A Mid-Winter Fishing Trip: Chasing Flounder and Finding a Feast
Welcome back to Fishing Life Awaji! Today, we’re heading out for a challenging mid-winter fishing adventure. With the water temperature hovering around a chilly 9°C, catching fish becomes much more difficult. The primary target for the day is flounder, a delicious winter prize.
The Search for Bait
Before we can even think about catching our target, we need the right bait. In this case, that means catching live Jack Mackerel.
Because the water near the marina is too cold to hold baitfish, we have to travel about six miles offshore to a spot near the Tomogashima islands, located between Awaji Island and Wakayama. The effort pays off, and soon we have a supply of 20 cm Jack Mackerel—the perfect size for a flounder to eat.
Interestingly, while Jack Mackerel are a popular fish to eat, their best season is from June to July, when they are full of fat before spawning. In mid-winter, they have less fat and aren’t as tasty, making them better suited as bait for other delicious winter fish like Red Snapper, Black Croaker (Kurakuchi), and Black Rockfish (Mebaru).
A Change of Plans
With the bait secured, it’s time to target flounder. The rig is a handmade, single-hook setup with a 25.5 lb leader and a 120g weight. We start drifting over a promising spot where the depth slopes from about 33 meters up to 20 meters, keeping the live bait rig close to the bottom.
However, after several drifts without any signs of fish, it becomes clear the flounder aren’t biting. It’s time for a new strategy. I decide to switch things up and change the target to Red Snapper. The change proves to be the right move, and I land a beautiful Red Snapper.
A Red Snapper Three-Course Meal
Back in the kitchen with the day’s catch, it’s time to prepare a feast featuring the Red Snapper. I plan to make several different dishes: Smoked and Grilled Fish Head and
Tai Chazuke (Red Snapper on rice with dashi broth).
1. Smoked and Grilled Red Snapper Head
Instead of just grilling the fish head, I’m going to smoke it first. This process gives it a wonderful aroma and makes the meat firmer and even juicier.
- Cure: First, the fish head is sprinkled with salt and left for an hour to dehydrate.
- Smoke: After dehydrating, the head is hung in a can with smoke chips and smoked for about two hours.
- Grill: Finally, the smoked head is grilled in the oven for about eight minutes to finish it off.
2. Tai Chazuke (Red Snapper on Rice with Dashi Broth)
This is a classic and comforting Japanese dish.
- Sashimi: First, I fillet the snapper and prepare a marinade for the sashimi using soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, sake, and ground sesame seeds. The sashimi is left to marinate for several hours.
- Dashi Soup: A flavorful dashi soup is made using the fish bones. The bones are toasted first to bring out a nice aroma before being simmered in water with salt, mirin, and soy sauce.
- Assembly: To serve, the marinated sashimi is placed over a bowl of rice. It’s then topped with arare (rice crisps) and nori (dried seaweed), and the hot dashi soup is poured over everything right before eating.
3. Sautéed Red Snapper with Lemon Butter Soy Sauce
A final dish is a simple but elegant sauté.
- Preparation: A fillet is scored, salted, and coated in flour with herbs.
- Cooking: The fish is fried skin-side down until brown. Chopped garlic and scallions are added to the pan.
- Sauce: Once the aromatics are browned, butter and soy sauce are added to the pan. For some acidity, a squeeze of lemon juice finishes the sauce.
Despite the initial challenge, the day turned into a culinary success, proving that a little flexibility can lead to a delicious reward.