Planning the Perfect Catch: A Red Snapper Fishing & Cooking Guide
Hey, welcome back to another episode of Fishing Life Awaji! I’m Daiki, and today, I want to show you how a little bit of planning before a fishing trip can lead to amazing results.
The Strategy: Using Data to Find the Fish
Before every trip, the first thing I check is the
current forecast. This tool shows me how fast the current is moving and when its direction will change throughout the day.
For Red Snapper, the best fishing time is right after the “current turnover”. Today, that’s happening at 7:00 a.m.. So, my plan is to be at the best spot before 7:00 and be ready for the fish “rush hour”.
I also use a map that shows where the current is strongest. Since Red Snapper aren’t very active when the current is too fast, I can use this information to choose a calmer spot, like the east side of a nearby island.
The Trip: When a Plan Comes Together
With the strategy set, I headed out to the spot. As forecasted, right around 7:00 a.m., my fish finder lit up with schools of Red Snapper floating in the middle of the water column.
Using a 10-meter long sabiki rig, I dropped my line in. Almost immediately, I got the first hit of the day. The fish was pulling downwards with strong tugs—a classic sign of a Red Snapper. It wasn’t huge, but it was a perfect eating-size fish, which I carefully placed in my live well. I caught a few more, releasing a smaller one to grow bigger.
After the successful trip, it’s important to properly store the gear. I reuse my long sabiki rigs for more than 10 trips by carefully winding them onto a special rig sheet, which keeps the hooks from tangling and allows me to replace any damaged sections easily.
The Feast: A Multi-Course Red Snapper Dinner
Back at home, the first step is to dispatch the fish properly to ensure the best flavor. I stab the brain to calm the fish, then cut the gills to bleed it out. Today’s catch includes some delicious Red Snapper and Jack Mackerel, which I’ll use to make a multi-course meal.
Here’s what’s on the menu:
- Simmered Red Snapper Head (Aradaki): This is a classic Japanese dish. The fish head is simmered for 10-15 minutes in a savory-sweet broth made from mirin, soy sauce, ginger, and honey.
- Fish and Vegetable Tempura: For this crowd-pleaser, I prepared Red Snapper and Jack Mackerel fillets, along with lotus root and onion. The key to great tempura is a light, cold batter (made with egg, flour, starch, and an ice cube) and a quick fry of about a minute until crispy.
- Miso Soup with Fish Stock: To make a rich soup base, I first grilled the leftover fish bones to enhance their flavor, then simmered them with salt, sake, and dashi. The final soup is served with miso and fresh scallions.
- Tamago Kake Gohan with Marinated Snapper: I changed my initial plan from Tai Chazuke to this delicious rice bowl. Thinly sliced sashimi is marinated for an hour in a miso-based sauce with ginger and honey. It’s then served over rice with a fresh raw egg and topped with nori (seaweed).
From careful planning to a beautiful meal, it was a perfect day of fishing.