ISOutdoors | April 2016

ISOutdoors enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you

APRIL 2016

BLAME IT ON RIO... www.isoutdoors.com

“NOW YOU’VE MADE ME HUNGRY.” —FREDY REIHL, SHOOTING SPORTS NEWS PUBLISHED BY SKYHORSE PUBLISHING 307 WEST 36TH STREET NEW YORK, NY (212) 643-6816 SKYHORSEPUBLISHING.COM

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APRIL 2016

CONTENT Blame it on Reo Live Bait Basics Readiscover CO Mule Deer The Adventure Wheels Afield Smoked Salmon and Trout

COLUMNS hItchh Iker baSS fIS hIng bIg game canIne care deStI nat Ion nat Ion

publisher Brock RAY

e Electro Mundo Gruppe 202 1st Avenue East Oneonta, AL 35121 205-625-5473 r eproduction, in whole or part, retransmission, redirection or linked display is prohibited without written permission from the publisher

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featured outf Itter fIShIng the amer IcaS collect IbleS wI ng Shoot Ing what’ S new

Blame It

Rio Grande Turkey are plenty wily.

t On Rio

by Buck Wilder

ISOutdoors Brad Harris and I linked up in Joplin, Missouri,where we then made a relatively short drive to a large ranch in Kansas,where he had arranged for us to stay and hunt. It was midway through the peak of gobbling time, and that portion of eastern Kansas was as green and lush as I ever recall seeing it.

According to Brad, who was then with Lohman Game Calls, the ranch where we would be had not been hunted so far this season, and was loaded with lots of lovesick Rio Grande gobblers. With an estimated 800,000 Rios, Kansas is one of the top states for hunting this particular subspecies of wild turkey.

The Rio Grande wild turkey is native to the semi-arid regions states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, as well as the northeastern portion of Mexico. It draws its name from the Rio Grande River, which drains the bulk of its range.

Fully mature gobblers have a slightly smaller body size than the Eastern wild turkey. Coloration is also different. The Rio Grande is pale and copper-colored, having tail feathers sporting a yellowishbuff coloration. The Rio Grande’s color is consistently lighter than that of the www.isoutdoors.com

Eastern and Osceola birds, but is darker than the same feathers in the Merriam or Gould subspecies.

Rio Grande gobblers are usually highly vocal, and respond well to calling. Most hunters do not rank the Rio Grande as being as call shy, or as wary as either the Eastern or Osceola subspecies.

However, this can be misleading—if you think that while hunting a Rio Grande longbeard that you can get away with calling miscues or other blunders like movement. Also, as Brad and I discovered during the last leg of his hunt, when Rio Grande gobblers are preoccupied with receptive hens around them, no amount of expert calling will coax these old fellows before the barrel of a shotgun.

ISOutdoors

Then something seemed to alarm the longbeard.

Feast Or Famine It has been written many times that Kansas turkey hunting is rarely anything other than feast or famine, and our first trip out on day one proved this statement.

Our day started like all turkey hunts do, with bleary eyes that needed to be propped open until the affects of the second cup of coffee could perform its metamorphic magic. We loaded up our gear in the Suburban and headed out the bumpy ranch roads to the back side of the ranch, nursing along our last few sips of hot java.

Stars still spangled the sky while we readied our gear as quietly as possible.

An expert caller of national renown, Brad had agreed to undertake the calling chores. Having hunted wild turkey for decades, I am a decent caller. However, if Picasso is willing to paint my house for me, what excuse would I have for www.isoutdoors.com

picking up a paint brush? Even before Brad struck a yelp from one of his calls, I was highly impressed with the craftsmanship and beauty of the Lohman calls he pulled out of his vest.

All morning long we roamed the rolling, green terrain of the foothills without successfully getting a gobbler to pay much attention to our calling efforts. “The big boys are with hens right now,” Bradsaid softly, as we took a mid-morning break. “After they have been bred, these hens will slip away to their nests to lay another egg. By noon those old toms will be by themselves and ready to pursue shy hens.”

