Fishing With The Gross’s
After fishing for nearly 30 Years in the Florida Keys, you can Imagine I have made some friends along the way. The Gross Family out of Chicago has been fishing with me for nearly twenty years! Over the years, I have witnessed my clients’ children grow into adults; it is quite a unique experience for most professionals.
The Gross family just fished with me again last month on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas on the 26th. John and his wife Kathy come down as often as possible with the kids Nora, Ella, and Johnny.
Their favorite type of fish to catch is snapper, so they can have a few excellent family meals when they are down here. That is probably why they like me; if you want to catch snapper, I am your man!
I love catching snapper because people of any age can enjoy it. I take pride in taking clients to places that allow them to catch a wide variety of species in one place. Many other charters will catch you one type of species which is fine, but I find a wide variety more interesting, especially for the little ones because they get to learn while having fun.
Snapper is known for its firm, white flesh, and mild flavor. Most people like it because it doesn’t have a “fishy” taste. To me, snapper tastes sweet and nutty. The flavor profile can vary slightly depending on the specific species of snapper and the preparation method, but if you cook it right, it will be moist and succulent.
My favorite way to cook snapper is on the grill with homemade blackened seasoning. A gas grill works fine, but wood grills are nice to impart some smokiness. I just lay the snapper right on a piece of aluminum foil coated in butter. Then, I sprinkle a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then, I add very thin lemon slices to cover the whole filet. When the lemons are browned from the heat, I know the fish is perfectly done!
All this talk about grilled fish is making me hungry, so I am going to fire up the grill right now and make some! If you are ever heading down to the Florida keys, look me up, visit my contact page or book a trip online.
Captain Jeff Shelar