By Captain David Lifka
mail@floridanewsline.com
There are many attributes that make fishing a great sport. Getting outdoors, spending time on the water, bonding with friends and family — and the thrill and the challenge of the catch. While there are other sports or outdoor activities that might offer some of these same characteristics, there is one benefit that fishing offers that separates it from these others, and that is you get to eat what you caught.
Humans eating fish may date as far back as two million years ago. Fish was considered a major food source for survival and may also be credited to brain development in early man. Today, fish is regarded as one of the healthiest protein sources containing considerable amounts of Omega 3s which can help reduce the risk of stroke or heart disease. Deemed “brain food,” fish can also take credit for promoting brain health, improved memory, and prevention of Alzheimer’s.
While eating fish can be healthy, how it is prepared can often make a difference. Deep fried seems to be a favorite, but by doing so you lose much of the nutritional benefits. When frying, try to use a heart healthy oil, and a frying pan rather than a deep fryer, as this can help lead to a healthier fried fish dinner.
For the health conscious, if frying the fish you caught is out of the question, don’t worry — there are more ways to cook fish healthy than all the ways Bubba Gump has to cook shrimp. You can grill, steam, broil, and bake, sauté, stir fry, boil, camp fire, smoke, and microwave them. Recipes for these methods are easy to find with searches on the internet.
One of the quickest, easiest, and healthiest ways to cook your fresh catch is in the microwave. Starting with any piece of fish on a microwave safe plate, you can prepare the fish similarly as if you were to bake or broil it. First, season the fish with your favorite herbs and spices or just dust it with some salt and pepper. Add some butter or butter substitute with maybe a little lemon or lime. Cover the prepped fish with some plastic wrap to help prevent splattering and microwave for a minute or two until the meat turns white and flakey. Just for fun, you can add an additional sprinkle of cheese and another quick zap for a very tasty fish dinner.
Fishing Report: The river has been providing good catches of bream, bass, and catfish. Reds have been around docks and pilings. Conditions are right for croaker to show any time.
Whether you catch one, some, or none, the family time spent fishing will last a lifetime.
Email your Catch of the Month photo to catchofthemonthpictures@gmail.com. Be sure to include the name of the person(s) in the photo, the name of the person who took the photo, the type of fish and date and location of the catch. We will select a photo each month for publication
Photo courtesy Andrew White
Andrew White caught this largemouth on Lake Kerr recently using soft plastics.