You could have set your watch by what Brad had told me. Only a few ticks of the clock past noon, subtle hen yelps made

by Brad were answered by thunderous gobbling. The problem was that the tom was on the other side of a cottonwood-

ISOutdoors lined creek that meandered through a wide pasture. Brad reacted like he already knew the drill, directing us to double time it to the edge of the creek before the pair of approaching gobblers could reach it, as they would certainly hang up there and refuse to call.

Brad was calling the shots on this outing.

He pointed out a shaded spot on the edge of the rill, where it made a steady gurgling sound as the current raced over the rocky gradient. Extending out my lounge vest, I made myself comfortable.

Brad moved like a ghost up the creek about 50 yards upstream from me, where the little creek backed up to form a silent pool. From there the master caller began to perform his magic.

Strutting And Drumming The approaching tom was hotter than a three-dollar pistol.

Part of the way to the creek, the ole bird was literally at a brisk trot, then he would stop to strut, dragging the tips of his wing feathers while also drumming. The second tom was a bit more reluctant, which was just what we wanted, as Brad www.isoutdoors.com

was hoping for a double kill between us. Just as the old lead gobbler got with shooting range, he again broke into a full-blown strut. I wanted the cameraman to get all of the footage that he wanted, so I held off on squeezing the trigger. It was a magnificent sight, watching the bright rays of sun dance off of the plumage of the bird, shining like polished copper.

Then something seemed to alarm the longbeard. We never knew what it was, but the old boy folded himself into a compact package and was about to run in the opposite direction of us. However, Lady Luck was there for me one more time. For some reason, the otherwise quick-thinking gobbler could not resist extending his long neck skyward to take a second look at what had gotten his attention. What the longbeard saw in the instant before he died was a tight spray of lead shot screaming at his head at about 2,000 feet per second. The effect on that bird’s pale blue noggin reminded me of when Luke Skywalker blew up his daddy’s Death Star.The bird had trophyclass spurs and a 10-inch beard. I was more than pleased.

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live bait basics

Lure makers wish they could match the results of live baits.

by Ed Rivers It’s unclear when fishing for food was superseded by fishing for fun, but it probably occurred about the same time anglers began opting for flies and lures for baitinstead of worms and minnows.

With only a few exceptions, flies and lures are efforts to make faux bait that resembles the edibles on which fish dine.

It’s a noble enough endeavor but, like many old-timers, I often wonder why a fishermen would use a plastic minnow when a live one is more likely to tempt a bass or pike. I know lures are more durable and hassle free in comparison to keeping minnows and worms fresh and lively, but I remain unconvinced that such manmade efforts outperform nature’s own.

Here’s a list of deadly natural baits. Some you may know about, while others might be new to you. If your fishing efforts are not netting the results you seek, try any or all of these baits on your next fishing trip.

Red Worms & Nightcrawlers Closely related, although considerably different in size, red worms and night crawlers are everyone’s favorite when it

comes to natural baits. Easily obtained by digging your own or buying a carton at any bait shop, these subterraneandwelling invertebrates are rarely seen in nature by most fish, but nonetheless are impossible for them to resist. Keeping worms fresh and cool before use is essential. Once hooked, they usually expire quickly, but are still fish catchers.

Species commonly caught on worms include trout, bass, catfish, and sunfish.

Bait Shop Minnows As the name implies, bait shop minnows are offered for sale at bait shops. These usually are Baltimore or shiner minnows although, depending on where you live, the variety carried will vary from region to region. Again, the key to the most effective use of these baits is keeping them fresh and lively. Frequent water changes in your minnow bucket will extend the life of these bait fish.

Lightly lip or tail hooking them causes the least amount of trauma, and keeps them active enough to lure fish. Species commonly caught on live minnows include trout, bass, crappie, catfish, stripers, musky, walleye,and pike.

Wild-Caught Minnows Wild-caught minnows are collected

ISOutdoors in traps, seines, and throw nets. In streams these include a wide variety of dace, chub, sculpin, shiners, and other nondescript species. In most lakes, you would collect shad and alewives. Wildcaught minnows are extraordinarily deadly lures for smallmouth bass and striped bass. However, wild-caught minnows are more difficult to keep alive than are bait shop minnows. Frequent water changes are necessary if you are using a minnow bucket, while most experienced striper fishermen use well-aerated bait tanks for shad and other wild-caught minnows. Again, live minnows our perform dead ones.

