Bluegill Foam bug flies, white wax worms, tiny jigs tipped with a wax worm, small earth worms, night crawler pieces, and tiny 1/4 - 1/2" pieces of split white pork rind  are all dynamite baits for hungry gills. Finding this tasty pan fish is the problem. They move during the day. Best places to start are the outside or inside of a weed line. When you catch one, you probably will catch more. They are a school fish.   Yellow Perch This smaller cousin of the sought after walleye is just as tasty as his bigger family member. He is much easier to catch though. Any of the baits you use to get bluegills will be just fine for this panfish too, but the favorite is small minnows. It must be the walleye characterizes lurking in this smaller member of the species.                 Sandy bottoms, flats, insides and outsides of weed lines are favorite hiding places for this sought after food source of the larger fish. Crappie There are two types of the crappie, black and white. They are difficult to tell apart. Must fishers are just happy to catch one, black or white either is just fine.           Under Construction

 

Fish Jerky                                    FISH JERKY GENERAL Crappies, pike, sunfish, bass (fish low in fat) Fish should be filleted and skinned, if the skin is tough. Cut the fillets into strips, making them as thin as possible. A good size is 1x6x1/4” thick. Small fish such as smelt need only be cleaned and halved (the small bones can be eaten) and they’re ready to dry. Dried fish may not sound appetizing to most folk, except maybe to tough mountain men, so adding a little extra flavor will make the jerky more appealing. The fish strips can be dipped in a solution of water, salt, sweetening, and spices according to your tastes. You might want to dip the fish in soy sauce or a homemade flavoring. Soak the strips for a few minutes, drain off the excess liquid, and place in the smoker. You can put the strips directly on the smoker rack or hang with toothpicks like the beef jerky. Drying fish at a low temperature preserves more nutrients than drying at a high temperature. If the temperature is too high you’ll end up with baked fish. BULLHEADS Keep the skin on when smoking and lay on the racks. It is not necessary to turn them. The skin will hold the fish together as it comes off easily when cooked. Note: the only problem with this recipe was that my teenage boys tested the bulls so much that they were all gone by eating time. SMOKE AND SPICE Recipe By:  Jim Porfilio        1 pound 1X6X1/4 inch fish fillets        Jerky Marinade:        1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce        1/2 cup soy sauce        1/4 cup brown sugar or honey        4 cloves garlic        2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper        1 teaspoon liquid smoke        2 teaspoons ground dried red chile or 1 tsp anchovy        1 teaspoon onion powder About 2 hours before you plan to barbecue, place the fillets in the freezer to make slicing it easier.   After 30 minutes, remove the fillets from the freezer and slice it as thin as you can with a good sharp knife. Trim the fillet of all fat. Combine the marinade ingredients in a lidded jar. Place the fillets in a plastic bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over it. Marinate for about 1 hour in the refrigerator. Turn often. Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200-220 degrees.   Remove the meat from the refrigerator, drain it, and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the fillets to a sheet of heavy-duty foil, separating the pieces. Place the meat in the coolest part of your smoker, and cook until the meat begins to blacken, about 45 minutes. Wrap the foil loosely over the meat and continue barbecuing for another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until well-dried. Remove the jerky from the smoker and let it cool to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

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Game Fish

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