Cruisin' and Fishin'

Morning ya'll,
Go ahead and hit play, while we talk, we can have a little background tunes to listen to.



By the time you read this, I hope to be well under way for a good day on the water.
There's just something about the wide open Gulf , a few good tunes, some bait, and a bumpkin. It does the soul good, to spend a little quiet time doing some dolphin watching, or just cruising with the wind blowing hard against your face. The water is the flattest today it's been in a week, perfect for trying to catch a glimpse of these guys. I can get them right up to the boat, I know the rules though, and kill the engine once I see them. Don't ever feed a dolphin with a boat running, you don't want them to associate the sound of engine with feeding time. It can be their demise. Makes sure your just sitting floating for a little while, before you attempt a connection.

Another thing not allowed on the boat, cellphones. We have one for emergencies, turned off and stowed in a safe place. The whole idea is disconnected.
Everybody needs time to check out, don't you think?
This weeks catch has been flounder. 12-20 inch flounder hitting dead shrimp. Shrimp are big right now, and so are the flounder. Using the same rig as last week. The waves are too big right now, leads to dirty water. Because it's early spring the cool nights and increasingly warm days, temperatures rise as much as 35 degrees in a day, that causes 10-20 knot winds out of the south. As the cold air is replaced by the warm air, it causes wind, which create these waves. We expect about 14 more days of this. Water temperature at 65 degrees, and we haven't seen rain in two weeks. Cobia fishing starts this week. 50lbers around structures are not uncommon using a chartreuse Cobia jig, and some heavy tackle. 30lb line/70lb leader minimum. Generally a 15 minute fight with one of the fastest fish in the water. Fine eating I might add (chuckling).

Speaking of eating, here's how to cook them redfish we caught last week.

New Orleans Blackened Redfish with Remoulade Sauce
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons capers, drained
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons canola oil
24 ounces redfish fillets
Directions:
To prepare the remoulade (a French cousin of tartar sauce) combine the mayonnaise, onion, parsley, lemon juice, capers, mustard, and sugar in a medium bowl; blend well and set aside.
Combine the Cajun seasoning and paprika on a piece of wax paper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot; swirl in the oil. Dip the flesh side of each fish fillet into the seasoning mixture, then immediately place flesh-side down into the hot skillet. Repeat with the remaining seasoning mixture and fillets. Cook, turning once until the skin is blackened and the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes.
Serve immediately with the remoulade. Be sure to serve this classic with some steamed brown rice or Cajun-style "dirty" rice.
Ummmm ummmm

Semper Fi,

Captain John