Species commonly hooked on wildcaught minnows include trout, bass, stripers, walleye, musky, and pike.

Hellgrammites Also known as grampus, a hellgrammite is the larvae form of a dragonfly, and is found in streams and lakes before they mature to wing free of their watery nursery. Two to three inches long, these ugly varmints are difficult to gather by seining creeks, and troublesome to hook without one of them pinching blood www.isoutdoors.com

from your fingers. Their saving grace is that smallmouth bass cannot resist them. To collect a few dozen grampus, have one person hold a four-foot net in knee-deep water, while another person stands a few feet upstream, kicking up the bottom. Dislodged grampus caught in the net should be placed in a bait can.

Hook them under their thorax collar without getting bit (good luck). Species commonly caught on hellgrammites include trout and smallmouth bass.

Grasshoppers & Crickets Personal favorites of mine, grasshoppers and crickets are equally effective and fun to fish. The biggest difference is that crickets can bought by the pound at bait shops, while you have to pound the ground to catch grasshoppers. Secure in a cricket cage they will live for days. As is always the rule, lively is always best.

ISOutdoors Gently hook kickers under the thorax collar, but avoid hooking their internal parts, if possible. In ponds they usually are fished under a bobber, while in streams they are highly effective free-floated on the surface. Species commonly caught on grasshoppers and crickets include trout, bass, yellow perch, and sunfish.

I often wonder why a fishermen would use a plastic minnow when a live one

is more likely to tempt a bass or pike.

Maggots & Such Mealworms, wasp larvae, grubs, and other pupa are all maggots, i.e. the immature form of an insect that has wings, such as a hornet or a butterfly.

While these baits all look pretty much the same to you and I, to fish they mostly likely resemble emerging caddis flies leaving the bottom en route to the brief airborne stage of their lives. These pulpy tidbits are easily stored in a bait a bait can, which must not be allowed to overheat in the sun. Spiked head to tail on a hook, these sticky little morsels are fished under a bobber or free-floated beneath the surface of a stream. Species www.isoutdoors.com

commonly caught,using any of a number of sorts of maggots, include trout, bass, yellow perch, sunfish, and catfish.

Leeches Leeches are my least favorite live bait to handle.

I dislike the look and touch of the cold, slippery bloodsuckers. If they weren’t the finest walleyecatching bait on the planet, no one in their right mind would ever stick one on a hook. I suppose one could collect leeches from leech infested waters, say by holding a small child in the water up to its neck until it attracted a sufficient number of leeches, which could then be collected into a bait can. A far more common, and suggested, source for leeches is a bait shop, where they fetch up to $5 a dozen. Hook anyway you can stand to, so long as you do it quickly.

Leeches are fished on the bottom or under a bobber. Species commonly caught on leeches include walleye, sauger, trout, bass, and catfish.

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rediscover

Colorado

Mule Deer This state is still the mother lode for mule deer hunting.

by Matt Guedes, Western Field Editor

Many Western state mule deer hunters are wondering, “What should I be doing this time of year?� For those of us who love to hunt, we quickly recognize that hunting is not something that happens just during a few weeks in the fall, but rather it is a lifestyle. The opportunities it presents all year long enable us to have greater success during that limited time we love so much each fall.

ISOutdoors I only began hunting 16 years ago. I wasn’t brought up in a family that hunted. They were not opposed to hunting, but just didn’t participate. So at 26 years of age, I had a dear friend introduce me to archery shooting. I got that bow in my hand for the first time and I instantly loved shooting. Just one month later, I was in the hardwoods of Pennsylvania hunting and harvesting my first whitetail deer. My passion was immediately ignited and my love of all that is hunting took off right from that first moment.

