Lincoln Beach Media Event 5-2-06

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I hate wind. I hate the north wind at Lincoln Beach. Nasty. Brett Prettyman, outdoor writer for the Salt Lake Tribune had called the meeting, based upon a time table for an article set by his editors...not by me. I would not have scheduled that event for at least a month. He had Al, the photographer with him, and Al's red toon got a lot of miles on it with all the moving around to gather background pics. Not much action to shoot.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started out calm but the north wind blew almost constantly while we were fishing and then really started ripping as we were coming in about noon. Ask Princefisher. He tried hanging ten (or more) on the point of the jetty when a wave caught his tin boat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tough fishing. A couple of mudcats and a buglemouth or two was all our motley crew could claim right up until about 11:30. Then, Carp_Punisher scored a nice 5 1/2 pound channel cat and I followed within a few minutes with one about 3 pounds. At least we had something to demo the filleting thing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We all came in and Al took some shots of the few fish, and the filleting process. I added some fillets from a previous trip and we adjourned to the covered tables for a fish fry. Kathy Stephenson, a cooking and recipes writer for the Trib drove up as we were coming off the water. She brought some dipping sauces, coleslaw, cookies and some premade hushpuppies, ready to dip and fry. Yum.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Man...that wind was so bad I had trouble getting the propane burner to light so I could heat up the fish fryer. Had to put my big fillet board and a large cooler in front as a wind shield. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The cold wind definitely slowed down the cooking process, but we did up some kitty krispies and some hushpuppies. Don't think we had any casualties. There were about 8 or 10 BFTers in the group. I'll let everybody chime in and tell their story.[/#0000ff]
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[Parasite]

I'm sorry to hear the fishing was slow but at least the wind kept away most of the bugs, I imagine.

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Any time there is food and fishing, whats not to enjoy!
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[lunkerhunter2]

Thanks TD for the info, minnows, conversation, feast, and tips. It was a great day even though the wind blew almost the whole time. I didn't hook anything, but Yper did and i had a good hit. It was great meeting all of you there. The kitty krispies were awesome along with the hush puppies. I got to see how my toon handled rough water and learned a few tricks about fishing that area. The best part was we had almost perfectly smooth sailing all the way to Clearfield and it only cost us $30 in gas! Holy [url "mailto:%*@$"]%*@$[/url]! Oh well, it was worth it. I definately want to come back later in the summer when it gets "hot".
I also learned not to be un-cooperative with the police(Carp Punisher)LOL! We talked about their new "non lethal" weapons. Ouch!
I didn't get to see Princefisher's accident, but i have a small boat as well and feel his pain. LOL.
All in all, a good day and met some very nice people. Thanks everybody.
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[PrinceFisher]

The sea was today, my friends-- and violent, like a spurned mother-in-law, or so I'm told. Today, I was assaulted so mercilessly by the huffing and puffing W, that it will take me at least a week to get the part out of my scalp.

But seriously folks, I must issue a warning to any of you who would attempt to round the point of any jetty at Utah Lake in three-foot, white-capped waves in a shallow 14' aluminum boat without a motor: In a word--DON'T!

Tugboat and I thought it within our power to oar ourselves from the relative safety of a wind-sheltered cove, out around the jetty, and back into the calm waters between the jetties that lead to the boat ramp. Boy, did we overestimate our abilities.

As soon as we eased the bow of the boat past the windbreak that was the south jetty, we began to paddle like our lives depended on it (and it wasn't a stretch at all for us to imagine that our lives REALLY DID depend on it!).

We made pretty good headway as long as we kept the boat's nose dead strait into the wind, but alas, we had to turn to steer ourselves into the channel between the jetties. As soon as we turned the boat broadside, a big wave tossed us up onto the rocks like an aluminum pop can. The next wave swamped the boat.

Tugboat and I crawled out onto the rocks and quickly retrieved all our gear from the soup inside my tin can, which was being slammed and raked atop the jetty rocks with each passing wave.

Lucky for me that Tugboat is a strong lad. Between the two of us we muscled my battered craft up onto the jetty, pulled the drain plug, and before long I had the trailer backed up to her, and she was loaded safely onto her carrier. After arriving home, I inspected her hull thoroughly, and though she bears the scars of an eventful afternoon, she's as sound as ever.

Aside from nearly having my shin bones shattered by my "half-full" craft as she pinned me against the jetty boulders, I had a very enjoyable day with a few friendly BFTers. TubeDude can sure fry up a batch of kitty food.

