Uploaded April 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
I love crispy deep fried fish. Well, I stumbled on a fish nugget recipe that fits the bill. So, I went out to our local outdoor fish market to see what was available. Let’s see what happened. Click on *SHOW MORE* for info on the tackle, lake, recipes & much more.
- - - - - INFO ON THE EQUIPMENT, FISH, LAKE, VIDEOGRAPHY, ETC. - - - - -
THE BOAT: Bass Hunter EX purchased March, 2018. It can be ordered here: http://www.basshunter.com/bass-hunter....
THE MOTOR: Minn Kota Endura C2-55 Trolling Motor (36" Shaft), 55 LBS of thrust. It runs on a 12v, deep cycle battery. Purchased on amazon, September, 2018.
THE LURE: a 2 inch black plastic grub on a 1/32 oz. jighead of unknown brand names.
THE SPINNING REEL: A black and red Abu Garcia REVO2SX10, purchased 04/26/2018.
THE SPINNING ROD: Daiwa SMD401ULFS Spinmatic-D SpinRod (4- Feet, Ultra Light, 1 Piece, 1-4 pound line test recommended). It can be found on Fish USA, and other places.
THE SPINNING REEL LINE is SpiderWire, Ultracast, Invisi-Braid in 10 LB test, 2 LB monofilament equivalent.
THE LAKE is called Lake Ketchabigwon (named by native Americans). It is almost 6 acres and is located in NE Ohio. It sits on 37 acres of property. The lake is private. It has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The small pond is ¾ acre with a maximum depth of 12 feet.
FISH IN THE LAKE are largemouth bass, bluegill, white crappie, black crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, and grass carp.
WHY KEEP SMALL BASS AND RETURN LARGER BASS: We had biologists perform an electroshock survey of the lake. They found too many small, stunted bass. There is only so much food to go around, and there are too many mouths to feed. Their advice was to remove all bass under 12 inches, and to release the bigger ones. This rule is usually the opposite in large public lakes.
LEARN HOW TO FILLET A FISH HERE: youtu.be/KgiGqlrB0LM
WHERE TO GET A CAP LIKE MINE: You can get a “Juanelo Bait & Tackle” baseball cap here, https://www.inkpixi.com/by-clothing-t.... In fact, you could put your own name on it!
VIDEOGRAPHY: The principal camera is my iPhone X on a tripod. I also use an iPhone 6s Plus as a close-up, counter-top camera when cooking. It is mounted on a small tripod. I use a Rhode microphone indoors to help lessen the echo. The video is edited on my MacBook Pro using Final Cut Pro X.
BACKGROUND MUSIC is called “Dome Sweet Dome,” downloaded from YouTube's Audio Library.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RECIPES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
RUTABAGA CHIPS
Rutabaga chips inspired by Emeril Lagasse here: marthastewart.com/936930/napoleon-rutabaga-chips-and-sauteed-shrimp; also see here: marisaskitchentalk.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/rutabaga-chips-recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 large rutabaga peeled
Cooking oil to fill a deep fryer
Cajun or Creole seasoning
DIRECTIONS:
Heat cooking oil in a medium size pot to 375°F
Peel rutabaga and quarter it
Thinly slice rutabaga on a mandolin as thinly as possible
Pat slices dry to minimize moisture
In 4 or 5 batches, deep fry chips 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown but not burnt
Remove to sheet pan and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning
CHEESY BLUEGILL NUGGETS
Recipe inspired by this recipe: iamhomesteader.com/cheesy-walleye-nuggets
INGREDIENTS:
1 LB bluegill, bass, walleye, perch or crappie fillets
1 tea. of Zatarain’s or Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
½ tea. ground pepper
3 to 4 large eggs lightly beaten
¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
¾ cup your favorite finely shredded cheese
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove minced
¼ cup of fresh chopped basil
¼ teaspoon fresh dill (optional)
Vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
Tartar sauce or creamy-spicy sauce of your choice for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the fish filets in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle one side with Creole seasoning. Microwave for 6 to 7 minutes until the thickest parts of the fillet will flake easily with a fork.
Once the fish is out of the microwave and has cooled a little, place them in a medium bowl and use two forks to flake the fish into tiny pieces.
In a large bowl, add the eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, parsley, dill, and pepper. Stir together until a thick paste forms.
Add the fish and stir until the fish is evenly incorporated.
Fill a deep fryer with required amount of oil. Heat until it reaches 375°F. Or use a cast-iron skillet.
Form about 1½ tablespoons of the fish mixture into an oblong shape or ball and carefully drop into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining fish mixture until you have 6 or 7 nuggets in the fryer. Fry the nuggets in batches for about 3 or 4 minutes until they are golden brown and the mixture is used up.
Transfer fried nuggets to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain and cool slightly, and hold in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, or a creamy-spicy sauce for dipping.