I have to admit that over the years my love widened and my understanding grew. At first, I was a juvenile hunter who just loved the harvest. I missed out on the beauty of the animals and the woods that contained them. I missed out on the understanding of our dominion given by God over the animal world. I missed out on the knowledge of the hunter being used as a necessary tool of game management. I missed out on the journey along the way. I just missed out on very much of the real hunting experience. www.isoutdoors.com

With time I began to appreciate each and every aspect of the hunt. Now I have to admit that it is an all-year, allthe-time passion for me that keeps me busy loving and learning about all that is involved in hunting. We grow with time and I would like to share with you the activities that I now take on in this time of the year as an avid mule deer hunter.

Spring In Mule Deer Country The snow is starting to vanish in western Colorado this time of year. As that snow begins to melt away , the deer begin to move. The deer thrive on the new growth and start to find all the new shoots that are taking off with the warm sun and the thawing ground. As this cycle of growth begins again, I find myself following the snow line up the hills and watching the deer.

The bucks are starting to lose their antlers. That sends me out shed hunting and gathering information. The reason I shed hunt is not only because I love having shed antlers, but also because it allows me to know what bucks made it through the winter. It is one of the

ISOutdoors greatest forms of scouting that I know.

By getting out there and finding these antlers in the areas I hunt, I am made well aware of the quality of deer that will be around in the upcoming fall.

Another aspect of my year-round hunting approach that takes place at this time of year—I start to get my equipment ready. Most people don’t get around to this until a couple of weeks before hunting season, but I have found that I can have all my equipment ready to go right now in the spring. That allows me to concentrate on more important aspects of my year-round approach during the summer and early fall. So in the Spring I check all of my equipment, from my guns and bows to my backpack and game bags.

I also spend this time of year reviewing and researching the new hunting products that are on the market. If there is something out there that will allow me to become better or to have a better experience, then I want to capitalize on it. So as companies release their new products into the marketplace, I keep my www.isoutdoors.com

eyes and ears open to see what will work in my hunting world.

Personal Growth In The Hunting World To allow me to have the best hunting experience I can possibly have this fall, I alsowork on the controllable aspects of my personal growth. I work out physically, to be in the best shape I can be. If I wait until August to get ready physically, it won’t work. The older I get, the earlier I start. I don’t want to lose out on a great hunting experience because I am not physically prepared.

Western hunting means western terrain – mountains, ravines, thick brush, steep rock faces, and altitude. I don’t want to miss a shot opportunity because I am not able to get in position because of fatigue. If you are from a lower altitude and are planning to hunt the West in the fall, you need to work even harder.

Along with physical growth, I also work on mental growth. At this time of year, I learn by listening and reading all I can through great magazines like IS Outdoors and radio programs (like Brock’s IS Outdoors radio show). I have

ISOutdoors learned in life that, if I want to grow, it takes effort and preparation. I want to learn from those who have more experience and more success than I do.

I also go to my local archery and hunting shops and learn from the local hunters who are having success. I believe in being a lifelong learner.

Colorado Mule Deer Details Let me end by sharing a couple things I have learned about mule deer hunting in Colorado. One is that there are some incredible areas of public land that hold some tremendous bucks, such asUnit 61 and Unit 40. It does take five to twelvepoints in thoseunits to draw a license, depending on your weapon choice. Unit 61 has some great public access, whileUnit 40 is somewhat limited in public ground and access. Unit 62, which is right next to Unit 61, also has some great mature bucks, and it has tons of public ground with easy access. Best of all, depending on the weapon you plan to use, you can draw a license with zero to three points.

www.isoutdoors.com

My highlight outfitter of the month in Western Colorado is Cache Creek Outfitters out of Mesa, Colorado. Cache Creek’s Jeff Miner has some great ground and provides a high-quality mule deer hunt, no matter what your weapon of choice may be. You can contact Jeff Miner at www.cache-creek-outfitters. comfor an exceptional mule deer hunt.

Bio: Matt Guedes is ISO’s new Western Field Editor. He is a follower of Christ who loves all that is involved in hunting. Matt resides in Mesa, Colorado, with his wife and three children. He enjoys sharing his passion and experience from all of his outdoor adventures. Matt is currently on the pro staffs for Brock Ray’s World of Outdoors, Mathews Archery, Ripcord Rests, Tru-Fire Releases and Broadheads, and Schaffer’s Performance Archery.

