Hey, everyone. Tight Line Jr. here and I’m hoping the cold weather doesn’t hamper your taste for some good food.

Here is an old recipe for bacon-stuffed trout that I found in my good ol’ recipe box.

The trout is coated in parmesan cheese and crushed croutons, filled with sautéed onion and crisp bacon and baked up — delicious!

Ingredients

A few slices of bacon

1 large onion

1 egg

Crushed croutons (enough to coat fish)

Parmesan cheese (enough to coat fish)

Juice from one freshly squeezed lemon

Garlic powder, pepper and Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning (use spices to suit your tastes)

Directions

Cook the bacon until crisp. Chop up the onion. In a bowl, combine the egg, crushed croutons, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, pepper, Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning and the lemon juice.

Rinse the trout and pat dry.

Place bacon slices, some of the onion and a bay leaf inside each trout.

Dip the trout into the crouton mixture and coat the fish evenly on each side.

Put about six tablespoons of butter in a large, shallow baking pan.

Set the oven to 500 degrees and place the pan inside. When the butter is melted add the trout to the pan, turning it in the butter to coat well.

Bake the fish until it is crisp but still moist. The trout is done when the thickest portion of fish is cooked thoroughly.

Now enjoy.

If you’re headed out for some fishing, don’t forget Yellow Bluff is still open for live bait. Halfmoon Marina has live shrimp, and the Sunbury Crab Company has live shrimp and minnows. Big Rudy at the Sunbury country store has a variety of frozen bait.

Remember what Ol’ Tight Line always said: Get out there and go fishing and, if you do, always remember to keep a tight line. I always say hit the dock, keep a sharp eye and watch that cork go down. Until next time, happy sailing, my friends. Go wet a hook — it’s good for your soul.