Great color on those rainbow filets.
I think the chief suspects for decline in bluefish and striper populations are the commercial bunker (menhaden) fishermen. Bunker are a major food for these later two species. Does anybody have any access to scientific studies regarding bunker fishing and bluefish population losses?
When it comes to breakfast, I like one 12" or so trout with eggs. One smoked mackerel filet, with eggs, is a nice substitute for bacon, which is going out of sight in price.
As for dinner, 1 1/2 lbs of any fish, whole or filleted, is enough for two people. In Chinese eating, we usually have two or more side dishes- some veggies only, others with meat and veggies stir fries. A fish side dish could be steamed, deep fried, or braised.
What a great pic to send to the Arkansas Tourist bureau. Makes me motivated to visit.
I brought my nephew to a new to me spot to show him how to fly fish. Using a white marabou streamer with a #6 hook, I caught 20 pickerel in 15 minutes. He won't forget that fishing lesson.
I pickle pickerel to soften/dissolve the bones. It takes only three days from start to finish to do the job. Of course, you have to tolerate pickled fish.
Go to the grocery store and buy a jar of pickled herring. You have many varieties to choose from: in wine sauce, in dill sauce, etc. All pickled fish taste alike to me. Like my father in law said, "everything smoked tastes like smoked ham."
I pickle their filets. The bones dissolve in two days.
Weekends are not for me and my canoe. It's hard to manage wakes and fish at the same time. Weekdays are better, but since I am retired, day of the week is not a problem.
That fish can feed 2 to six people, depending...
Mackeral are said to leave by the end of October. Most people like to use a 2" Kastmaster or diamond jig. I prefer a single hook. Good luck. Post a report if you get lucky.
An hour of filleting 12 mackerel plus four hours of smoking yielded 24 breakfasts (with eggs and potatoes). Roaches and crickets are hard to filet.
My Mitchell 300 is of a 1975 vintage, and it looks pretty beat up, but still works. Yours looks brand new. Congratulations.
Her's a tip, if not the best one. Carp are good eating if you know how to cook them. Being brought up in a boney eating fish society, I have had plenty of practice dealing with the bones. However, one way to enjoy carp is to cut the filet below the lateral line (that's the line that tuns down the side of the fish}. It's wasteful, but the boney upper flank might make good snapping turtle or crab bait.
It's always good to hear that a problem solver is up yo speed.