Ahhh...I haven't been here in a while. But that's OK...been busy. It's been dry here, not much rain in central Maryland the past 4 weeks. We are shifting gears, going for panfish, keeping a few fillets, eating like Kings!
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| Matt's 12.5 inch hybrid sunfish did NOT get eaten. Released to fight another day. |
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| Breakfast, errr, supper of champions! |
We've been catching gills, crappies a few bass and some huge hybrid sunfish. We release those trophy hybrids, but have found fillets and 'bluegill cakes' to our liking! Add the side dishes or they can stand alone...
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| Behold...Bluegill Cakes! |
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| Boiling fillets so they flake. |
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| Lots of meat! Add the good stuff and pat the cakes! |
I take a bunch of fillets and put them in a slow boiling pot of water and heat them up til the flake easily with a stir. Throw in a beaten egg or two, seasonings and a few bread crumbs and roll them in flour or batter and fry em at 375 degrees. Cook til golden brown, drain on paper towels and serve...YEEEESSS!!!
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| So...like, is anybody getting hungry yet? |
Of course, before you get to the bluegill cakes, you need the bluegills. Here are some select pics of our latest panfish catches for the daily bread line...
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| Matt shows off a chunky 3/4 pounder. |
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| Nine inch pumpkinseeds make for great Halloween masks! |
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| Another purdy 'seed! |
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| A dozen gills like this will make 5 to 6 nice cakes. |
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| Drop-shot rigs have been doing most of the damage. |
Along the way for keepers, we managed a few more trophy hybs...here's a closer look...
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| This 11 incher is huge, yet small compared to Matt's giant. |
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| Another look at Matt's sensational 12.5 inch hybrid sunfish...a fish of a lifetime! Released! |
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| This hyb shows male bluegill dominance yet green sunfish coloration. Cool! |
Of course, these trophy class hybrids came from a private pond, unmanaged and unfed, and were all released. We caught them 8-10 feet deep in heavy weeds with drop-shot rigs and live earthworms. They were bulldozers to land!
One of the great things about panfish is that there are alot to go around. They taste great and are the staple of many a fish fry throughout the land. Keeping the right ones is critical to have fish in the future. We eat 7 to 9 inch fish when they are in high number from specific lakes and ponds. The biggest fish always go back, to reproduce and keep the gene pool of big fish present. Yeah, we know, hybrids don't reproduce much. But we haven't got the heart to kill these giants. Takes about 10 years to get a fish that big.
Much is said in Proverbs and the Psalms about daily bread, having enough, and using it wisely. Fishing, hunting, grocery shopping and buying essentials all fall into that category. Same with other items that we 'think' we 'must' have, but really don't.
Proverbs 30:8 states...'give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you...or...
I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God'
Think about these words, the next time you think you absolutely must have something...something you might just be able to do without.
DAILY BREAD, AND A LITTLE MORE, IS TRULY A BLESSING!
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| What great blessings! |