(In case I didn't tell you enough times, Pat, that was probably the tasties catfish I've tried, though I can't decide if I like your "kitty krispies" or smoked catfish better. Thanks for preparing such a nice feast. You get extra points for prevailing against the Horrible, Terrible W.)

Nice to meet a few new BFT faces. And Tugboat, I sure hope your cell phone works after it dries out.

Next time we plan an event like this, someone will have to send a memo to the fish, so that they can show up for the festivities, too.

One last thing: Pat, I took your advice. I drug my boat into the shower with me when I got home, filled it with water, and it didn't spring any leaks. Like I said, she's as sound as ever. Thanks for the tip! [] And thanks for all your hard work today.
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[Theekillerbee]

I was wondering how the little front was going to mess with the flotilla! May can be a tricky month. If you would have been one day earlier, it would have been a little better as far as "boating" goes. Oh well...live and learn. It sounds like it wasn't as bad as your little 'nelle adventure. Thanks for the report.
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[Playas44]

Just very quickly want I to throw my two cents in.
Frozenover and I set out about 6:30 in our tubes. It was basically the first real fishing trip for me in a tube. I learned a great deal about tubing.
I need some rod holders like Tube Dude has on his tube. I need better fins and stronger legs to fight the wind.
The wind made it very difficult to tell if you had a bite or not.
It was fun to meet some of the BFTer's.
Thanks to the Tube Dude for inviting us to join him on the lake.
I enjoyed the fish fry, even in the wind. The kitty krispies were very good.
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[scartinez]

I have a quick question. I fryed up some Utah lake Channel Catfish the other day, and it tasted just like mud. I thought I was eating the bottom of the lake, Yuck!! have any of you ever encountered that? Is there a special way of filleting a cat? We just battered and fryed, they looked so good, but taste just the opposite.
Thanks for any Info.
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[catfishbait]

I always remove the dark fatty portion in the center of the fillets. You will always get a strong taste when you leave that end regardless if it comes from UL or your local butcher.[]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Part of what we discussed yesterday, while cooking the catfish and working with Kathy (cooking writer for the paper) is that catfish are unique and require special handling to make them as good as they can be.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]First, compared to trout, perch, walleye or many other species, the flesh of catfish is much denser and much oilier (good Omega 3). You have to cook it longer than most other fish flesh to get it right. Most people who say they do not like catfish, or who have catfish with a "bad taste" have eaten undercooked catfish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you cook a whole catfish fillet, it is difficult to get it completely cooked all the way through, before the batter turns brown. There will be a soft, partially cooked area in the middle that retains a "catfish" taste.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That's why on any cat over about a pound or two, I cross cut the fillets into "fingers"...strips about a half inch wide. I also do not use batter, because it insulates the flesh and does not let it cook as thoroughly. Batters are good for delicate fish, like perch, crappies, etc. They cook quickly and simply "steam" inside the batter. Catfish need more direct heat, for longer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I use a "dry coating" of a mix of Bisquick, yellow corn meal, salt and spices. I shake the water-wet strips of fillet in the dry mix, just until lightly coated and then fry the heck out of them in 400 degree peanut oil until they are almost crisp. They should be a dark brown. The dry coating adds texture and flavor but does not soak up oil or insulate the flesh against thorough cooking.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The finished product can be eaten like chicken strips...with or without a dip. I like seafood cocktail sauce or tartar sauce, but also like sweet and sour or BBQ sauce too. If you have a good spicy wings recipe, the cooked kitty strips are great with that too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=142538;#142538"]HERE IS A LINK[/url] to a post I put up about once or twice a year, showing how I fillet and prepare catfish. One of the steps I show is removing the area of darker flesh along the lateral line of the catfish. Sometimes that can help reduce the characteristic taste too. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have caught and eaten catfish all over the country, and I will put Utah Lake cats up against those from any other body of water, anywhere. In the olden days, of Geneva Steel pollution, all of the fish in the lake tasted like badly used 30 weight motor oil. (at least I think so. Never tried the oil.) Today the fish test very low for any pollutants, including mercury and other heavy metals now being discovered in fish in many other waters in Utah and around the country. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In short, the fish are good quality and do not naturally have any bad taste. Try cooking them longer and cutting them into strips first and I think you will like them better.[/#0000ff]
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[cat_man]

Fish will often taste bad if you don't take care of it right away. If it sat on a stringer for a long time, or if it wasn't thrown on ice right away, it can have a muddy taste, or if you have a larger cat, remove the dark line from the center of the fillets.

