Fishing With Kids - Striking the Right Balance

We were trolling Lake Pepin for walleyes a few weeks ago, which is believe it or not one of my boys’ least favorite types of fishing, even when the bite is “on.”  This particular day, it was most certainly not, but the wind was right, the water color was brown, and levels were up where they needed to be.  I simply knew that if we trolled long enough, we’d luck into a few fish and probably catch plenty of other species to keep them excited.  So despite the overall lack of morale in the boat, we trolled on.

Hours later, with plenty of sauger, walleye, white bass, sheepshead, and even a small pike hitting the back of the boat, the kids had a “meh” day.  Not because we didn’t catch fish, including a nice kicker ‘eye, but because it took too long.  The rods weren’t constantly bending.  Worse, my boys and a friend had to continually maintain near-bottom contact, free snagged lures, and generally pay attention.  I’m happy we could finally get some fish, and show them some action, but to be honest, I don’t think they cared.  Despite my very best efforts and preparations, they had way more fun jumping off the boat near the beach and swimming the last two hours of the day.  I had to drag them out of the water and back to the ramp.

It's a lesson I’ve lived and re-learned so many times, I could never keep count.  We (by “we” I mean “me”) take our children fishing, hoping to excite them with the experience, while clinging to childhood memories we still have.  The result is often a frustrated father and kids that are somewhat incredulous to the time and efforts their parents put into trying to make it fun, while often, failing miserably.  That day on the water, we should’ve quit an hour or two earlier and focused on swimming more than the fishing.  Again, I know better, but am hoping that by re-accounting my own adventures, it might strike a chord with other parents and grandparents looking to help their kids have fun fishing.  Here’s what I’ve learned, and need to be reminded of from time to time.

Swimming is a great distraction and trip-extender, leading to a better day on the water for kids and parents alike.

The younger the children in question are, quite simply, the more you’ll need in the boat to keep them busy.  When our boys were younger, that meant a heavy dose of snacks, drinks, and minnows to play with.  It also meant their own tacklebox, including baits with no hooks for a time.  Just like at home, they preferred to play with anything but the toys you have on hand.  That meant scissors, pliers, expensive rods, and whatever else the grownups were handling, so don’t be surprised if they dive right in to that gear.  A pet on the boat when possible is a great diversion for kids, as are fish you stuff in the live-well.  They can find a thousand reasons to quit fishing and check out what you’ve already caught, which makes basic techniques that catch-anything, a really great way to get kids interested in fishing.

Boats to kids can be like a prison after awhile.  They’ve explored the space, played with what they’re able to, and in minutes to hours, can feel like they’re trapped rather than trolling.  That makes beaching the boat and exploring, even at the landing, that much more important.  If there’s some public ground, a beach, or even just something cool happening in the shallows, take the time to share it.  Let them check out turtles, play with frogs, and try to fish off the dock.  Speaking of, dock fishing (from the dock) could be my children’s favorite type of fishing.  They can run up and down it, fish a larger area, and drop the rod to swim or play whatever, whenever.  That freedom at least for my kids has always been much more important than catching fish.    

Now that my boys are older, ages 13 and 15, they’ve got much more patience for the fishing portions of the trip.  They can handle a few hours in the boat, and on good days, maybe even go the entire time.  That said, the very same things they enjoyed as young kids, they enjoy today.  Whether it’s checking out a fish in the livewell, pounding all the snacks I can haul in a boat over the first 15 minutes of the day, or trying to catch turtles so they can check them out a little closer.  That kind of thing can be tough for dad or grandpa to take, as so often fishing is about timing.  Time of day, locational timing, and the perfect pass or cast that’s fouled or missed before the opportunity has passed. 

On the last trip, the only moments I missed or let past were the ones I should’ve yielded more to them.  Some white bass were busting the surface near a shallow point, and rather than continue to troll walleyes (we just boated a 20”er), I continued on.  Big fail dad.  While I don’t know that we would’ve caught them, I certainly have in those situations before, and it’s a great time.  Like I said, though I’ve learned this lesson may times over, it’s good to keep reminding ourselves why they come out to fish in the first place. 

