Patriotic Perch

Getting out surf fishing for the 4th of July, (let alone any time) is one of the best experiences, because in the midst of family time and very strong cocktails my father calls "Heaters!" one can find solace in the surf. The targeting game fish is Red tail surf perch, but Sole, and Dungeness crab can be found in the waters as well. Crabs can be caught by pole because they will grab bait and get hooked like a fish, otherwise I've had them crawling over my wader boots. After the initial heart attack, punch your hand in the water and grab it before the next wave comes in! I keep a crab measuring tool in my fishing pack just in case...

Crab on the line!

With a healthy limit of 15 Perch a day, you can cook perch any way you'd like. This time, we chose to cook it in a salt and egg white mold. Stuffing the fish with herbs and lemon first, the egg whites and salt were folded in a bowl to create a proper aerated mixture to entomb the fish and continue to bake it. Once done, the fun part is to break the mold with a spoon and lift the tail of fish which unzipped the spine right out of the cavity!