Also, soaking fillets in milk overnight can draw out some of the "fishy" taste as well.
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[Tugboat-]

[size 1]Well, all I have to say is that PrinceFisher sure knows how to show you a good time. I think the "incident" has been described in enough detail, although I will add that CarpPunisher got a good laugh at us from his tube. [/size]
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[size 1]PrinceFisher I am glad to hear that your boat doesn't have any major damage, and thanks again for letting me tag along. By the way, aside from a few quirks and occasionally blank screen the cell phone survived![cool] [/size]
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[size 1]It was my first BFT activity and it was good to place some faces with the names. I was able to avoid the skunk by catching a couple mudcats, I still can't seem to catch a channel. [/size]

[size 1]The kitty krispies were great, and I also enjoyed the hush puppies. When are we going to do it again?[/size]
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[doggonefishin]

Some of my most enjoyable fish meals have been eating UL channel cats, but for my taste, I have found that channels between 13 and 24 inches long have the best flavor. (under 13 inches taste fine, I'm sure ,but aren't worth the hassle of filleting.) It seems like the bigger brutes taste more consistently objectionble and I therefore C&R these. I also haven't had a lot of luck with mudcats although I have friends that actually prefer them. This could just be a result of my messed up tastebuds however.[blush]
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[Carp_Punisher]

[#505000]It was a windy day, with seas.......[/#505000]
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[#505000]Ok ok my english teacher told me never to start anything like that with "it" so I'll start over. I started out the day fishing just a we bit south of the first spring. I saw a lot of carp sucking goo off the surface so I tried really hard to catch one. I was making good progress until the wind came up. I decided to abandon my anti-social ways and head south into the protected area of the jetty and to where everyone else was.[/#505000]
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[#505000]When I got "south" I realized much to my delight that everyone was doing as poorly as I was and hadn't caught anything yet. ( I always hate being the one to get skunked while everyone else is cleaning house). Curious to see what kind of news story a mass skunking would make for the Tribune I began to fish.[/#505000]
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[#505000]I fished high, I fished low. I finally decided to try for a shallow section that looked like it might have some warmer water. I went to the area and began soaking bait. After a few minutes I felt the stirrings of a nap and streched out and closed my eyes. I hooked some line with my finger to warn me if I had any takers. Not more than a minute or two after closing my eyes I felt pressure on the line. I released the line, opened my eyes and saw line stripping off my reel. I reeled in to set my circle hook, and brought in a nice cat. Wahoo!! Points to me for first fish of the day (I think. Not sure when Tugboat scored his mud cats).[/#505000]
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[#505000]Utah Lake has treated me badly this year so I was elated to get the Utah Lake skunk off. Shortly after catching my fish Yper caught a mud cat, and Tubedude got his channel cat. Somewhere in there Tugboat caught a few mudcats too. [/#505000]
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[#505000]We decided to get off the water and eat. I rowed to the boat launch channel, fighting some serious wind and riding some really sweet swells. I can say those are some of the choppiest rolliest waters I have ever tooned. I made it to the shelter of the channel when I saw Princefisher, and Tugboat come around the corner. I had a front row seat as I watched them get picked up by a large swell and smashed on the rocks on the end of the south Jetty. I then watched as they next swell filled their boat (and possessions) with water. They were able to get out of the boat and they were ok. I paddled to a spot where I could get out and help and they motioned to me that they were wet but ok.[/#505000]
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[#505000]All in all it wasn't a fast furious fishing trip (unless you are talking about the water and wind) but it was a lot of fun. [/#505000]
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[#505000]I kinda feel for the Trib Photographer who spent all morning zipping around taking pictures but never really getting to wet some line. How would it be to be on the lake and not fishing. Just thinking about it scares the hell out of me!! [][/#505000]
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[Shrimpboy]

Hey TD,

While I love crispy kitty, my wife is on a "no fried food" kick lately. Any ideas on how to bake or grill catfish without getting a mushy mess?
-Jack

