Santee Lakes Fishing Report: Six Pound Catfish, Sautéed Trout Recipe

By Greg Even, Santee Lakes

WEEK OF: December 3, 2012

Trout:

Jerry Martinez of San Diego caught a 1lb 12oz tagged trout out of Lake 2 on night crawlers.

Catfish:

Linh Nguyen of San Diego caught a 6lb. catfish here at the lakes.

Recipe of the Week:

Sautéed Trout with Lemon Chive Butter

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 pieces trout fillet

Directions

Mix 3 tablespoons butter, the lemon zest, juice, shallots and 2 tablespoons chives until well combined. Place the butter onto a small piece of plastic wrap and, using both ends of the plastic wrap, spin it around to make a cylinder. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Using needle nose tweezers, remove all the bones from the trout. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat in a large nonstick skillet. Sprinkle the trout with salt and pepper. Place the fish skin-side down and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Using a sharp paring knife, slide the knife into the thickest part of the fish. If you don't feel any resistance, your fish is done. Transfer the fish to serving plates, top with butter and garnish with the remaining chives.

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)

December 14, 2012

1,000 lbs. of Rainbow Trout