little mushy if not caught in the spring.

To catch bluegill use 2-6 lb test line, a small wire hook #6-10, and a small worm, under a bobber. Strike fast on bites to not allow the fish time to swallow the hook. Use a wire basket hanging over the boat to keep fish alive. Scale and clean them as soon as possible and freeze or cook immediately. Keep on ice or refrigerated if immediate freezing or cooking is not possible. Purging is not recommended.

One of the simplest way to cook is to season them, dredge in self-rising flour, and fry in a cast iron skillet. Keep cooked fish warm in the oven while you fry the rest.

To eat a whole (minus head) panfish, use a table knife to gently cut down on the back of the fish just to one side of the dorsal fin, cutting away one whole side from the skeleton. Then lift the skeleton off the other side, pull all the fins and associated bones off both pieces and cut off the tail, if you haven't already, and then carefully pull off the rib bones, by bending the piece to expose the ends. You can usually pinch and peel off several at a time. This should leave you with two completely boneless pieces of fish. After a little while you'll be able to bone a fish in less than a minute. The only thing bad about getting good at it is that others will want you to do theirs.

Tarter sauce, melted butter, malt vinegar, cocktail sauce, and lemon are all good with them. We usually have american fries and cole slaw too. Bread helps to unstick bones that get stuck in your craw.

Great!

We've been fishing around IL, but it doesn't seem to me that our lakes are as clean as the ones in WI, and I'm concerned about the quality of the fish. For practice, we go to the Skokie Lagoons - but I don't know that I'd eat anything I caught there; too close to runoff from the highway for my taste. We've also fished the Northsore Channel, but since there are notices warning you not to let the water come in contact with your skin, obviously everything goes back.

Where do you fish on the Northshore besides the Chain o Lakes?

Mhays wrote:Great!

We've been fishing around IL, but it doesn't seem to me that our lakes are as clean as the ones in WI, and I'm concerned about the quality of the fish. For practice, we go to the Skokie Lagoons - but I don't know that I'd eat anything I caught there; too close to runoff from the highway for my taste. We've also fished the Northsore Channel, but since there are notices warning you not to let the water come in contact with your skin, obviously everything goes back.

Where do you fish on the Northshore besides the Chain o Lakes?

I've fished Lake Zurich, Diamond Lake, Bangs Lake, Round Lake, Fish Lake, backwaters of the Fox river near Robert's road, and unnamed ponds, but like I said, you can find bluegills practically anywhere.

Hi,

I saw this today MHays and thought of you: Scientists find monkeys who know how to fish

Long-tailed macaque monkeys have a reputation for knowing how to find food — whether it be grabbing fruit from jungle trees or snatching a banana from a startled tourist. Now, researchers say they have discovered groups of the silver-haired monkeys in Indonesia that fish.

Groups of long-tailed macaques were observed four times over the past eight years scooping up small fish with their hands and eating them along rivers in East Kalimantan and North Sumatra provinces, according to researchers from The Nature Conservancy and the Great Ape Trust.

The species had been known to eat fruit and forage for crabs and insects, but never before fish from rivers.

"It's exciting that after such a long time you see new behavior," said Erik Meijaard, one of the authors of a study on fishing macaques that appeared in last month's International Journal of Primatology. "It's an indication of how little we know about the species."

Something to impress little Sparky.

Regards,

Yes, but can they make chips and wrap them in newspaper?

2008 Illinois sport fish consumption advisory

Mhays wrote:Yes, but can they make chips and wrap them in newspaper?

Well M, isn't the prior issue whether or not they can produce the necessary newspapers??

While some can, apparently, say a few words, I'm not sure they can say enough to produce either an editorial or an op-ed page. Comics, but of course...

Geo

Hey, just because an infinite number of them might be able to produce the complete works of Shakespeare does not mean they can fry up chips. That, my friend, takes intelligence!

Point well taken, M. Given the general state of lousy fry-ship in the universe, it must require a dominating intelligence to do it right. Or, maybe, something else, like some sort of inborn natural impulse. For example, it's awfully hard to find bad frites in Montréal. Gottseidank!

Maybe we should move a band o' monkeys up here, and see if'n they begin to make good frites along with their attempts at Shakespeare!

Geo