akaShag

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FABULOUS!!! Doug

awesome!

Awesome! And how were the bugs? Nothing like earlier, I imagine? Doug

CTC has their Nautilus charger on this week at $91.99. I bought one yesterday: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motomaster-nautilus-smart-battery-charger-maintainer-15-8-2-amp-12v-0111973p.html?loc=plp I had bought this one, but it did not work and I returned it: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motomaster-classic-series-smart-battery-charger-maintainer-fully-automatic-15-8-2-amp-12v-0111975p.html?loc=plp

I look forward to seeing CrowMan's recipe, but here is mine: DOCTOR DOUG’S INDIAN CANDY This stuff was originally called Squaw candy when I first tried it fifty years ago, then it became known as Indian candy, and now it is generally called candied salmon. It’s all basically the same stuff. The best is made from sockeye, in my view, and the runner-up is farmed Chilean steelhead that is available fairly regularly in the grocery store. I have made it with coho, spring (chinook), and pink, but I am of the opinion that it would not work for lake trout (which is delicious smoked). Thinner fillets work better than thicker fillets, but you work with what you have. You can do whole fillets, or portions of fillets, and it is best to work with SKIN ON pieces. Lay the pieces, skin down, in a Tupperware, glass or stainless container. Not aluminum, it will apparently poison you. Pieces may be pressed together but should not overlap to any significant degree. Salt generously. I prefer Hy’s Seasoning Salt without MSG, but any salt is fine. Coarse sea salt would be good. Then sprinkle a VERY heavy covering of brown sugar over them. Dark demerara sugar is probably best, but any brown sugar will work. Cover the container and put it in the fridge for overnight. 12 hours is about right, 24 would be the maximum. Spray your smoker racks with non-stick oil like Pam, put each rack on top of some paper towel, newspaper, etc (to catch drips) and arrange the fillets on the racks. Do not rinse the fillets first! Fillets should not be touching each other. Leave these out for about an hour to form a pellicle on the surface of the fillets. Put the racks into your smoker, and start smoking. The classic wood to use is hickory, but cherry also gives a nice flavour. Do not under any circumstance use mesquite, it will over-power the flavour of your fish. (Unless you prefer the taste of creosote, of course). My Big Chief electric smoker does not have adjustable heat, it tops out at 165 to 175 F. If you have a variable heat smoker, I would aim it at 175 to 185 F, but not higher than that. After your first pan of smoke has finished, it is worth looking at your fish. If your heat is correct, they will just be starting to colour up a bit but are clearly still pretty much raw. IMPORTANT: if you want a sweeter candy flavour, and/or if you want to make peppercorn candied salmon, you should do this now, or after the second pan of smoke. For sweeter fish, brush the fillets with maple syrup. For peppercorn, also sprinkle the fillets with coarse ground black pepper. Then return the fish to the smoker. For thin fillets, do it after the first pan of smoke, for thicker fillets do it after the second pan of smoke. After the second pan of smoke, check your fish again. Thin fillets may already be done. If yes, they will be a nice dark golden colour, and you can easily take a piece off the skin with a fork. Go ahead, taste it! For thicker fillets, cooler smoking temperatures, and any number of variables, you may need to put the fish back into the smoker. A third pan of smoke would be fine at this point, but I would not recommend more than 3 pans of smoke, or about 3 hours of actual smoking time. If your fish is golden brown but not cooked through, transfer the pieces to a cookie sheet with a raised lip, lined with parchment paper, and finish in the oven at 200 F. Allow to cool in an area with good air circulation. Indian Candy will keep for probably a couple weeks in the fridge if you don’t eat it first, and it freezes well if you make a big batch. I like to wrap the pieces in parchment paper, then vacuum seal them. I would not recommend keeping it for more than a year, maximum, in the freezer. I do not have experience with pellet smokers or charcoal smokers, and limited experience with whole wood smokers. Each smoker will be different in terms of smoke output and heat, so these are really guidelines to get you started. Enjoy!

That is one heavy duty cancellation policy those folks have............. In that part of the country, for walleye, it is pretty hard to beat a 1/4 oz ball head jig and 3" Berkley power grub. Probably stained water, and I would go with bright colours like white and pink, maybe yellow and orange, and fluorescent if possible. Good luck! Doug

I do miss being down that way..........

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a buddy who is an electrician says use the highest amps you have for charging deep cycle batteries. But I would buy an intelligent battery charger that shuts off when the battery is fully charged.............. Doug

Bread and gravy, oh yeah!

In our home growing up, gravy was considered a beverage. 😁

Looks fabulous, Brian. I don't think I ever saw turkey thighs for sale........ Tonight here it is roast smoked pork loin, with GRAVY!!! If you don't find smoked pork loin gravy to be one of the best things you ever ate, you are legally dead. Doug

I did not know that. Thanks for the info! When I was there, the guides used live bait (minnows) on their jigs. I used Berkley Power grubs and did not find that I was at a disadvantage. I mention this because my neighbour here in K-town just got back from a fishing trip to Manitoba (somewhere near Winnipeg) and said there was no live bait to be had. They ended up fishing with frozen minnows but found that unsatisfactory and not productive. I did not ask him if they tried power baits, I am guessing NOT. I have no idea whatsoever if bait will be scarce in NWO, but if you are planning on that, it might be worth asking about it. Good luck! Doug

If memory serves me, the Grand River is in that area. We used to fish it over fifty years ago in the summer and caught the odd fish....

Good luck Brian! I am not a FB guy, sorry I can't join you there. Doug

Saw this after your for sale ad........... Sorry to hear you are cutting it loose. 😲 Doug

The owner, Ken Robins, is a prince of a man. Lots of walleye and sauger, I did not try for anything else. Doug

Cliff, after all the fun you have had with the Argo, you are going to let it go? Doug

I don't think so, but I will read your report with interest. I am doing a week-long charter, so trust the guide for current fishing conditions/etc. Doug

I wrote two articles about Georgian Bay Fishing Camp for Ontario Fisherman magazine back in the day. One was about the walleye, and one about the smallmouth. I caught my PB walleye there one spring, about 12 pounds. I had just paid fairly big $$$ to have a 10.5 lb walleye mounted and did not think I wanted to invest more in a fish that was not "THAT" much bigger. I had previously asked Dave if he wanted a good walleye that he could have mounted for display and to show off at the fishing shows, and he said yes, so I kept that fish and gave it to him. He agreed that he would put a plaque on it with my name. Well...........Dave was not always real good about following up on stuff. He did get the fish mounted and brought it to the Toronto Sportsman's Show, but with no plaque on it with my name. But he always intended to get that done. And it was a LOT bigger than the one I have on my wall....... When he drove guests back and forth to Key River he would go through one shoal that had just a hair more room on both sides than the width of his boat. And he would take it at full throttle. That always got reactions from his guests........😉

tagged for interest. I will be there next year end of Aug.

worth every penny! And as somebody noted, there is probably a manual start you can use if things go pear-shaped. Doug

When I needed a new foot pedal for my old Minnkota, they got it for me quickly. And yes, good folks to deal with.