Kids don’t have the same illusions and prejudice we have for certain species, presentations, experiences, or the way it’s “supposed to be.”  They just like bending a rod and feeling a tug on the line.  When they’re tired, they lose interest.  When they’re hungry, they want to eat.  When the sun is hot, and sometimes even when it’s not, they’d rather be in the water.  A fish on the line is cool, but so is admiring the one they just caught in the livewell.  As my kids grow older, the balance is definitely moving heavier on the fishing end, but there’s no need to try and make pros out of them just yet.  If and when they want to fish more seriously, someday they can take that up and I’ll certainly oblige.  Until then, I’ll keep remembering to let them be kids and enjoy whatever part of the experience speaks to them most, if you do too.

Bleeding Fish - How to Make Any Fish Taste Better

Over the years, I’ve been shown by other anglers a number of ways to make fish taste better.  Nearly all of them involve drawing blood from the fish by washing, salt, or general care of the catch before ever getting to the filleting stage.  It’s a fascinating topic, as everyone seems to have their own family traditions or guide-tested tactics.  Yet, fish have been a manner of sustenance for tens of thousands of years, so surely there must be some deeper roots to a perpetually interesting subject.    

Years ago now, I caught the tail end of a great cooking show called “Mind of a Chef,” where Chef David Chang toured the famous fish market in Kyoto, Japan, explaining an ancient technique in fish preparation called “Ike Jime.”  It was a more complete version of various methods I’ve been shown, where the fish is quickly brain-killed, its spinal cord is severed under the gills, and the tail portion is cut open to insert a wire down inside the length of the spine.  The seemingly gruesome process is done quickly and humanely, to first quickly dispatch the fish and stop brain signals from tensing the muscles moving forward, then bleed the gill portions of the fish, and finally, to detach nerve endings that still may be sending signals from the brain and through the nervous system.  The carcass is then put in an ice-water slurry to bleed out, as the fish naturally expels its blood. 

It’s a technique that’s been deployed successfully for many hundreds and perhaps thousands of years, on an island that treasures its fish.  It’s quickly deployed (think seconds), and is followed precisely to provide the world with sushi and sashimi-grade fish of various species.  While we may not be as interested in performing the full process, or even require care of this caliber to have a simple fish-fry, there’s a great deal of scientific merit to the process itself.  Namely in the taste.

Food science research has proven in tasting and physical labs that this method of fish care simply produces a better tasting fillet, again, primarily because of quick blood removal.  Blood serves as a nutrient rich food source for bacterial growth, so when removed, there’s less chance of off-putting tastes or unsafe bacterial growth.  Additionally, Ike Jime more humanely kills fish and its nervous system more quickly, delaying the onset and amount of rigor mortis.  That small difference leads to firmer, better textured fillets which also contribute to taste improvement.  It’s one of the reasons that the same fish caught in many oceans around the world never make sushi-grade. Most of the fish markets over there keep the fish alive and swimming, where Ike Jime is practiced just before presenting to sell. When cooked same-day, it apparently leads to the optimal timing for the best tasting fish.

So what’s your average angler to do when wanting a great tasting meal of walleye, bluegills, or crappie?  To me, the answer involves a small, but simple portion of the Ike Jime process in your livewell, about 15 minutes or so before you plan to clean the fish.  Brain stab your fish, then turn the fish upside down, and take a knife or even better, my favorite game shears, to cut the small portion of gill and connective tissue that meets at the “V” of the gills, all the way down to the spine.  Here’s a quick video if you’d like a demonstration - https://youtu.be/aFFJtbuYHzs. 

Fillet on right has been bled, and an un-bled fillet on left for comparison.

Perform this cut just before you make your run back to shore, put the fish in your livewell, and run the recirculation to pump bloody water from your well.  The fish will expunge blood from their fillets during your boat-ride, and when you go to clean them, the result will be a nearly snow-white fillet, sans a bit of blood immediately near the top of the fish’s rib cage.  Especially if you’re eating the fish soon thereafter, there’s no better way I know of to fillet and eat fish.  The result is always a firmer, tastier fillet than any other method I’ve tried, and I promise you’ll wish you’d done this sooner.