Contact Matt at matt@mesaairnet.com if you are interested in having him speak at your game dinner or outdoor event.

Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts Kicker

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THE ADVENTURE

This month’s fish is the famous yellow fin tuna. By the way, it is not one of my favorite fish to catch. It is more work than play, but anyway, here it goes. The yellow fin is the third largest of the tuna. The first being the blue fin and the second is the big eye. The yellow fin is getting bigger by the year. For example, in 1977 the world record was 388 lbs. Then in 2010 it went up to 405 lbs, in 2012 to 427 lbs and finely on Dec. 2, 2012 an incredible 459 lbs. All these monsters were caught off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. So what’s happening to the growth rate of these animals? They only live to be seven or eight years old. The reason this fish dies is for the most part they starve to death. They can’t eat enough to maintain their weight. Can you imagine how much they grow in a year? Their diet consists of all bait fish, but their favorite meal is calamari [squid]. The yellow fin swims up to 80 mph making them one of the fastest fish in the sea. Yellow fin normally travel in schools with the same sized companions. At two to three years old they become sexually mature. The female can release up to ten million eggs. The main enemy of these fish is not the sport fishermen but the commercial fishermen. They kill thousands of them in a few hours. They have planes and helicopters with radios just flying around looking for the schools.

Then the boats move in, circle the schools and with nets they kill everything. We need to put a stop to this.

The way I fish for these speed demons is to troll looking for birds in the sky over the water or porpoises nearby. Once I find ether of these I head to that area and start trolling. A lot of the times you can see the yellow fin jumping and tearing the water. If this happens, stop the boat and start chumming. Put on a bait fish like sardine on a 9/0 2004 Eagle Claw circle hook and let it drift behind the boat. When the line starts singing zzzzzzzzz count to ten, set the drag and start reeling. The lures we use to troll are the same as we use for the dorado and you can find them at TheGrizGear.com.

Charles and I heard that there were big yellow fin about twenty miles out from Cabo and decided to go see what was going on. When we arrived with our captain we asked if it was true. He said that there were a lot tuna being caught around the 180 lb mark. That was good enough for us. The next day we got into our 35 ft. cabo and went looking for the monsters. Charles always wanted to catch one over 200 lbs. Not me.

I caught one that was 329 lbs last year and it kicked my butt for three and half hours, so it’s my son’s turn.

When we got about fifteen miles out we saw a lot of porpoises and went straight to them. Hundreds of tuna were tearing up the surface of the water. We started casting to them. BANG. We had two on immediately. They were not what we were looking for. They were

too small, about 60 to 80 lbs. We wanted the big stuff, so we moved on. Then we saw birds diving and took after them. That’s when we saw the cows, the monsters. We trolled and got nothing. We casted, still zero. Then we put on sardines.

That’s when it happened. All at once my son’s reel started singing zzzzzzzzz. The fight was on! Four and a half hours later he landed a 245 lb monster tuna! Not bad for a fifteen year old boy. That’s what he was looking for and he got it.

When we got back to the marina Charles was a tired boy and a hungry one too. We decided to get something to eat. One of the great things about Cabo is you can find almost everything to eat. You can find anything from tacos to steak and lobster in all price ranges. We

were too tired to be eating much so we had some fish tacos. While we were eating I asked Charles what he wanted to do tomorrow and he said let’s go back and fish for more tuna. I asked him if he hadn’t had enough already and he answered no. That night when we got back I called Angel at Syndicate Fleet and told him we wanted to go back out tomorrow. He said no problem.

The next morning we headed out at 6:30 looking for bird activity or porpoises and saw nothing. Then right beside the boat there was a nice striped marlin sunning itself.

