Shore lunches, what goes into them and how do you do it?

[SAR5]

I have always heard of how great shore lunches are and have never had one. I plan on catch photo and release most but would like to try some walleyes. What size do you recommend and what do you take with you? Thanks.

[poutpro]

Walleyes around 16 inches are what I prefer. I like to have a propane deep frier and some peanut oil. Bread the fish with beer and shore lunch and enjoy.

[Captain B.R.K]

Actually on our bigger trips where we plan on doing shore lunches this is what we bring:

-Propane cooker

-Propane gas

-board to fillet up the fish

-Shore lunch (in a big baggy)

-bread

-home made tar tar sauce

-salt and pepper

Mix up the fish with the shorelunch and salt/pepper. Set it into a bit of oil, fry it up and spread some tar tar sauce across a piece of bread..............finger lickin' good!!!

I'm hungry just write about it

[Hooked On a Feeling]

SAR5,

Sounds like your really doing your homework for your trip to leech, I'm sure you'll get fish and that shore lunch that sounds so darn good right now!.... Man!.... anyways make sure you now the new regs for leech this year, all walleye 18" - 28" must be released pronto, 1 fish over 28" can be kept, but we all know you'll release those Daily limit is 4.

Good luck

Hooked

[bwtrout]

You can't forget the potatoes and onions!

[Jason Boser]

when we do shorelunches we get some 13-14 inch walleye fillet them up get some poatoes going get them almost done add onions at the end let them get soft put the potatoes in a container shake fish in our dry batter throw them in the grease till golden brown and eat the potatoes stay plenty hot because the fish take just a couple minutes hope that helps

Jason

[Chris Haley]

Take canned potatoes, they are already peeled and soft and fry up great. Just slice and add an onion. Don't forget the baked beans either!!

[echotrail]

Don't forget the baked beans! They round out a great lunch and provide the evening entertainment as a bonus!

[guideman]

Oh Chris...canned potatoes??

Not on my shorelunch..No self respecting guide is going to use canned potatoes!

I use the new Italian style shorelunch, for most of my lunches, otherwise I grab the Cajun style.

I wouldn't dream of using a deep fryer, a truly Canadian style shorelunch, should be cooked over an open fire, with cast iron skillets.

A typical menue for my lunches is the walleyes or in some cases Perch. My "World Famous" shoelunch potatoes, beans, corn on the cobb, brats,(some of my clients don't like fish, hard to emagine that)

warm bread, some kind of salad and then, cake or some of my wifes homemade cookies for desert.

Now that's a shorelunch.

Sorry I can't share my secret potatoe recipe with you all, it's a old guide secret.

I can tell you one thing, it dosen't have canned potatoes in it.

"Ace"

[Chris Haley]

Actually, Im lucky. We don't get many requests for shore lunch here. But from the sounds of yours, I'm thinking of booking a trip on the big V!!!!

[Hemlock]

Guidman's got it down pat!

[Ole1855]

Grilled Ribeye Steak on a fresh toasted bun with a thick slice of raw onion and fresh horseradish...MMMMMM...Oh yeah, a nice cold beer to wash it down!!!

Now that's my kinda shorelunch.

Ole

[abens1078]

Shame on you guys, I'm fat guy waiting for my lunch break. Ole 1855 that one was hitting below the belt, I love ribeyes anyway I can get'em.

The only thing I would mention on the potato thing is chop your fresh spuds the night before and partialy boil them, Saves a little cooking time and you still get the taste of the fresh ones.

Between this and everyone's favorite icefishing snacks, I think there needs to be an FM cookbook of some kind.

[MJCatfish]

Mmmmmmmm..... I can see it, hear it, smell it, taste it.

MJ

[Ole1855]

abens,

What I usually do for spuds is to bake them the nite before, then just slice them up with the jackets on them for frying.

Ole

[Kab Dreamin]

Guideman,

You speaketh the truth. Canned potatoes? It should be illegal.

Our typical Lake Kabetogama shore lunch consists of some 13-14" walleyes that were caught that morning and filleted on a canoe paddle on the back of the boat and then breaded in Shore Lunch breading and cooked in a cast iron skillet over a real wood fire (propane cookers are for girly men). Add in some baked beans bubbling in their can alongside the skillet, another skillet of fried potatoes and onions cooking next to the beans, some fresh fruit, a couple of loaves of garlic bread heating in foil alongside the coals and for dessert, some fresh cherry or apple pies made with the pie filling of your choice and some crescent roll dough put in a pie iron and cooked over the remaining coals. Oh, yeah, don't forget the cooler of beer and some spectacular scenery. It always reminds me that vacations and meals like that are why I go to work each day. It's been a family tradition since we first started going to Kab when I was a kid in 1969. Now my kids are hooked on it and we have 3-4 of them each trip.

