Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => Photo Gallery => Topic started by: trond_solem on February 25, 2015, 03:53:36 PM

Title: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 25, 2015, 03:53:36 PM
Got this cod amongst others today. This one was 35lb before gutting.
A Penn Senator 113HLW with custom crank made it easy to haul in. A walk in the park.
I also got two 20lb cods and one 15lb cod at the same time. That's 55lb of cod on the line. Again, no problem.
Well built reels makes codfishing easy. Well, I do have a nice rod and harness so that I don't have to use all my strength to just hold the rod. :-)


Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: DaBigOno on February 25, 2015, 04:03:40 PM
Nice Pheeshee trond!   Great eating too!
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: foakes on February 25, 2015, 04:08:45 PM
Nice, Trond!

When some of you get a chance -- go to Trond's profile information and click on his photos of the Northern Lights -- Fabulous!

Best,

Fred
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 25, 2015, 04:12:55 PM
Quote from: foakes on February 25, 2015, 04:08:45 PM
Nice, Trond!

When some of you get a chance -- go to Trond's profile information and click on his photos of the Northern Lights -- Fabulous!

Best,

Fred

A quick count of fish caught today says it is a bit over 160lb total. That's food for some days. :-)
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: BMITCH on February 25, 2015, 04:39:31 PM
Way to go Trond. Nice codfish!!
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: harryk3616 on February 25, 2015, 04:59:35 PM
beautiful,  friggin beautiful.  cod fishing was my favorite fishing of all, loved it immensely.  my biggest was a 58 lb. and same day  my buddy caught a 45lb., both were caught off of my 22ft. aquasport out of fire island inlet in new york, it was great catching them from my own boat, usually it is very rough in the winter and we had to go on party boats out of captree or club members larger boats.  alot of people say they are like reeling in a boot full of water ,hogwash.  such a great tasting ,clean white meat fish.  congrats on your catch, enjoy.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Tightlines667 on February 25, 2015, 05:15:10 PM
Beautiful fish.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Bryan Young on February 25, 2015, 05:37:57 PM
That's a nice cod...Yum...I hear the boiling of oil for some beer battered fish and chips.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Aiala on February 25, 2015, 06:03:21 PM
Cod almighty, that's a nice fish! Lucky you... good eats!   :D

~A~
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: hultis on February 25, 2015, 06:27:37 PM
That's a really nice cod, Trond. A "skrei" I presume? Friends of mine were fishing for that kind of cod a couple of years ago and they said that the meat of that fish was something else. Sort of lobster-ish. Firm and very tasty. By they way, the surroundings look awesome, like a picture. Norway must be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Christian
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 25, 2015, 06:45:39 PM
Quote from: Bryan Young on February 25, 2015, 05:37:57 PM
That's a nice cod...Yum...I hear the boiling of oil for some beer battered fish and chips.

That sounds nice.

The cod caught today is going to be used to make "lutefisk". A very special nordic dish. This dish is traditional food in the holydays around christmas time.

First the cod is dried in fresh air for some months until it's bone dry. Then in the late autumn it is watered in fresh water for at least a week until it's rehydrated agan. Use a large tub. We pour out the water and refill with cold fresh water once a day. Cut the fish into fillets. Lave the skin on. Then we add 40g lye (caustic soda) per 10L water. That's about 0.56 or 0.5oz caustic soda per gallon water and let the redydrated fish soak in that for 3 days. Keep it cold. Just above frezing is perfect.
Now the fish is quite caustic and looks a bit like jelly.
Pour out the lye and fill up with cold fresh water. pour out the water and refill 3 times a day for 2 days, and then once a day for a week. It's important to keep the water cold.
Now the pH of the water is down to about 10.5 - 11. That's prefect.
Remove fish fillets from water and let the water drain off. Cut to portion size chunks. Freeze them if they aren't going to be used in a few days. Treat like fresh fish.

To make a meal: Place the tawed chunks skin side down in the oven pan. Salt them well. More than you would use on ordinary fish. Let the pan sit on the countertop for a few hours. Some water will form in the pan. Drain out most of it. Add black pepper, some more salt. Cover with aluminium foul. Bake in oven at 200c (400F) for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with fried bacon cubes, bacon fat from the pan or melted butter, sweet green pea stew and boiled potatos. Some, like me like some mustard in addition to this.

To drink you will need an aquavit dram and beer. Straight vodka can be substituted for the aquavit, but the caraway in the aquavit dram makes it taste even better.

