Santee Lakes Fishing Report: Bacon Grilled Cajun Trout Recipe

By Greg Even, Santee Lakes

WEEK OF: November 19, 2012

• Michael Crawford caught the lunker of the week at 7 lbs. 5 oz. Mike also caught a 2 lb. 6 oz. Trout out of lake 3. These Trout were hooked on powerbait mice tails and chartreuse PB. Daughter Samantha caught her first Bass on an inflated nightcrawler. Mike qualifies for the TV drawing.
• Frank DeLorenzo landed a HUGE  7 lb. 2 oz. Rainbow out of lake 4 on a nightcrawler. Entered into the TV drawing.
• Hideharu Saito visiting from Japan caught an impressive 6 lb. 13 oz. Trout out of lake 3 on a nightcrawler. This qualifies him for the TV drawing.
• Charlie Thongere caught a 6 lb. 2 oz. Trout out of lake 3 on a nightcrawler also qualifying him for the TV drawing.
• Ryder Lynn age 6 from Lakeside caught a 5 lb. 13 oz. Trout out of lake 4 on powerbait. Ryder is also entered into the TV drawing.
• Michael Morga from Chula Vista caught a 3 lb. Trout out of lake 3 on a nightcrawler. This fish was tagged and worth $25.
• Mitchell Wise age 8 from San Diego caught a 2 lb. 11 oz. Rainbow Trout out of lake 4 on a nightcrawler.
• Antonio Borja caught a 2 lb. Tagged Trout and won a Mini-Fighter pole holder.
• Lauren Savage age 5 caught a 1 lb. 12 oz. Trout out of lake 4 on a nightcrawler. Great job Lauren!

Recipe of the Week:

Bacon Grilled Cajun Trout

Ingredients

• 4 whole trout, 1 pound each, cleaned with heads and tails removed
• 1 (16-ounce) bottle Cajun marinade (recommended: A-1 Steakhunter)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green peppers, celery, and onion
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (recommended: Wright's)
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/4 cup real crumbled bacon
• Butcher twine, 12 pieces, 6 to 8 inches long
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon

Directions

Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.

Place trout in large zip-top bag and cover with marinade; reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for sauce. Marinate for 30 minutes.

In a small saucepan, combine reserved marinade, tomatoes, liquid smoke, Cajun seasoning, and crumbled bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes; set aside.

Lay 3 pieces of butcher twine horizontally on a sheet pan, evenly spaced. Lay 1 slice of bacon vertically on top of butcher twine. Place 1 fish on top of bacon slice. Top fish with another slice of bacon. Tie each piece of twine so that you have 3 knots securely holding the fish in place. Repeat process with all remaining fish. Place whole fish on grill. Cook for a total of 15 to 18 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. Watch for flare-ups from bacon slices. Remove from grill. Untie twine from fish. Top with Cajun tomato sauce and serve warm.

Night Fishing (registered campers only, lakes 6 & 7)

Fishing Permit Fees

Adult (ages 16 and over) $9.00 per day

Junior (ages 7 to 15) $6.00 per day

Second fishing pole stamp $4.00

*One child under 7 may fish for free with a paid adult

** No California State Fishing License required to fish at Padre Dam’s Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve.

NEXT STOCK (stock will arrive on or before date below)

November 30, 2012

1,000 lbs. of Rainbow Trout

Check out: Kiwanis Kid's Fishing Day coming up this weekend