We also do shore breakfast with eggs, pancakes, sausage, etc., but if I start to describe that I may have a breakdown.

Canned potatoes?

[FOOT]

Forget the canned potatoes. Like an earlier post said, boil them up the night before, BUT make sure they are not soft, you just want them to start cooking. Then cut them up the next day and fry with onions.

Gotta have the baked beans.

And of course the Walleye needs to be lightly battered.

Can't wait.

[doser]

You guys want a true shore lunch do what I do when I usually go to Canada. Cook everything in the same shore lunch pan. Use oil, canned corn, peeled patatoes, and put the fish in. Cook patatoes and corn first then after five-seven minutes add the fish. Don't forget the most important item of the recipe....natural flame. No propane stove or any of that stuff. Make your own fire. Makes a huge difference. Trust me. Ohh don't forget buttered bread and a beer.

[waskawood]

For spuds we cut up a pound of bacon and fry it, don't drain the fat and add 2 bags of frozen o'brien potatoes. They are hash browns that have onions and green peppers added. When that is just about brown add 1 bag frozen corn and cook until all is brown. I know I will get flack for using frozen potatoes but give it a try before you crucify me.

[The_Duckslayer]

MJ Catfish... that is one dang good lookin spread you got going there!!! Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm I wanna meet up with you for lunch some day!!!

Found that if you nuke the taters for about 8 minutes they will fry up a lot quicker as well. Oh and unless you have a real long extension cord... Nuke them before ya leave the house Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[Ortlo]

MJ - I would love to blow up that picture and put it on my wall.

Can I have it?

[Biggerfish]

I had the best thing a few years back up in Canada. I know some of you will laugh at this healthy lunch. The guide boiled in water the onions, potatos, peppers and seasoning. Once these were all done he strained the vegetables out and in that same water boiled the fish. Believe it or not it was excellent and healthy to boot! I wish I new what kind of seasoning he used? Has anyone else had fish this way?

[so haaad]

One of my favorites for BWCA trips is fish tacos. A Lipton rice packet, onion, seasoning to taste and fresh fish wrapped in tortillas. Mmm....

[irvingdog]

Biggerfish It's called a "Viking Fish Boil". Google it, and you'll see lots of results. It's big in Door county Wisconsin.

[Biggerfish]

Thanks, going to have to try the tacos this summer....

[Terry Hagstrom]

On my shore lunches I usually check to see if we have any dietary restrictions and offer fried, grilled, baked or boiled fish. Baking fish on tin foiled with sliced, tomatoes, onions, portabello mushrooms, peppers. pour italian dressing over it all and bake. near completion slit the foil open and let in some of the smoke flavor..... shawing!

Walleye sandwich, 1 fried fillet, thin tomato, strip or two of well fried country bacon, smidge of mayo or tartar sauce.

The bacon really tops it off.

Of course we have the taters, beans and dessert.

Terry Hagstrom

Terry's Guide Service

www.fishingmn.com/terry

[leechlake]

regarding the canned potatoes I switched and even at home I use canned potatoes for making fried potatoes. I think they are better tasting. Oh well...I've never guided and it looks like I never will thinking canned potatoes are better!!!

[Fish Head]

I've never used canned potatoes myself. But I was up at Manaki, (north of Lake of the Woods) about 10 years ago with a large group, approx 40-50 people. We all met on an island and the guides made us a shore lunch using canned potatoes. At the time, my thought was "you've got to be kidding me", but they were actually very good. They were seasoned and deep fried. I guess everything is good seasoned and deep fried. I kind of forgot all about it until I read the posts here.

Some great posts by the way! I get hungry just reading about these shore lunches!!!

[backlash 1]

I've been on a couple of fly-ins where in the shore lunch kit ( right next to the canned potatoes) there were a few pieces of flatwood fire starter. If you get some wet weather this fire starter is very helpful.

[Bexter]

Here is a favorite side dish (and an easy one) that we enjoy for a shore lunch.

I take a bunch of potatoes, slice them up into chunks, an equal amount of onions chopped up with a couple tablespoons of butter stirred in the mix and then I put seasoned pepper and seasoning salt in the mix. This is very versatile. You can throw it in a casserole in the oven, a bowl in the microwave. Of course we normally put it in foil and do it on the grill or over an open fire. It's great! And easy!

A can of baked beans goes over pretty good too.