That´s why you need to have live bait on the boat. You never know when you will need it. Well, I got a live mackerel, put it on an Eagle Claw circle hook and pitched it out to the marlin. It began to follow the bait. I started to pump my rod

UNTIL THE NEXT ADVENTURE WITH THE GRIZ! making the bait look like it was trying to get away and that´s when the marlin hit and it hit hard. Remember, when you use a circle hook you DO NOT SET THE HOOK. If you do, you will pull it out of its mouth. You put the drag on and start reeling. That’s what I did. Then all hell broke loose. The marlin started jumping six feet out the water and running. My reel was screaming! It started to settle down after about an hour of this. The marlin was coming to the boat like a puppy. I thought the fight was over. That’s when it saw the boat. My reel with the forty lb test line started screaming again. It was like everything went back to the first jump. What a wonderful fish the marlin is. It is truly a show fish. It took me about an hour and a half to land and release this beautiful creature.

We were still looking for tuna, but never found them. When you fish in the ocean you need to always be ready for anything and everything. You never know what you can find. I think that’s why I love the sea. In lakes bass fishing you can only hope for maybe a 25 lb bass and that’s it. In the ocean it could be a 25 lb tuna or a 1000 lb black marlin, you never know. If you want to catch marlin all year long, Cabo is the place. It’s known as the marlin capital of the world.

Please remember, to keep it fun, always protect yourself from the sun.

Find where you can watch our shows at www.asobonline.com. If you need help on where to fish in Mexico write me at thegriz@asobonline.com. I will be happy to help you.

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Smoked Salmon/Trout On a Budget Use your “freezer fish,” and avoid fishmonger sticker shock!

By Andy Lightbody and Kathy Mattoon Photos by Kathy Mattoon

Depending on where you live, it seemed like a long and cold winter, where cleaning out the freezer of last season’s salmon and trout fillets just wasn’t in the cards. Now that most of the “arctic blasts” are over, it’s time to start reliving some of last year’s great angling memories and making room for some of the fresh fish from springtime adventures that are just around the corner!

The big bonuses for doing some “refrig-rummaging” is that not only are you going to win a few points from your significant-other and cleaning out the freezer, but you’re going to turn out some mouth-watering smoked fish and likely discover new neighbors and friends that you never knew you had before.

Many of us live in areas where smoked salmon and trout are not something you can find at the local grocery store, or even a fresh fish mart. For many, it’s a treat and delicacy that can be only found by order-

ing on the Internet, and often times with less than delicious results. Do a quick computer net search and it is not uncommon to see smoked salmon selling for $26-$40 a pound, and rainbow trout at $60 a pound. Add in shipping and questionable eating quality, and I have very few friends that I want to spend that kind of $$$$ on!

Instead, of suffering from credit-card-stickershock, it is drop dead easy to make it yourself for literally a few pennies on the dollar.

Begin by defrosting your trout or salmon fillets. Ten pounds of fillets are going to smoke, dry and end up producing about 3-4 pounds of smoked fish when finished. If you want to take the fillets and turn them into jerky instead of moist fish bites, all you do is follow this same recipe and just increase the drying time until the fillets have about 90 percent of the moisture reduced. Ten pounds of fish fillets will turn into around 1 pound of jerky.

In order to keep everything as simple as possible and easy to prepare, our top choice for the brining process is the Smokehouse Trout & Salmon Brine Mix (www.smokehouseproducts.com). It’s a prepackaged, premixed combination of salt, sugar and flavorful spices that mix up with 2-quarts of water and can be used for up to about 15-pounds of fillets.

If your fillets are more than ¾ of an inch in thickness, use a sharp knife and do some simple cross-cuts laterally on the flesh-side of the fish. This increases the surface area of the fillet and allows it to better absorb the brine and spices.

After marinating, gently rinse the fillets and lay them out on your smoker rack to air dry for approximately 1-hour. As always, spraying the racks, even the supposedly “non-stick” types, with a nonstick spray or wiping the surfaces with vegetable oil will keep the fillets from sticking while smoking and drying.

Spray all your smoker racks with a non-stick spray to keep the fillets from sticking!

The Smokehouse Trout & Salmon Brine Mix is prepackaged, premixed with salt, sugar and spices, and ready to use with 2-quarts of water.

One box will do up to 15 pounds of fish and marinates your fillets in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.