I love crispy deep fried fish. Well, I stumbled on a fish nugget recipe that fits the bill. So, I went out to our local outdoor fish market to see what was available. Let’s see what happened. Click on *SHOW MORE* for info on the tackle, lake, recipes & much more.
- - - - - INFO ON THE EQUIPMENT, FISH, LAKE, VIDEOGRAPHY, ETC. - - - - -
THE BOAT: Bass Hunter EX purchased March, 2018. It can be ordered here: http://www.basshunter.com/bass-hunter....
THE MOTOR: Minn Kota Endura C2-55 Trolling Motor (36" Shaft), 55 LBS of thrust. It runs on a 12v, deep cycle battery. Purchased on amazon, September, 2018.
THE LURE: a 2 inch black plastic grub on a 1/32 oz. jighead of unknown brand names.
THE SPINNING REEL: A black and red Abu Garcia REVO2SX10, purchased 04/26/2018.
THE SPINNING ROD: Daiwa SMD401ULFS Spinmatic-D SpinRod (4- Feet, Ultra Light, 1 Piece, 1-4 pound line test recommended). It can be found on Fish USA, and other places.
THE SPINNING REEL LINE is SpiderWire, Ultracast, Invisi-Braid in 10 LB test, 2 LB monofilament equivalent.
THE LAKE is called Lake Ketchabigwon (named by native Americans). It is almost 6 acres and is located in NE Ohio. It sits on 37 acres of property. The lake is private. It has a maximum depth of 12 feet. The small pond is ¾ acre with a maximum depth of 12 feet.
FISH IN THE LAKE are largemouth bass, bluegill, white crappie, black crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, and grass carp.
WHY KEEP SMALL BASS AND RETURN LARGER BASS: We had biologists perform an electroshock survey of the lake. They found too many small, stunted bass. There is only so much food to go around, and there are too many mouths to feed. Their advice was to remove all bass under 12 inches, and to release the bigger ones. This rule is usually the opposite in large public lakes.
LEARN HOW TO FILLET A FISH HERE: youtu.be/KgiGqlrB0LM
WHERE TO GET A CAP LIKE MINE: You can get a “Juanelo Bait & Tackle” baseball cap here, https://www.inkpixi.com/by-clothing-t.... In fact, you could put your own name on it!
VIDEOGRAPHY: The principal camera is my iPhone X on a tripod. I also use an iPhone 6s Plus as a close-up, counter-top camera when cooking. It is mounted on a small tripod. I use a Rhode microphone indoors to help lessen the echo. The video is edited on my MacBook Pro using Final Cut Pro X.
BACKGROUND MUSIC is called “Dome Sweet Dome,” downloaded from YouTube's Audio Library.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RECIPES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
RUTABAGA CHIPS
Rutabaga chips inspired by Emeril Lagasse here: marthastewart.com/936930/napoleon-rutabaga-chips-and-sauteed-shrimp; also see here: marisaskitchentalk.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/rutabaga-chips-recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 large rutabaga peeled
Cooking oil to fill a deep fryer
Cajun or Creole seasoning
DIRECTIONS:
Heat cooking oil in a medium size pot to 375°F
Peel rutabaga and quarter it
Thinly slice rutabaga on a mandolin as thinly as possible
Pat slices dry to minimize moisture
In 4 or 5 batches, deep fry chips 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown but not burnt
Remove to sheet pan and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning
CHEESY BLUEGILL NUGGETS
Recipe inspired by this recipe: iamhomesteader.com/cheesy-walleye-nuggets
INGREDIENTS:
1 LB bluegill, bass, walleye, perch or crappie fillets
1 tea. of Zatarain’s or Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
½ tea. ground pepper
3 to 4 large eggs lightly beaten
¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
¾ cup your favorite finely shredded cheese
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove minced
¼ cup of fresh chopped basil
¼ teaspoon fresh dill (optional)
Vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
Tartar sauce or creamy-spicy sauce of your choice for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the fish filets in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle one side with Creole seasoning. Microwave for 6 to 7 minutes until the thickest parts of the fillet will flake easily with a fork.
Once the fish is out of the microwave and has cooled a little, place them in a medium bowl and use two forks to flake the fish into tiny pieces.
In a large bowl, add the eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic, parsley, dill, and pepper. Stir together until a thick paste forms.
Add the fish and stir until the fish is evenly incorporated.
Fill a deep fryer with required amount of oil. Heat until it reaches 375°F. Or use a cast-iron skillet.
Form about 1½ tablespoons of the fish mixture into an oblong shape or ball and carefully drop into the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining fish mixture until you have 6 or 7 nuggets in the fryer. Fry the nuggets in batches for about 3 or 4 minutes until they are golden brown and the mixture is used up.
Transfer fried nuggets to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to drain and cool slightly, and hold in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, or a creamy-spicy sauce for dipping.