I’ve never tried the full method of cutting open the tail and inserting piano wire or other firm wire down the length of the spine, though I’m sure it helps or folks wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of doing so for centuries.  That said, for at least my purposes, it’s a step that’s too time consuming given how good the blood removal goes, and resulting taste is.  Speaking of, don’t trust advice regarding leaving blood, slime, or other “natural” portions of the fish on your fillets.  I’ve heard a number of times that “I want to taste the fish and that gives flavor,” or “You’re removing all the taste,” but those suggestions have fallen flat, and fishy at least to my taste buds.  In absence of this technique, a quick rinse of each individual fillet (that part is important), followed by a saltwater solution to draw out blood, then a soak in milk has been the next best method for me when dealing with un-bled fish. 

So give bleeding a try the next time you’re looking to keep a fresh meal of fish, as I’m betting it’ll be something you continue to use moving forward if you don’t already. 

Cleaning Cork Fishing Rods - Make Old Rods Look New

Cork fishing rods have a great feel and comfort, but often get dingy after a few seasons. Here's how I restore the cork on mine to like-new condition. You'll...

Cork is one of the best grip materials you can have on a fishing rod. Along with classic lines and looks, you’ve got the comfort and weight savings that have made them a strong option among all classes of fishing rods. But cork gets dingy after a few years, or even within a single season if you don’t take care of your rods. Here’s how I make them look new again with some OxiClean and a good sponge.

Ribbon Chips/Fries - The Ultimate Fish Fry Appetizer

The best shore lunch or fish fry requires great fish, but the sides are equally as important. Try some buffalo bleu cheese ribbon cut fries/chips for your ne...

I’ve spent my fair share of time in fish camps, lake-shore restaurants, and on remote island shore lunches across the US and Canada. No matter how many times I have fresh fish in the outdoors, I can’t get over how great the experience is. Truth be told however, not all fish-fry’s are created equal, and from what I’ve seen, the best of the best often include some incredible sides.

Potatoes are a staple in any good shore-lunch, and you’ve got the oil going for fish so you might as well make use of it. Here’s a great way to make ribbon-cut fries/chips with this handy vegetable slicing tool . The best part is that you can really customize this one to your liking by adding buffalo/bleu cheese, BBQ seasoning, loaded baked potato toppings, and even beer cheese soup!

I got the idea for this one when headed to the Minnesota State Fair and seeing all of the ribbon cut fries on a stick, dressed with cheese. From there, a trip to JL Beers in Fargo further stoked interest, and I knew I just needed to find a good ribbon slicer for the outdoors. I’ve been doing this now for over a decade, and these are a request from friends and family anytime we cook fish outside.

Should I Buy A Pellet Grill?

From multiple cooking styles and different food types, to various temps and techniques, pellet grills are here to stay.

Pictured:

Traeger 885 Ironwood

Long-handled Tongs

Pellet grills have gone mainstream; from something that sounded experimental only a few years ago, to a fully featured, well-seasoned backbone of the BBQ grill market.  They’ve been around for decades, though their popularity is not really anything I saw coming, or even something I fully supported.  I’m kind of a traditionalist when it comes to cooking, at least when I have the time to be.  Yet at the same time, if it produces good food, especially with less input or fuss, I’m all about it.  The same has held true for sous vide cooking or even newer techniques like reverse searing.  If we can do it better, easier, faster, or all of the above, without sacrificing taste, or even improving it, why not?

Being an avid hunter and angler, I have ample opportunity and interest in all forms of cooking.  From smoked turkey, to seared venison chops, and slow-roasting cedar-planked salmon, I want a grill to do it all.  That comes from someone who owns or has owned a laundry list of charcoal and gas grills, vertical propane smokers, chimney-style bullet electric and charcoal smokers, and even a Kamado style cooker. 

Extra room wasa big selling point for my Traeger 885 Ironwood - and it’s not even pictured with the extra rack that would hold a few more racks of ribs.

I’ve always been in search of versatility in terms of techniques and temperatures, no matter the fuel source, and no matter what I’ve tried, it seems like most versions of grills tend to do one or two things quite well, while being woefully inadequate in other areas.  For example, I really fell in love with a cheapie vertical cabinet-style smoker I had a few years ago.  It was propane, had tons of control, and it produced some really great results.  Ultimately, it lasted only two seasons before rusting out at the bottom, and could not be used for anything other than smoking really. 

