# Meat Shortage? ... Go Fishing!



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

For those blessed to have a little bit of land, IMO one of the best prepper strategies is to have a pond stocked with fish. In a current thread here, discussing the coming meat storage, I stated if there were no more meat in the stores, that I'd simply grab my pole and go catch dinner. Heck even at my prior house, in a subdivision, I had a small pond stocked with catfish. This pond is right at an acre in size and there are thousands of pounds of ready available meat in there. If you note in the video, I have two aerators that run all night and part of the day. They really helps keep the pond healthy. I have a small compressor in the tack room of the horse barn and simply ran some pvc pipe over to the pond for the compressed air.

It is hard for me to imagine a better or easier way for someone to have a ready supply of fresh meat. Only chore I have with mine is feeding them every afternoon during the warm seasons. Reason I do that is that allows me to keep the catfish population higher than what the pond could naturally provide... plus makes the meat incredibly tasty and mild. And that is really not a chore, as me and my Labrador so enjoy watching them come up to the surface to feed. Of course the other fish, minnows and turtles come up too. Soon as I drive up in my Gator, the water around the dock starts swirling.

Guess there actually is another "chore". That being, since they naturally reproduce, you have to catch them and eat them to maintain the proper population. 

This is some of the catfish caught about 2 weeks ago.










Took a short video yesterday while feeding.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Sweet. Trout season here in PA. Nice to have a pond that produces fish like that @*******


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Might be a stupid question, but do you have restrictions on limits per day and how many in the freezer? The pond is on your own land and maintained by you so I would think not but states can be funny that way. @*******


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

1skrewsloose said:


> Might be a stupid question, but do you have restrictions on limits per day and how many in the freezer? The pond is on your own land and maintained by you so I would think not but states can be funny that way. @*******


In Mississippi, there are no limits or requirement for a fishing license when on private land.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Camel923 said:


> Sweet. Trout season here in PA. Nice to have a pond that produces fish like that @*******


My dad retired on the Little Red River in Arkansas, and we could catch rainbow trout right off his dock. That was some mighty fine eating. I especially liked them smoked.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Nice dream but it ain't going to happen in WI. Permit's and the legal hassle isn't worth it, IMHO. Yes I've tried. Dig a big hole in a wet land area and you'll be getting a visit from the jerks you never want on your land. Might even get a little vacation time away from the homestead and get that community service in for the year.

However it's great you can do that. I'm jealous.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Chipper said:


> Nice dream but it ain't going to happen in WI. Permit's and the legal hassle isn't worth it, IMHO. Yes I've tried. Dig a big hole in a wet land area and you'll be getting a visit from the jerks you never want on your land. Might even get a little vacation time away from the homestead and get that community service in for the year.
> 
> However it's great you can do that. I'm jealous.


And to think so many people look down on lowly Mississippi. We sure have our problems, as so many states do, but at least our government is conservative and believes in individual freedom. I just can't imagine living in a state that tries to control so much of your life.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

I've loved fishing since I was old enough to hold a fishing pole.

I need to clear some freezer space up and get going on the trout. The fish and wildlife people emptied out a lot of the big fish stocking this spring, they didn't know what the state would do and were were worried about the fish going to waste. I'm mean trout measured in pounds not inches. 

I also don't mind going to a pond that has jumbo bluegills and filling up a bucket using a fly bobber. The taste just as good as perch or crappie and no limits. Fillet them , the racks make great fertilizer for the garden.

Concerning ponds, unless it's a "farm pond" the state will have their nose up your azz. I do have a friend that has a small spring fed pond, the water boils with trout when he feeds them.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

That's awesome! 

If only it was possible to produce the same quantities per acre of lobster and scallops in a pond, I'd eat nothing else ... ever.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Keeping up with @******* is fast becoming my life goal!

Awesome pond and Catfish!

I like my Catfish two ways;

The first is Slippy's Famous Blackened Catfish

Catfish Filets, Tony Chachere's Seasoning

Iron Skillet and a big ole chunk of Bacon Fat

Cook outside because to correctly Blacken Catfish you will smoke out your house!

The second way is let Middendorf's in Manchac, LA cook you up some Thin Fried Catfish! Next time I'm down that way, its Middendorf's Thin Fried Catfish!

Middendorf's Restaurant | Seafood and Thin Fried Catfish | Manchac, LA

That's it, the rest of these catfish houses just mess up catfish. My way, or Middendor's or no way!:vs_wave:


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Slippy said:


> Keeping up with @******* is fast becoming my life goal!
> 
> Awesome pond and Catfish!


Thanks. But like I said in the other thread .... 



Slippy said:


> I like my Catfish two ways;
> 
> The first is Slippy's Famous Blackened Catfish
> 
> ...


Since we live in north Mississippi, Middendorf's in Manchac is the perfect distance for a lunch break when heading into New Orleans. And yes, we now always get the super thin, super crispy fried catfish. Now I've been going there since I was knee high to a grasshopper, and in the past we always got their seafood because, well hell that's why you go to the coast. But once we tried the catfish, we were hooked. So every meal after that is seafood, with at least one trip to the best restaurant in the whole friggin' world... Commander's Palace. We usually plan two meals there every trip.

But I guess I'm not a catfish snob like you.  I'll eat fried catfish most anywhere and the danged thing is, some of the best I've ever had is at the gas station/store just down the road. It is cooked perfectly in a corn meal batter, crispy, juicy and never has a fishy taste. Trick is to have your grease the proper temp but most importantly is to have the perfect sized fillets. Too small and they dry out and aren't juicy. Too big and either the inside isn't cooked properly or the outside is overcooked. These folks at that store do it perfectly and every Saturday, my college aged helper and I go there for some catfish and corn fritters.

When I cook catfish at home, my preferred method is to emulate a favorite New Orleans dish... speckled trout meuniere. Lightly dredged in seasoned flour, pan fried in butter with a delicious lemon and shallot infused brown butter sauce. Oh my! So good, makes you wanna slap your momma.

@Slippy, it is a big world out there. You need to get out more.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Just picked up my steer from the prcessor. No worries here, but yeah, I would like some more fish.


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## Lavarda (Jun 10, 2020)

In fact, fishing is a real sport and it is very nice to cook freshly caught fish!


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