But for some of us, those guys whose diets do not consist of squirrels and pork вЂnвЂ™ beans, we should do what we can to prepare tasty fish dishes that can be enjoyed by all. But these dudesвЂ™ palates havenвЂ™t exactly matured beyond their caveman roots. I mean, diehard river rats will tell you that all you have to do is put a little salt and pepper on those bad mama jamas and they are good to go. Freshwater fish can sometimes have a muddy, gamey flavor (caused by a bacteria called geosmin) that most people will be none too excited to have in their mouths. Unfortunately, what some beginning fishermen donвЂ™t understand is that you just canвЂ™t throw a bunch of fish into batter and oil and expect those filets to come out tasting good enough to get a show on the Food Network. YouвЂ™ve already put in a few calls, and a slew of folks are coming by soon to get some of that largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish that you and the boys pulled in from the deep. ThatвЂ™s okay, though, there will be plenty of time to knock back a few at the fish fry. No sir, itвЂ™s all hands on deck and pole, and unless you are equipped with one of those beer distributing hard hats, youвЂ™re probably going thirsty. Those are the days when the beer runs warm, and everyone is surprisingly sober because thereвЂ™s not much time for drinking. The temperature is perfect, the sun is about to go down, and the fish are exceptionally hungry. ItвЂ™s like all of the elements have come together to create optimal conditions for pulling those suckers in one right after the other. WeвЂ™re still much better off than when we arrived.Д«ut make no mistake about it, there are those days when not even the crappiest fisherman can lose. And even if we walk away from the water empty-handed, to hell with it. ItвЂ™s a spiritual journey that just so happens to include a little personal reflection and a whole lot of drinking. To those who understand this concept, you just know: fishing is bliss. Not broke dick politics, not mortgages, not the threat of disease, not even the possibility of a wicked death star crashing down to Earth and giving all of humanity the dinosaur treatment. Because when thereвЂ™s a pole in the water, nothing else seems to matter. I donвЂ™t care what anyone says, some good old fashioned redneck angling is perhaps the best definition of the American dream that the nation has right now. Ah, yes, if there is one thing that this gnarly, lung-thirsty bug cannot force us to close down this summer, itвЂ™s all of the lakes and rivers across the country where we hang out, get drunk and hopefully reel in the big one before the end of the day.

Toss some beer in the cooler, boys, and crank up the Hank Jr. вЂњGive a man a fish and you feed him for a day teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.вЂќ вЂ“ Maimonides

Best tasting freshwater fish