Surely a Kamado style cooker would produce better results, so I dropped nearly $2k for the biggest and baddest, complete with a wooden roller cabinet to support its massive weight.  I treated that wood with the most expensive stain and poly combination I could find, covered it religiously, and still found a way to rot out the cabinet, and grow fuzz on the inside of the grill itself.  If it rains where you live, or worse, snows, then gets hot in the summer, a Kamado style grill might not be for you.  It seared well, smoked fairly well, and did fine in terms of roasting, but without a temp/fan controller, really required some babying.  Building and maintaining fires in them was a laborious process, and not to mention messy.  I’m all for that style of cooking, when I have the time, but woefully disdain it when I do not.

Fish can be a tough grill chore if heating isn’t consistent or runs too hot.

It was about that time, I hired someone to build a new table for my Kamado, and got myself a pellet grill – the Traeger Ironwood 885.  Again, with versatility in mind, I was interested in the size, multiple racks, temperature range, super-smoke mode, and especially, the ease of use.  I’ve got a gas grill too (the deck is getting full), and see my Traeger in a similar light.  Both are easy to use, require similar pre-heat, and are supplied by a readily available fuel source.  Propane is easier to find, but I’ve got Traeger pellets at the local hardware store, big boxes, and outdoors stores too, so it’s a push for where I live.

The similarities stop there, and I’ve grown to really love my pellet grill.  I get a solid “smoky” flavor and low temps when I want it, searing and high temps when I need it, and everything in between when I’m cooking chicken, fish, vegetables, and a host of other items, like desserts.  I can choose from a variety of smoke flavors, simply by adding different pellets, and I can perform more complex cooks, more easily.  For example, if I want to slow smoke ribs, then wrap and crank the heat to push the cook along, then unwrap and sauce at a slightly lower temp, I can do all of the above with the push of a few buttons.   

The Traeger App allows you to search a recipe and enact it on your grill - complete with controls for heat, timing, and meat probe alerts. Best of all, you can monitor your fuel and switch it to “keep warm” so the food fits your schedule.

Better yet, I can do all of that and more from my phone.  These days, I visit the grill to get it going, and come back to it when finished.  Occasionally, I’ll check it out mid-cook for a spray, slather, or sauce, but the onboard temp probe gets put in the meat at the start, and I monitor internal temp from there.  Recipe guides from the control app can be sent straight to the grill, complete with instructions, timing regulation, and alerts on my phone.  While I enjoy some of the tinkering and going off on my own, I realize that most people do not.  They want repeatable results and max ease of use.  I can’t think of an easier way to grill. 

There’s a few drawbacks, like the occasional need to remove ash via shop vac, and maybe some general grate scraping and foil shield replacing.  All of which is as easy as the gas grill maintenance and way easier than any wood or charcoal grill I’ve owned.  Ultra greasy grill-offs should be monitored, as I had one flare up when I didn’t keep the grease drain free from obstruction.  My fault on that one, but lesson learned, and the grill was smart enough to shut itself down after it detected the fire.  Still, I’ve had grease fires on gas grills and wood-fired grills too, so it’s been pretty rock-solid.  I’ve gone through a few bags of pellets, but fuel is fuel – grill, smoke, or roast a lot of food, and you’re going to go through it.  It’s slightly more expensive to fuel than propane, but with a load of flavor, so again, I’m not against paying a bit more for a quality result.

In App controls are reflected on the base unit, so you can monitor from afar or up close.

For that reason and others above, it’s become my go-to for about everything I cook, and I continue to find new ways to incorporate it into everyday cooking.  Grilling used to be for weekends, but I’ve done some really great mid-week meals that don’t heat up the house and are a blast to do.  The more I use it, the better I learn to make use of it for the varied styles and recipes it excels at.  For just about every task, including pizza-making, it does better than the other grills in my stable.

Over the long-haul, I expect it to phase out my other grills for all but a very few specialized tasks.  Even then, knowing what I know now, it would definitely be the one grill to replace them all had I only room for one.  I’m excited to own it for years to come, and look forward to sharing more I learn along the way.