I get asked all the time: “Why don’t you eat the fish you catch?”
The large majority of the fish Pete and I catch are released. Catch and release fishing is a conservation practice developed to prevent overharvest of fish stocks in the face of the growing human populations.
We’re in it primarily for the thrill of the catch, but most people can’t conceive of spending all of that time and money to catch something so delicious, only to put it right back in the water.
But we didn’t even consider release for one type of recent catch. As of February 13, 2020, I can finally tell you: “YES, we caught, filleted, pan fried and ate mahi mahi.”
Minutes out of the water it was on my plate, and it was so good. I’m sure it tasted that much better because I CAUGHT IT.
And don’t worry, mahi mahi are remarkably plentiful.
You just have to know what to catch and when to release.
Bon Appetit!
We’ve already told you how to spruce up your look with billfish-themed shirts, shorts and neckties. Now we’ll help you complete the look with matching socks.
I’ve worn a tie for more hours than many of you have been alive. I’m neither proud nor ashamed of that fact – it’s the price I’ve paid to earn certain things I want, like Japanese crankbaits and trips to the Amazon.
I typically don’t eat desserts but I always save room for tres leches cake when I am fishing at Anglers Inn. “Tres Leches,” which means “Three Milks,” is a rich, fluffy creation found in just about every Mexican restaurant. Tres Leches is a celebration cake, a must have during birthdays, graduations and even weddings – or to celebrate lobina grande. Here’s how I made it at home.
We’ve gone twice to Casa Vieja Lodge to target sailfish (and perhaps marlin), but one nice aspect of the fishery is that there are various other species to catch, whether intentionally or unintentionally. If you’re fortunate to catch a mahi or tuna in the morning, you can eat it minutes later.
After an epic trip to Casa Vieja Lodge in February, I’ve become a little bit more than obsessed with sailfish. We caught 37 of them, including 23 in a single day. Every one of them stripped line, jumped at least 10 times, and put on an unforgettable show of acrobatics. Even when you finally get them to the boat and subdue them, they’re still gorgeous – lit up with iridescent colors. That likely makes them both tempting and hard to tattoo.
Pop tarts, Clif bars and PB&J (make sure it doesn’t have too much jelly, can’t have it dripping down your arms while flying down the river) are all great, easy, fast options for a day on the water….if you are in your 20s.
I’m not the kind of guy who craves steak, especially if it’s just average or subpar (Rodney: “still has marks from where the jockey was hitting it), but a few times a year I need a really prime cut and I splurge on an upscale steakhouse. The best I’ve ever had was the bone-in ribeye at Mastro’s in Scottsdale, Arizona, but I’ve also enjoyed the porterhouse at Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn, I’ve dined at Chicago’s Gene & Georgetti, and a few times a year we hit the gluttony-based-destination known as Fogo de Chao where I go overboard on their prime top sirloin known as picanha.
I get asked all the time: “Why don’t you eat the fish you catch?” The large majority of the fish Pete and I catch are released. Catch and release fishing is a conservation practice developed to prevent overharvest of fish stocks in the face of the growing human populations.
It’s not often your husband asks you to work the pole, but recently Pete made that request in order to ensure that we’d have a perfect fishing trip to Guatemala. Shortly before we left we needed to make sure that we knew how to get spectacular coverage of our sailfish with our GoPro as the lodge doesn’t take the sailfish fully out of the water and into the boat in order to take pictures.
Every angler has his or her favorite gamefish. Perhaps it’s the one they chase the most, or one they’ve never even chased but dream of capturing. I think that the mahi mahi may be the greatest. I’ve caught quite a few, in several different countries, and hope to chase many more before I make my last cast.