ISO Fantastic Fish Stories...

[Souschef]

Aloha! We're back home from Hawaii, and I wanted to tell you about the best fish I EVER ATE and the most amazing part is I cooked it!

We bought a nice thick piece of ONO, and a jar of All Purpose Hawaiian Seasoning Salt (8 oz) - Noh Foods Hawaii
The condo where we stay has an electric range I hate, and skillets that belong in the trash, but I did have some bacon fat from breakfast so I felt brave. I was very generous with the seasoning salt that contains not only Hawaiian sea salt, but also garlic, vinegar, and chili peppers. I seared the 2" thick ONO on both sides in the bacon fat, and shoved the pan in the 350d. oven for a few minutes. I must have gotten really lucky and hit that "sweet spot" where it was just seconds away from being under done!
Zowers........that was the best piece of fish I've ever eaten in my very long life!!

ONO is also known as Wahoo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do you have a "Fabulous Fish Story"? I'd love to hear it.

When we got to the airport we were told our flight was delayed. Making lemonade out of this,we discovered a Korean lunch truck near our gate. Souschef had shortrib burrito, and Kayelle had a sweet chili chicken quesiilla.The next day we had to food shop,hitting KMart, Costco,and a local market for Koloa pork..Kayelle bought some Ono, and cooked it for dinner. It was done under adverse conditions; an electric range,and crappy pans.
The results were spectacular. We brought a few of our Meyer lemons,and Kayelle found some Hawaiian seasoning salt.The combination was delicious.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Yeh, well let me tell you a fish story, the way fish stories are supposed to be told.

I was in a small, 12 foot aluminum boat fishing the Niagara river. I was about two miles upstream of the horseshoe falls, having drifted about 5 miles downstream from my starting point. So I thought that I'd better fire up the old girl and head upstream. She wouldn't start. I started saying some very mean things to her, and she just became more stubborn. I thought about jumping out, but there were no logs I could swim to so that I could whittle a propeller on one end, so that I could stand on the log and roll it with my feet to propell me back to safety. I just kept on trying to start old Ruthy (that's what I called my boat), Suddenly, I saw my rod bend further and faster than I'd ever seen that fishing rod bend. It was made for catching orcas. I grabbed the rod and gave a mighty tug. Whatever was on the other end of that line gave a mighty tug back that almost pulled me out of the boat. But I hung on. Well that fish ran straight upstream so hard that I knew I was saved from a horrible death by plunging down the falls. I braced my feet against the bow and hung onto that pole for dear life. That fish ran so fast that my boat came instantly on plane. I'd say we were doing 20 knots or so.

After about ten minutes, the beast began to slow down. I was plenty far away from the falls. Another couple of five minute runs, just as fast as that first run, had tired the beast out. It leaped into the air one time, revealing itself as the biggest steelhead that had ever been seen, anywhere. That fish was twelve foot long!

I finally got it to the boat. It looked at me with those steelhead eyes as if to say; "You know, I just saved your life. Besides, I'm tough and old, not very good for eaten. How about you just cut the line. That little hook will rust away soon enough and I'll be as good as new. How about it. Cut the line.

I'm telling you the absolute truth, that's what those eyes said to me. So, I cut the line. Yep, I see old Herbert every now and again. That's what I named him. He likes the name.

He swims in Lake Superior now. He'll rise to just under the surface, then snap his jaws to spit water at me. I furiously wag my finger at him and say; "Keep it up Herbert, and one of these days you'll end up in my frying pan. We both laugh. Steelhead look very peculiar when they laugh. Then, he just swims away, sometimes to chase a school of whitefish to my boat, sometimes, just to enjoy his mighty wet kingdom. Everybody should have a steelhead for a best friend, dontcha think?

Now that's a fish story! Can you tell why they call me Chief Longwind of the North?

May your hot things be hot, your cold things be cold, and your cheddar served at room temperature.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CraigC]

