I’d rather catch speckled trout than any fish that swims, but when summer grabs South Louisiana with its steamy grip and won’t let it budge to get a breath’s relief, the marsh has fewer speckled trout than a pothole mud puddle. By this stage of the season, the keeper-sized fish have all moved out to the big salty bays to spawn, abandoning the bait-rich marshes that are their homes for most of the year.

I sometimes move with them, but most trips I merely shift my focus to two fish I love almost as much — redfish and marsh bass.

The former looks summer square in the eye and laughs as the season turns up the heat to intolerable levels for most species. Though less hardy, the latter will at least feed at the edges of the day before retreating to a shady rest when the sun is high overhead.

I caught both species on my most recent trip, and although the day didn’t go exactly as I’d expected, I brought home some fillets to show viewers how I make one of my summertime staples, a fish dish that’s delicious and elegant and incredibly simple to make. If you ate it at your favorite fine-dining restaurant, you’d ask the chef to come out so you could shake his hand.

Check out the video below to see how I caught the fish and, equally as important, how I prepared them. It’s a dish you’ll definitely want to make after your next fishing trip.

Like the video? Please give it a thumbs-up, and subscribe to the Marsh Man Masson channel on YouTube. Also, leave a comment below. How does this fish dish look to you? Is it something you think you’ll try? What’s your standard go-to recipe after a long day’s fishing?