This is a dish for grown ups. Children won't like this. :-)

Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 25, 2015, 06:49:02 PM
Quote from: hultis on February 25, 2015, 06:27:37 PM
That's a really nice cod, Trond. A "skrei" I presume? Friends of mine were fishing for that kind of cod a couple of years ago and they said that the meat of that fish was something else. Sort of lobster-ish. Firm and very tasty. By they way, the surroundings look awesome, like a picture. Norway must be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Christian

It's possible that it is a "skrei". They live in the barents sea and come down to the coast of northern norway to mate in february - march - april.
It was full of roe. That will be used to make caviar.

The surroundings are just outside my front door. :-) I love it!
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Shark Hunter on February 25, 2015, 06:50:59 PM
Nice Cod Trond! ;D
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 25, 2015, 07:46:53 PM
Quote from: Shark Hunter on February 25, 2015, 06:50:59 PM
Nice Cod Trond! ;D

Thanks.
There are thousands more of them down there and many of them are far heavier than this one.
When the wind calms down again, I am out to catch more of them.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Keta on February 25, 2015, 08:26:22 PM
Nice fish and it's nice to put a face on your posts.  Your front yard looks nice too.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Mattman NZ on February 25, 2015, 09:10:58 PM
Nice pic Trond - you'd get a few good feeds off of that size fish. 
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Dominick on February 25, 2015, 10:12:05 PM
Good job Trond.  I had lutefisk once about ten years ago.  I am still in shock.   ::) Dominick
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Tiddlerbasher on February 25, 2015, 10:15:56 PM
I've seen the line, I'm hooked, but I have my rod to comfort me, there is a cod! Am I a dyslexic, agnostic fishomaniac  ;)
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 25, 2015, 10:40:02 PM
Quote from: Dominick on February 25, 2015, 10:12:05 PM
Good job Trond.  I had lutefisk once about ten years ago.  I am still in shock.   ::) Dominick

:-)
I have grown up with it and I love it, but I do understand that it isn't something everybody would enjoy.

Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: BMITCH on February 25, 2015, 10:42:33 PM
Quote from: Dominick on February 25, 2015, 10:12:05 PM
Good job Trond.  I had lutefisk once about ten years ago.  I am still in shock.   ::) Dominick

What's it taste like??
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Keta on February 25, 2015, 10:54:46 PM
Not chicken.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: BMITCH on February 25, 2015, 11:12:47 PM
Sounds like cod jerky??
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Alto Mare on February 26, 2015, 01:18:29 AM
Very nice Trond, thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Three se7ens on February 26, 2015, 07:42:02 PM
Quote from: BMITCH on February 25, 2015, 11:12:47 PM
Sounds like cod jerky??

I believe fermented fish jelly is a little more accurate?  I saw it on bizarre foods once
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 26, 2015, 08:24:03 PM
Quote from: Three se7ens on February 26, 2015, 07:42:02 PM
Quote from: BMITCH on February 25, 2015, 11:12:47 PM
Sounds like cod jerky??

I believe fermented fish jelly is a little more accurate?  I saw it on bizarre foods once

Nope. Not fermented.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: BMITCH on February 26, 2015, 10:34:28 PM
From what I've seen on YouTube I'm thinking maybe the sundries cod would be nice.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 26, 2015, 10:45:54 PM
Quote from: BMITCH on February 26, 2015, 10:34:28 PM
From what I've seen on YouTube I'm thinking maybe the sundries cod would be nice.

Sundries cod? Any link?


There are many ways to prepare a meal with cod.  I am going to salt and dry some cod to make baccalao or other recipees where salted and dried cod is used. This time of the year, I can catch 200-250 lb or more of nice cod a day.  A couple of days on the water and the freezers are full!
Well, I have some friends that enjoy fresh fish. :-)
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: BMITCH on February 26, 2015, 10:51:39 PM
I'm meant sun dried cod...damn auto correct. Jellied cod...like you said most likely an acquired taste.
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: Alto Mare on February 26, 2015, 10:51:55 PM
Trond, I had no idea you guys also make Baccala', that is one of my favorite.
Sal
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: trond_solem on February 26, 2015, 11:18:09 PM
Quote from: Alto Mare on February 26, 2015, 10:51:55 PM
Trond, I had no idea you guys also make Baccala', that is one of my favorite.
Sal
We do. Not very common here in Norway, but I enjoy it.  :)
Title: Re: The big cods are here.
Post by: TomT on February 27, 2015, 04:46:53 AM
Trond,  I know you live in a very beautiful part of the world and that you live very near (if not on ocean front property) and that you catch fish and that you have lots of "REEL" talent.  I know this because I follow all of your posts.  Actually, I follow ALL of everybodys' posts.  Almost every day I click on "Show unread posts since last visit" so very few posts get thru that I don't read. You are very talented and we all enjoy your posts.
TomT