Wow, finding the really great fish story is going to be tough. I guess one of my most memorable was finally nailing this one black grouper after trying for eight weeks. The first time I saw this fish, my buddy and I were on a small patch of reef catching lobster. It was sitting out in the sand next to a sea fan watching us. It had lightened up it's color to blend with the sand better. I didn't have my gun and tried to point it out to my buddy. He couldn't see it so I signaled him to give me his gun. I tried to make a circling approach but the fish wasn't having any of it. I knew it was getting ready to bolt so I took a long, desperation shot from about 40'. Of course I missed and it was off for the hills across the sand. After retrieving the shaft, I took off after it, knowing that there had to be some type of structure in the direction the fish took. After about 200 yards, I found a piece of abandoned dredge pipe where this fish had taken up residence. This pipe was about 200' long and laying parallel to the shore, maybe 3/4 of a mile out. There it was, sitting over a split in the pipe about 50' from the southern end. As I approached, into the pipe it went. Over the next 7 weeks, I tried to get this fish, but I never could get closer than 50 to 60 feet before it dove into the pipe. I was on the boat the next week, showing a new Captain some locations and decided to take him to the northern end of the pipe, because it was the perfect depth and location for the class of scuba students and their instructor, that were on board.
Since I was freeloading that day, I decided to have a go at that grouper. This time, I tried a stealth approach by hugging the side of the pipe and holding my breath the last 50' of my approach. When I got to where the split was, I popped up, gun ready and there it was! Pulled the trigger and hit the mark right behind the head. The fish made a dive for the pipe, but with 6' of stainless, spring steel sticking through it isn't gonna happen. Patience payed off. Some good eaten that night. The grouper was about 18#. The boat was located to another spot, that patch reef I mentioned earlier. I hit the water hoping to find some bugs and maybe a hog or mutton. After catching a couple bugs, I looked up and dang if there wasn't another black just watching me at close range, but I already had enough fish. Maybe next time!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Wow, finding the really great fish story is going to be tough. I guess one of my most memorable was finally nailing this one black grouper after trying for eight weeks. The first time I saw this fish, my buddy and I were on a small patch of reef catching lobster. It was sitting out in the sand next to a sea fan watching us. It had lightened up it's color to blend with the sand better. I didn't have my gun and tried to point it out to my buddy. He couldn't see it so I signaled him to give me his gun. I tried to make a circling approach but the fish wasn't having any of it. I knew it was getting ready to bolt so I took a long, desperation shot from about 40'. Of course I missed and it was off for the hills across the sand. After retrieving the shaft, I took off after it, knowing that there had to be some type of structure in the direction the fish took. After about 200 yards, I found a piece of abandoned dredge pipe where this fish had taken up residence. This pipe was about 200' long and laying parallel to the shore, maybe 3/4 of a mile out. There it was, sitting over a split in the pipe about 50' from the southern end. As I approached, into the pipe it went. Over the next 7 weeks, I tried to get this fish, but I never could get closer than 50 to 60 feet before it dove into the pipe. I was on the boat the next week, showing a new Captain some locations and decided to take him to the northern end of the pipe, because it was the perfect depth and location for the class of scuba students and their instructor, that were on board.
Since I was freeloading that day, I decided to have a go at that grouper. This time, I tried a stealth approach by hugging the side of the pipe and holding my breath the last 50' of my approach. When I got to where the split was, I popped up, gun ready and there it was! Pulled the trigger and hit the mark right behind the head. The fish made a dive for the pipe, but with 6' of stainless, spring steel sticking through it isn't gonna happen. Patience payed off. Some good eaten that night. The grouper was about 18#. The boat was located to another spot, that patch reef I mentioned earlier. I hit the water hoping to find some bugs and maybe a hog or mutton. After catching a couple bugs, I looked up and dang if there wasn't another black just watching me at close range, but I already had enough fish. Maybe next time!

I likek it.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[CraigC]

I likek it.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Oh, I got one about a guy who took a beating from a cobia in the Dry Tortugas.

 

[RPCookin]

When I was a college freshman in Missoula, Montana in 1965, the cafeteria only served breakfast and lunch on Sundays, so we were on our own for supper. During that fall, often 5 or 6 of us went fishing on the Clark's Fork (of the Columbia River) for our evening meal. We would fill our pockets with pats of butter from the cafeteria at lunch, "borrow" a couple of salt and pepper shakers from the table, one guy had a huge cast iron frying pan, and we would chip in for flour, and head down to the river, just a short walk from campus. Someone would start a fire and get the pan hot while the rest of us fished. There was nothing like fresh caught rainbow and brown trout cleaned, seasoned and dredged, and cooked as fast as they come out of the water.

One of the last days we got to do this before winter took over, we were doing the same as usual. One of the guys was an avid fly fisherman and fly tier, and he was using a mosquito imitation tied on a #28 hook. A #28 is almost microscopic, and he usually caught nice 10-14 inch rainbows with flies that size. This day he got into a real fish, fought it for more than 20 minutes before bringing it close enough to net it. Turned out to be a 5 pound brown, just hooked through a flap of skin on its lip. None of us could believe that he could catch a fish that size on such a tiny fly, or that the hook didn't slip out or tear out of the little bit of skin it was hooked into. It took a good fisherman with a very gentle hand on the rod to play that fish to the net.

I know it sounds like a fish story, but it really happened, and that trout was filleted on the spot and that was the best Sunday evening meal we had that entire fall quarter.

 

[Selkie]

"The fish and I were both stunned and disbelieving to find ourselves connected by a line." - William Humphrey

 

[CraigC]

"The fish and I were both stunned and disbelieving to find ourselves connected by a line." - William Humphrey

No lines here, we call it free shafting.

 

[Farmer Jon]

There is nothing better than fresh catfish. The campground we frequent is right on the river. We put out set lines and fish with rod and reel. Any fish caught are immediately cleaned, wrapped in foil, seasoned with some salt and pepper and a little cookies flavor enhancer. Put right on the coals of the camp fire. Roughly 30 minutes from river to belly. It don't get any fresher than that.