Once mixed, fish and brine are put in a glass bowl or small plastic bucket and allowed to marinate for 8-12 hours. Even 24+ hours of brining won’t hurt a thing, and we often throw the bucket in the refrigerator and let it soak overnight. The real chemistry behind brining is actually pretty simple. All fish, poultry and meats already contain salt water. By immersing and soaking them in a liquid with a higher concentration of salt, the brine is absorbed into the meat. Whatever spices and flavors that are in that brine are absorbed as well.

Smokers are as much a personal choice and preference as trying to suggest what make/model of car is your favorite. For home-use, ease and affordability, there is little question as to why the Smokehouse Big Chief or Little Chief electric smokers (www.smokehouseproducts.com) reign supreme. They’ve been around since 1968, are easy to operate, provide constant temperatures and turn out “great eats.” Virtually everyone we know began their smoking-careers with one of these!

Regardless of your smoker choice, the idea behind all smoked fish is to dry/dehydrate and add flavor, without turning it into a high-temp oven. Low, slow and with temperatures of 165 degrees F to no more than 200 degrees F is the key to success.

With the fillets on the racks, you’re ready to add your personal touch and “flavor profiles.” Once brined, some folks like to just use the flavor from the wood smoke. Others want to go with Cajun, Lemon/Pepper, Chili, Mexican, Teriyaki, Dill, Rice Vinegar, and Hoisin or seasoned-salt options. Here is where you are limited only by your imagination!

Once brined, the fillets can be smoked without adding anything, or you can go from “mild-to-wild,� by using a host of spices, rubs, sauces and flavorings.

Into the smoker, and our favorite wood flavor is Alder, because it is a light wood and delicate. For a sweeter touch, try apple chunks or chips. If you want to go bolder, try cherry, mesquite or even hickory. As with all smoking of fish or game, too much and it becomes overpowering and equates to eating a charcoal-briquette offering.

Our best results are from using 3-4 pans of wood chips (one immediately after the other) in total. Each pan of chips will burn/smolder/smoke for approximately 45 minutes, so you are actually smoking the fillets for about 3 hours, and they should start to turn a light golden brown as the smoking process continues.

If you mix and match your fillet flavorings, try labeling with a post-it-note to identify the different offerings. Temp is low enough in the Little Chief smoker that there is no fire danger.

After the smoke, simply use the heat from your smoker to finish the fish, which can vary greatly, depending upon outside temperature, wind conditions and even air humidity. Based on those outside weather conditions, your smoked fillets will be ready in anywhere from 3 ½-8 hours. At this point, the fillets can be brushed with additional Teriyaki, honey, Hoisin, soy sauce, etc. Just keep checking them periodically and dry them till they are done to your taste and texture.

Once smoked and prepared to taste, remove the fillets from the racks to prevent sticking and let them final cool/ air dry for an hour. This however is the most difficult part of the entire process, for you’ll be guaranteed that the temptation to taste, sample or simply eat will be virtually overwhelming. If there are any left to save for later, zip-lock bags and into the refrigerator will let them last up to a week or more. Put into vacuum sealed bags and placed into the freezer, they will last for many months and simply need to be defrosted when ready to eat.

Our rule of thumb is… if you think you made enough, you probably will soon discover that you should have doubled the recipe. Bon appétit

Alder wood chips or chunks are the favorite for making your own smoked trout and salmon. Three or four three pans of chunks/chips will add a light smoke flavor without overpowering the delicious taste of the fish.

Ram Trucks 2016 From “Plain Jane” models to Rhinestone Cowboy opulence!

By Andy Lightbody

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Unless you are a sports-fanatic and know all your baseball team players by name, stats, etc, one of the first things you’d do when going to see a game was get an Official Program to help sort out all those players! If you are planning on tracking the 2016 line of Ram trucks, plan on spending some quality time and doing a lot of reading and research!

