Captain Leon Dana
Prime Time Charters
904.591.8906
PalmValleyCharters.com

Hook It, Cook It!

It has been a great year for the shrimp run in Northeast Florida.  These tasty little crustaceans start upriver around Palatka and head their way North, up the St. Johns river on their way to the ocean.  You know when the shrimp are running you will see boats all along the Shand’s bridge and around doctors Lake and bright lights on the ends of the docks of the St John's river everyone casting nets into the baited water trying to get their limit of shrimp.  It’s a family event with everyone doing their part.  My kids used to love picking up the shrimp as they fell from the nets.  Shrimp are the things movies are made of… there is boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp and grits, shrimp kabobs and one of my favorites shrimp creole.  This recipe is a labor of love but if you do it right it is well worth the trouble.

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. of shrimp - pealed and deveined.  Save the shells for Stock

• 2 cups of chopped onions

• 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 1 tbsp chopped garlic

• 2 14oz cans diced tomatoes

• 1 6oz can tomato paste.

• 1-2 cups of shrimp stock.

• 2 tbsp flour

• 2 tbsp chili powder

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

• Dash of Worcestershire sauce

• Dash of hot sauce

• 4 cups of cooked white rice

In a medium pot add 3 cups water along with the shells and heads and boil for 30 mins till it reduces to 2 cups, then strain.  This will be your stock.

In a large pan on medium heat add olive oil, onions, celery and bell pepper.  Season with salt and cayenne pepper.  Cook until translucent, then add flour.  Cook 1 - 2 min.

Stir in tomatoes, garlic, chili powder and bay leaves.  Add 1 cup stock, reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer 20 - 30 min then add Worcestershire, hot sauce and shrimp.  Cook another 10 - 15 min until shrimp are pink in color.

Serve over cooked rice.

Recipe by Jeff Altman

“The Fishing Connection”

With waters finally cooling off it’s time to look for trout in the Valley. This species can be found in the mornings throwing top water baits, working the banks. This is a great way to cover large areas of water to locate schools of trout. Once you get one. Stick in that area and keep throwing as you will probably pick up a few more. Also look for diving birds as the bait is pushed to the surface by the trout and the birds are feeding on them.

I like throwing a pop-n’-cork with a white shrimp about 20" under the float. The one simple jerk and wait retrieve works great.

Redfish are schooling in the shallows and you should see the schools moving if you know what to look for.  I'd search Pine Island and south for these fish. Artificial, and live bait will work just fine. I like using the paddle tail bait in chartreuse.

Black drum will show back up in the deeper holes this month.  So, throw fiddlers with lite hogs and bounce them across the bottom. Don't be surprised if you get some sheepshead too.

Good luck and I'll see you in the Valley.