Hook and bullet club - Sharing fishing recipe

If you’ve been lucky enough to put some fish on the stringer, you know your work is not done. Once you’ve got the fillets out, it’s time for the most important part of the process: cooking.There are many ways to prepare fresh fish but we’ve found one that really works well and is as simple as it gets.Walleye, pike and panfish have been prepared to mouth-watering levels using this simple but effective method.Take your fillets and make sure all bones and any skin tissue have been removed. Wash off the fillets and open up a package of Bearden Farms breading mix. We use a simple zip-lock bag with enough mix to do a number of fillets. With the fillets still a little damp, but not dripping wet, drop them into the bag.Zip the bag shut and shake it up until the fillets are covered with the Bearden breading. Now you’re ready to cook. No egg, no special batter, just shake the fillets in the Bearden breading and they’re ready to go.We’ve cooked fish with Bearden breading either in a fry pan with oil or thrown them right into a Presto Deep Fryer at 350 degrees. Cook the fillets until they are golden brown and then remove them from the oil, placing them on paper towels to help soak up any excess oil.That’s it. Serve the fillets with whatever side dishes suit your palate and you’re in for a fine meal. The Bearden Farms breading contains a real nice mix of seasonings and spices. We’re hooked on Bearden, which you can find at our local supermarkets. Winkleman nabbed for using radiosBabe Winkelman is well-known for his fishing shows but now he has another claim to fame as well. Babe was caught using two-way radios illegally during last fall’s deer season.Winkelman will pay a $200 fine and write a newspaper column about hunting ethics. He can get the ticket taken off his record if he has no similar offenses for a year.This is a case where there is a fine line between using technology to the hunter’s advantage in order to take big game, and using technology as a safety tool.Cheap two-way radios have become a regular item in the hunting and fishing catalogs. Many people have them and there is a good number using them during deer season. What should be made clear is that it is not illegal to have and/or use two-way radios while hunting. Unless, you use them to “take” small or big game. Here is where that line should be fine but isn’t.We have used two-way radios at our camp and I have felt much safer in the woods knowing where people are at. We know we can’t coordinate deer drives but knowing that your son is sitting in his stand and you can check in with him to see how he’s doing provides major peace of mind. The first year we used the radios, before my oldest was of age to hunt, I overheard a conversation on a common channel that proved their worth to me.My stand is located the farthest away from camp and from that point on opening day, I could hear a young voice on the radio saying, “Dad, when are you coming back?”The voice sounded a bit scared and definitely a bit lonely. I pictured the father out circling the stand, hoping to send a deer toward his son in the stand. “I’m on my way back,” an older voice breathing a bit heavily called back. Now that exchange may or may not be determined to be “taking” big game, but if it is, then I would hope the conservation officer would use his God-given common sense and move on to more important issues.Winkelman maintains he did nothing wrong and that he was only checking to see that fellow hunters were in their stands. No doubt this will grow into a bigger issue than it should be, but I’m hoping state conservation officers focus their efforts on the real problem areas, specifically illegal poaching.As deer hunters, nothing burns you up more than to come across a dead deer, usually within sight of a road with the backstraps removed. That is a crime worth prosecuting. NRA dinner and auction FridayComing up this Friday is the Northern St. Louis County Friends of the NRA dinner and auction in Ely.To be held at the Grand Ely Lodge starting at 5:30 p.m., tickets are still available from committee members. Stop at the Paddle Inn for tickets or call Lou at 365-7054, Brad at 365-2582 or Lolita at 365-6571. Tickets are $25 for an individual or $40 for a couple. There are also sponsor packages available. All net proceeds benefit youth education, range development, conservation efforts and other qualified education programs.The NRA dinner is a nice, laid-back evening, similar to a Ducks Unlimited banquet, but maybe just a bit less hectic.