In days-gone-by, the entire line of “then” Dodge Ram trucks was pretty straightforward. Now that the “Dodge” namesake has been replaced by the RAM only identification, it is anything but simple. This is not to say that the manufacturer isn’t making some great sportsman’s vehicles, they are! But when your corporate name has morphed over the 2-years from simply being the Chrysler Corporation to FCA US LLC (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, United States, Limited Liability Corporation) to have to ask yourself to whatever happened to keeping it simple?

So, sharpen your pencils, because here for 2016, the Ram truck lineup in just the 1500 series is going to be offered as the Tradesman, Express, HFE, SLT, Bighorn, Lone Star, Outdoorsman, Sport, Rebel, Laramie, Laramie Longhorn, Limited and Laramie Limited trim levels/option packages.

In addition, trucks can be had with 2-wheel drive, part-time 4WD, full-time 4WD, three different powerplants, two different transmissions, three different driver/passenger cab configurations and three different cargo bed lengths!

And if you are looking for more “heavy duty” versions, don’t forget that the Ram Truck 2016 lineup also includes the 2500 and 3500 models. For seeing everything that you can possibly imagine, and a lot that you have probably never thought about incorporating into a “sportsman’s truck” for simply enjoying the great outdoors… go to www.ramtrucks.com. Be prepared to be totally overwhelmed!

It’s virtually a case of, “if you can dream it and want it”….

Your luxury Ram truck is available this year.

All of the Ram trucks have a “similar” pickup truck look, however each of the 13 different trim lines sport a host of unique front end grilles, tire/wheel packages, chrome, bumpers, tailgate branding, bling-badges, head/taillight configurations and more to help distinguish one from another. It is going to come down to personal likes and dislikes, as well as having to select from a lot of choices.

Depending on the trim line selected, the Ram trucks can be dressed up from everything from mild to wild! Aggressive front end grilles, blackout paint options and a host of tire/ wheel options are just one way to dress the trucks.

Cargo bed siderails can be outfitted to hold everything from long guns to fishing rods. Each locks securely and comes with an inside light to help you find your gear in the dark.

Starting at the entry-level of the Ram lineup is the Tradesman 4x4, V6 gas engine with a sticker price at just over $30,000.

Not many whistles, bells or bling, but a reliable no-frills work and outdoors workhorse with a choice of either the standard 3.6 liter V6 gas engine, the optional 3.0 liter V6 turbocharged diesel ($37,700) or the big 5.7 liter V8 HEMI ($33,000). From here, the trim lines, models, accessories and options are limited by only your imagination and your budget.

At the high end of the luxury line are the Ram Limited and Laramie Longhorn 4x4 editions. These trucks start at around $50,000 and can quickly approach the $59,000 mark by adding in all the extra goodies. Most of these trucks come standard with the ultra-powerful 5.7 liter V8 HEMI, or as a $3000 additional option, the 3.0 liter V6 EcoDiesel.

The HEMI V8 kicks out 395 horsepower and a full 410 poundfeet of torque. It’s rated to 15/21 mpg with the standard 8-speed transmission, and would be the top choice for hauling the boat or trailer. When uncoupled from hauling, the HEMI lives up to its reputation and has plenty of power for creeping in the back country or flying down the freeways.

The more fuel efficient EcoDiesel power engine checks in at 19/27 mpg. It is decent for towing and is responsive, but as the old saying goes…. It just isn’t a HEMI! Opt for the high-end trim, and in addition to plush leather seating in both well-padded front and rear seats, you’re going to find interior features that used to be reserved for only the very expensive foreign-made ultra-luxury automobiles. In plainer words, we’re talking much more than a highend stereo, nav system, backup camera and heated/cooled seats. Dashboard controls are often diamond knurled with illuminated liquid chrome rings, large digital background dash screens, polished wood inserts, LED lighting, and more cubby/hideaway spaces that you can keep track of!

Performance rating overall is excellent. Luxury is unsurpassed. Our biggest concerns centered around getting everything dirty or scratching/breaking something either inside or out! But, I guess if you can afford to be surrounded by all the luxury, you likely can have a carwash, detail shop and talented mechanic to take care of the little things.

For the new year, Ram 1500 trucks now sport a luxury leather interior and a dashboard full of more controls and features than you can probably remember!

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