PS I'm four days away from my last final and yesterday the golden algae blooms hit Saguaro again!!! You got out of here just in time. Roosevelt is the only res in the system that hasn't has a major fish kill yet and they say that its only a matter of time. I may have to make the long drive to Pleasant to try for some stripers (I now live way out east on Williams Field and Power).
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Jack, good to hear from ya. Sorry I left such a mess behind. Bummer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I understand about the fried food. Even though I love the kitty krispies, I don't do as much frying as I used to. I smoke a lot of my larger catfish fillets now, and use the smaller and thinner ones in a couple of other recipes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. Lemon - Sesame fillets: Arrange the thin fillets (or strips) in a shallow baking dish or on a foil lined cookie sheet. Squirt a lot of lemon juice on them and let them marinate for a few minutes. Now, dribble on some melted garlic butter or margarine (butter's better). Sprinkle on your choice of salt and seasonings, to taste. The final additionl, before hitting the oven, is a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. Bake uncovered at 350 for about a half hour. Check to make sure the fillets are done to flakiness. Turn on the oven broiler and put the fish back under the broiler for a few minutes until you get some browning on the top. That usually makes sure they are fully done. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Kitty Scampi: Use thin fillets or slice big ones through lengthwise to make two thin fillets. Melt a 1/2 cube of butter in a pan and stir in some crushed or minced garlic. Two or three cloves (teaspoons) or more to taste. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to help raise the smoking point of the butter. Bring the butter/oil to a simmer and lay in the thin fillets. Saute on med high heat until the first side starts getting brown. Turn and do the same with the second side. By the time the fillets are browned on both sides they should flake easily with a fork. Season with salt, pepper or other seasonings after cooking. (Yeah, I know. Technically it is fried)[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]3. Catfish are great on the grill. They hold together better than most fish and are great over high heat. Add some hickory chips to the briquets or in a foil package if you use propane for some extra flavor. A lemon butter baste with some spicy seasonings really turns out some good kitty.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Have you made an effort to check out Apache Lake yet? I'll bet there is a 50 pound flathead in there with your name on it. [/#0000ff]
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[Shrimpboy]

If the algae doesn't bloom up there by next week, then Apache is probably going to be at the top of my list. I really want to get on some yellow bass.

I've made two trips for flatheads since I moved here (once in August of '04 and once last July...both times to Bartlett) and my only take has been little 3.5 pounder. I caught it on a live bluegill. After growing up in Utah, it just feels weird to use live bait. I feel like I should always be looking over my shoulder. It sure is effective though.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]You won't get the Utah bug off you until you do a couple of things. First, LEGALLY use corn for bait...even if it is just for carp. Second, use live shad for bait. That is a double whammy. Live bait and shad. You would blow all the circuits on a Utah CO if he saw you catching shad on corn and then using live shad for bait. (I don't think you could catch the shad on corn)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you haven't already thought about it, you really do need to get a good cast net and learn how to use it. Once you can harvest shad and bluegills easily, you will have a better chance of getting more and bigger cats.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How about Alamo? Anything going on over there? It is usually gangbusters this time of year?[/#0000ff]
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[Shrimpboy]

Yep, it's going nuts out there. I went out there duck hunting about a year ago, but it was January and I figured the fish wouldn't want to play (the ducks weren't too interersted either). I'd be willing to make the long drive if I could stock up on kitties, but with the mercury advisory (water was too low for too long I guess), I'd just be exercising them.
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[8incher]

Fun day at LB. I missed the cooking demo and the grub due to a granddaughter who need some "immediate financial backing" to buy a car. Good to meet a few of you guys and put a face to a moniker.

Grandson and I claimed the first and the biggest fish of the day. First was a white bass taken about 7:00 off the dock while waiting for ya'll to arrive. Biggest was a biggun' taken out from the first spring. Grandson was using a crawler about 5 feet under a bobber when the bobber suddenly disappeared. Hook was set and the battle was on. Terrific fight. Finally netted a big ol' carp that had obviously swallowed a football. Twelve pound female. Took her home and cubed her for future bait.

Sorry to hear about the "incident." I had 90 horses to help me around the corner and I was lucky to make it.

Thanks to TD for nice day in spite of the weather.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, I guess you guys definitely got first fish and big fish honors.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I heard that the white bass was a surprise that almost had somebody falling off the dock. I guess the big "golden cat" was a surprise too. But, those babies fight good. No shame in that. Hope it produces enough bait to generate a lot of big kitties in the future. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you guys could make it. We will definitely have more kitty chasin' events. That's almost as good as ice fishing for being a social thing.[/#0000ff]
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