I received a phone call yesterday from my brother inlaw saying "enough already with the flowerpots and gardening and chickens". 

He was talking about the post on my blog.  Well JD... thanks for reading!!

He then reminded me that I am after all the "Baitlady"... and it would be nice to see a post about fishing.  I told him, "go catch a fish and tell me the story ~ I'll post it."

This time of the year ... right after ice out on the lakes and river and before the regular fishing season opening in May it is very quiet here at the bait shop. 

So JD provided me with the latest fishing report: The redhorse are running.

Well actually... redhorse don't run ... they swim.

For those of you who may be reading this from other parts of our great world who don't know what a redhorse is: here's a picture taken a few years back of my son Sam and his catch.



They spawn in the early spring and can be caught quite easily with a nighcrawler or a big gob of worm on the hook.  It's a rough fish that really isn't that desirable  unless prepared properly.  It's not the easiest fish to clean because of it's hard scales and boney fillets.  It's a relative to the carp and sucker. 

My favorite way of preparing the redhorse is pickling.  You take the fillets and cut them into bite sized pieces and put them into a brine of salt water for a few days then a brine of white vinegar for a few days.  This process will firm the meat and dissolve any small bones.  After the salt and vinegar process I then layer the meat into jars alternating with onion slices.  Over this I pour a brine made of vinegar, sugar, pickling spices and wine.  After a few days it can be eaten.  I like it served on a saltine cracker.

Another way that I prepare redhorse is making fish patties.  I will take the cleaned fillets and put them through a grinder.  To the ground up meat I will add  chopped onion, a little green pepper, an egg, crushed up saltine crackers, salt and pepper.  I then make up patties like making a hamburger.  You fry these in a pan with a little olive oil or vegetable oil until golden brown and they flake apart.  Put between a hamburger bun with a little lettuce and mayo and pickle slices... yummy... a fish sandwich.

Well, I'll be, I would've guessed them to be carp. I bet they put up a dandy of a fight in landing them. I love that part of fishing. It makes one feel so alive!

You're recipes sound delicious. mmm I love fish!

Take care, my friend!
I hope you have a fabulous rest of the week!

Hi Mel, the fish patties sound pretty good. Guess you will soon be selling bait like crazy. You can still garden though.