 Eelgrass with seed-bearing shoots. Photo © Ken Schultz By Ken Schultz
I’d like to think that anglers, whether on their own or through clubs they belong to, do something to give back to the resources that they so clearly enjoy. Things like helping clean up trash on a lake, recycle fishing line and soft plastic lures, habitat improvement projects. There are many ways that anglers can do something to help. One fascinating way to help is by getting in the water and working with groups that are restoring habitat in areas that critically need such. Stream restoration projects, for example, are commonly undertaken by some anglers, particularly those belonging to local Trout Unlimited chapters. Building oyster castles and reefs is another one undertaken in coastal estuaries, where oyster recovery is necessary to help with water quality improvement as well as forming habitat that attracts forage and predator species. This past week I got in the water on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with  The author with a huge Brazilian peacock bass. Photo © Ken Schultz By Ken Schultz
Someone recently asked me what I thought was the most exciting freshwater sportfish. I said it may be peacock bass. I had to say “may be” instead of “is” because I haven’t caught all of the world’s top freshwater gamefish. My life list does not include the (Argentinian) dorado, Niugini bass, mahseer, or taimen, for example, the first two of which I’ve heard great things about. But from what I’ve seen, the peacock bass is in a class of its own, especially when caught in its native flooded rain forests of South America. How good is it? If you tied identical-size peacock bass and largemouth bass tail-to-tail, the peacock would quickly drown the largemouth. As it happens neither of these sportfish are actually “bass.” And, as it happens,  Fresh walleye fillets make an outstanding shore lunch. Photo © Ken Schultz By Ken Schultz
Have you had an opportunity to eat your catch for lunch? It’s the best food you’ll ever have. The last time I fishing in Mexico, on two successive days we ate our catch for lunch. Well, just part of our catch. One 3- or 4-pound bonito in fact. The captain I was fishing with pulled the skin off the fish, cut out fillets, rinsed them in the ocean (while we continued fishing), trimmed them into strips, added slices of onion and finely diced chilies, then sprinkled this all with the juice of several limes. It’s a variation of seviche (marinated fish) common to the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo region of Mexico called chiritas. Boy was it good. Four of us ate the whole thing. I’ve had chiritas or seviche before with other species, including dolphin (mahi-mahi), yellowtail jack, and yellowfin tuna, while fishing in the ocean. Sure beats a couple of pieces of ham and a slice of cheese tucked between two pieces of hi-carb white bread. And, by the way, nothing defines the meaning of “fresh” fish better than |
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