It’s spring time in Michigan, and that can have lots of different meanings to different people.
We as Michiganders are some lucky folks. I know we all take it for granted, it is hard not to. We are surrounded by an endless amount of natural resources other states only wish they had.
Where do we start. We could start with our endless amount of blue-ribbon trout streams. I suppose we could start with the over 11,000 inland lakes. Maybe it’s our elk population that other Midwest states don’t have. Maybe it’s that we harvest more Woodcock than any other state. Maybe it’s our deer, maybe our bear, maybe our 4.6 million acres of state land! I don’t know what our most prized natural resource is, oh wait yes, I do - it’s our Great Lakes! And a top the fish swimming in the big water of Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario is the chinook or king salmon.
The king salmon is such an amazing fish it’s hard to say just how much it means to the billion-dollar sport fishing industry here in Michigan. Folks here in our state and across the Midwest and beyond come here to tangle with this formidable hard fighting fish. Lake Michigan is not the only lake that holds the king salmon but does produce more than the other lakes and among the west Michigan coast ports that produce the most fish Grand Haven, Ludington, and Manistee are typically the hot spots for some of the best fishing. Last week found me in Manistee with the conditions just right, the fish feeding on some lingering bait fish and the cooler was full at the end of the day. So, the problem is, what does one do with 60-80 pounds of fish?
Eat some, freeze some, give some.
Eat some. I always like to eat as muchas I can while its fresh so with in the first 2-3 days plan on grilling or smoking as much as you can! My favorites recipe for the grill is as follows:
• Cut the fillets into smaller pieces roughly the size of your spatula.
• Marinate your fish in a zip lock, skin off, for 30 minutes in equal part soy sauce and Lemon Concentrate. I also will put some corn oil in the bag for some lubrication as well. I once put corn syrup in on accident and it was really good as well!
• Once you let that sit for half an hour put on a hot grill for a few minutes per side until done and enjoy.
If you want to smoke it, you can do skin off or leave on, do the same marinade but smoke for half hour at 225, then bump up to 350 for another half hour and enjoy!
Freeze some.
I like to bag in smaller portions. Typically, 2-3 fillets per gallon size ziplock. That way you don’t have huge portions if you’re only going to be cooking for a few people. You can always pull more bags out. Try to label by date and species of fish. Try to eat within a month or so. You may go fishing again and need the space!
Give some.
This is the best part. I have found real joy in going around town to the endless amount of people who love salmon who rarely get it. I just dropped off fish for about five families this past week and it was so much fun, and so appreciated!
Catching a big king is awesome, giving some away is just as rewarding, give it a try!
To view the article in the online 2023 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
