Fresh Trout

Thanks to a fishing friend, I ended up with another speckled trout last night. I was prepping my boat for the Saturday night flotilla in Jacksonville (NC) when lo and behold, Duane pulled up to the docks at Tideline Marine.

Nice Boat, too

(Notice that Power Pole on the stern? That's the bomb!)

Duane, you must understand, loves fishing. But, he doesn't eat a lot of fish. Almost none. But, he loves catching them. In most cases, he catches, then turns 'em loose. Duane is a true sportsman. He will save one now and then to give to anyone who wants fresh fish. Like yesterday. He had a 20 inch speck in his live bait tank (he would have turned it loose if no takers were on hand).

A heckuva nice fish

Now, I could tell you where Duane was fishing. But, in keeping with the true spirit of fishing, I'll only tell you that he caught this beaute "in the mouth". Yes, he was fishing in New River. Sort of. Not far from Jacksonville. Not too far. Part of the fun of fishing is finding the fish. Go out, take some time, do some exploring. Even if you don't find 'em, you'll have a great day on the water.

I could also tell you the bait Duane used. But that would do no good. What they were biting on yesterday isn't necessarily what they prefer today. Best to take a variety of old reliables...MirrO lures, and various colors and styles of plastics.

I'm getting a lot of reports of lots of trout. Some say they have caught 75 or a hundred in one day. A lot of fun, they said, but almost all were very small, and ended up going back in the drink so they could grow up. But, as I've reported before, there are some nice 'uns out there. Including the one Duane brought back.

My wife, Robie, and I had Duane's trout for dinner last night. I used a variation of a recipe that a couple really good friends shared last month. I didn't have everything on hand, so...in keeping with the way I do things...I improvised.

First, You Take and Onion
1 large yellow onion, sliced and chunked
2 medium size yellow squash, sliced about a quater inch thick
2 carrots, cut into one inch pieces. Slice the "big end" of the carrots. Make it the same size as the small end.

Prep
a tad of olive oil on the bottom of a baking dish (ok, about 12 inches long)
line the squash on the bottom of the pan
salt and pepper the squash...I also added a little "secret" spice; feel free to use Old Bay here
sprinkle part of the onions on top of the squash
add the trout filets (I always skin mine...oh, yeah...gotta give you a lesson on that, as promised)
add salt, pepper and any spice you like to the fish
sprinkle the rest of the diced onion to the top of the fish
add a small amount of lemon juice or lime juice to the fish
cover the dish with foil or a lid
pre-heat oven to 430 degrees...yep, seems a bit hot, but it works
cook, covered, for about 30-40 minutes
remove cover and cook until carrots are done

I went one further step last night. Once everything was ready, I kicked the broiler on "high", and put the uncovered dish under the broiler for about a minute. It added a slight crust to the fish.

Serve immediately. It's really, really very good. And, it's soooo simple.

I can see all sorts of variations...and, I'll be giving them a whirl.
Once Duane shows up at the docks with more fish. He says he has caught and released a number of red fish of late, too. He didn't know anyone who wanted them!!!
Now, he does.

Good cooking and good eating, ya'll.