Cookies Seasoning Flavor Enhancer and All Purpose 36.0 oz Nutrition Information | ShopWell

 

[CWS4322]

There is nothing better than fresh catfish. The campground we frequent is right on the river. We put out set lines and fish with rod and reel. Any fish caught are immediately cleaned, wrapped in foil, seasoned with some salt and pepper and a little cookies flavor enhancer. Put right on the coals of the camp fire. Roughly 30 minutes from river to belly. It don't get any fresher than that.

Cookies Seasoning Flavor Enhancer and All Purpose 36.0 oz Nutrition Information | ShopWell

Disagree! Walleye from Lake of the Woods is much better than fresh catfish. And a shore lunch...on the rocks...beer batter...pan fry...nothing better. Oh, we fight over the walleye cheeks.

 

[Dawgluver]

I have to agree with CWS. There is nothing better than fresh-caught walleye, especially from LOTW. And I live on the mighty Mississippi, home of the catfish.

Though there's nothing wrong with fresh catfish if you can't get walleye.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Disagree! Walleye from Lake of the Woods is much better than fresh catfish. And a shore lunch...on the rocks...beer batter...pan fry...nothing better. Oh, we fight over the walleye cheeks.

Disagree: There is nothing better than a mess of freshly caught yellow perch, cleaned and made into fillets on one of the little islands of the St. Mary's river that runs between SSM Mi, and SSM Ont. You fry them up in a little oil, in a heavy cast iron pan set over a cooking fire. At the same time, you slice then fry potato slices. when both are done, you put some ketchup on a slice of bread, place the fish and fried spud slices on top, cover with the second slice, after salting of course, and chow down with your best friend on a warm July day.

As a teen, I used to do that with my best friend often. I had the boat (or rather, my stepfather had the boat and let us use it all the time). We'd pick nightcrawlers the night before, in the cemetary (the richest hunting ground for nightcrawlers I ever saw). We'd get up with the sun, hop in the boat, and go fishing. Sometimes we'd take along a large tarp, find sticks on those swampy little islands, and make an impromptu tent and stay a day or two. That was seriously rustic camping. The fishing, and the friends made it worth battling all of those pesky mosquitoes though. Those potato-fish sandwiches were amazing.

My favorite is still brook trout though. To me, they have the best flavor of all fish, better than walley, better than salmon, better than cod, etc, etc. And 10 to 15 inch rainbows are just as tasty.

I like those other fish, but really, with those beautiful little Eastern Brookies, the rest are simply 2nd rate, except for maybe swordfish, the other great fish.

That's MHO.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Dawgluver]

We'll have to agree to disagree, Chief. I've had crappy, bluegill, every kind of trout imaginable, and LOTW walleye is still king.

Guess it just depends what you're raised on.

 

[CWS4322]

We'll have to agree to disagree, Chief. I've had crappy, bluegill, every kind of trout imaginable, and LOTW walleye is still king.

Guess it just depends what you're raised on.

Gotta agree with Dawgluver. We always threw the perch back. Not worth the time to clean and cook when we could bring home walleye.

 

[Dawgluver]

Gotta agree with Dawgluver. We always threw the perch back. Not worth the time to clean and cook when we could bring home walleye.

We always threw the perch back too! And the northerns. Dad said they were wormy, though they did put up a good fight.

 

[CWS4322]

We always threw the perch back too! And the northerns. Dad said they were wormy, though they did put up a good fight.

We said that about perch-wormy. Don't know about the northerns--we called them snakes, too many bones. Not worth the time to clean them.

My older brother's first fish he caught was a northern. The tradition was to bring the fish home, have a picture of the kid kissing the fish. Grandma saw that he caught a northern, and told him that we didn't eat snakes, take it to the folks who had the cabin next door. Poor guy. The first fish I caught was a walleye... We also threw back burbuts, (sp), eel pout, catfish, dogfish--basically, any thing that wasn't a walleye. We did keep saugers.

 

[Dawgluver]

We always pitched the saugers. When I was a young adult, my little (6'4") brother and I went fishing together with a boat. He filleted the walleyes we caught, and we ended up having a fish gut fight. Mom wouldn't let us in the cabin until we hosed off.

 

[CWS4322]

We always pitched the saugers. When I was a young adult, my little (6'4") brother and I went fishing together with a boat. We ended up having a fish gut fight. Mom wouldn't let us in the cabin until we hosed off.

If the walleye were biting, we pitched the saugers, but if we weren't catching enough walleye to feed us all, we kept the saugers. But, we never kept the perch or northerns. We'd have burgers before we'd eat those.

 

[Dawgluver]

No offense to anyone, and we didn't mean to hijack the thread. CWS and I both grew up eating walleye from our beloved Lake of the Woods, and are very passionate about it. It's all good!

 

[RPCookin]

Disagree! Walleye from Lake of the Woods is much better than fresh catfish. And a shore lunch...on the rocks...beer batter...pan fry...nothing better. Oh, we fight over the walleye cheeks.

Walleye is fantastic camp food.