MISSISSIPPI KITCHEN DELIGHTS

BY SEAN VARONE

Fried Sheepshead

heepshead have long had an undeserved reputation as being a trash, throwaway fish; they’re actually one of the best tasting inshore fish found on the Gulf Coast! Their very firm and mild white meat make them a versatile and crowd pleasing meal. During the winter months, sheepshead can be found hanging around all sorts of inshore structures such as rock jetties, bridge pilings, and sea walls. These fish have excellent vision and love to steal bait so hiding your hook on light mono filament line or fluorocarbon leaders is crucial! Live baits such as fiddler crabs, shrimp, or even night crawlers work best for these great fighting fish. If your next fishing trip yields plenty of sheepshead, you can’t go wrong with frying them. Sometimes simple really is best!

Sheepshead filets, dried thoroughly

3 eggs

Splash of milk

Zatarain’s Crispy Southern Fish Fry

Canola oil for frying

Salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning

Thermometer for oil temperature

SFried fish is a simple dish that can be elevated and perfected by paying attention to details such as drying the fish properly and not letting the frying oil get too hot. Setting up a breading station makes the process easier and less messy as well. Loaf pans work great for large filets.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven to 340 degrees. Don’t let the oil get much hotter than 350 degrees because the breading will cook too fast and get very dark, and the fish will not be cooked through.

2. Set up a breading station using loaf pans or similarly shaped Tupperware. Crack eggs into one pan and lightly whisk them with a few tablespoons of milk. Season with salt, pepper, and your favorite Cajun seasoning blend.

3. Add plenty of fish fry to second pan. I like to add some extra cornmeal for crunch. Season the dry fish fry mixture like the wet mixture.

4. Pat the filets dry with thick paper towels.

5. Dip filet into fish fry, shake off excess, dip filet into egg mixture, drip excess away, then dip wet filet back into fish fry and shake off excess fry.

6. Gently lower filet into oil. Fry until filet floats and appears golden brown. Time depends on the size of the filets, usually 3-5 mins.

7. Don’t crowd the pan; try to fry two filets at a time.

8. Drain on paper towels

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GunPort AcAdemy And rAnGe A SPeciAlty School FirSt clASS ArmS arch can be absolutely incredible, but it all kinda hinges on two factors. Salinity and temperature will dictate where and how we fish. Worst case scenario is a cold month, with high rivers. This will send our boats running south and east. We will be looking for trout and reds in the southern part of the Louisiana Marsh. However, if the water is chilly, we will likely head back into the ponds to get the reds. The barrierislands would be a safe bet on a calm day.

Hopefully the rivers don’t flood and we get a warm month. If that’s the case, it’s GAME ON!!! The easiest thing will be the sheepshead on the nearshore reefs. They seem to gang up one more good time before the majority head offshore at the end of March. As the month goes On, and assuming temperatures stay warm, these reefs will get better and better with puppy drum, reds, trout and the occasional flounder. Some of the better redfish bites we have ever seen are on these warmer March events. The slot sized reds seem to come out of woodwork to feed. We’ve noticed, if you find one, or a bunch of rats(undersized) reds, work that area thoroughly. The slot sized fish are near.

FORECAST BY SONNY SCHINDLER

Truth be told, I think having at least one person throwing something with dead shrimp kinda chums the area too. Of course if the Hardhead Catfish show up, it’s time to switch to artificial or move. Bay St Louis, Bayou Caddy, Heron Bay and Lake Borgne are some of our favorite places this month.

Tick tock… Spring is coming. This is typically the last “slow time” at the repair shops and tackle stores. Get what you need and be ahead of the game.

As always, have fun and be safe