To be truthful, the fish I caught as a boy from Big Flatrock River were not all that big. My typical catch would have small rock bass and bright red pumpkinseed sunfish, with few measuring much over six inches.

The occasional yellowbelly catfish seldom weighed more than a half-pound, and maybe an undersized smallmouth bass might round out the catch on a really good day. Regardless the size of the catch, the final destination was a hot iron skillet for a special treat at the supper table. Whole fried fish were the order of the day, and they were delicious!!

The tradition and method of preparing the catch was passed down to our children, and when we ate fish, we picked bones. When the girls were small, I sometimes got the short end of the fish fry because I would be busy picking the fillets off the skeletons, making sure our little ones didn’t encounter a stray bone. With the fish fried to a golden brown, the fillets came off the bones with little trouble.

Biting off the crunchy tails was always a special treat; and throughout the meal, I had two little ones clamoring for more fish and begging for the next crispy fishtail.

I was old enough to vote before I saw my first fillet knife. All the fish I caught growing up were scaled and cleaned conventionally. But as years passed, I picked up the knack and art of filleting fish.

Three or four quick passes of the fillet knife produced a skin-off, boneless fish fillet. Even small fish like my river catches of old produced boneless potato chip-size fillets; quick to fix and easy to eat.

The method and style of cooking fish changed as well. The old iron skillet was put aside for the speed and ease of a deep fryer. The wax paper-wrapped snow-white blocks of country lard were traded for what we were told was the healthier option of Canola or corn oil.

Boneless fillets, dredged and deep-fried, are hard to beat, but something seemed to be lost in the process.  Somewhere during our march to quick fish cleaning and mealtime convenience, something went missing: Flavor.

The flavor of the iron skillet-cooked, golden brown caramelized dredge and the crisp skin of bone-in panfish can’t be reproduced with a deep fryer and boneless, skinless fillets. This year, my wife and I decided to take a step back in time.

A bluebird-sky Sunday afternoon offered the opportunity to go to the pond in search of our supper. In short order, we had a nice mess of bluegill, which I scaled and cleaned in the conventional style of old.

Well-rinsed and dried, the fish were lightly salted and dredged in flour before being subjected to a hot iron skillet. The only variance from the old-time recipe was the lack of lard, so canola oil would have to do.

The results were fabulous. With the first bite, the taste brought back a flood of memories and conversation of the special times we sat around the table picking bones. By the end of the meal, the bone plate was full and the fish were gone.

My wife, Chris, said, “Maybe we need to start a new Sunday afternoon tradition … catch our supper and fix fish the way we did years ago.”

I’m all for it.

In May, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission approved an indefinite extension of what’s commonly referred to as the “one-buck rule” for deer hunting.

The decision to extend the rule removes the expiration date on a 10-year-old regulation limiting a hunter to taking no more than one antlered deer during the regular archery, firearms and muzzleloader hunting seasons. The “one-buck rule” was first applied in 2002 for a five-year period.

This year, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Fish & Wildlife proposed extending the rule indefinitely, though stating that limiting deer hunters to one buck per year is not needed to manage the herd. The DNR considers the one-buck ruling a social issue, not a biological issue.

The Commission gave preliminary approval to:

•Amendments to Fish & Wildlife rules including clarifying requirements for chasing wild animals with dogs during the hunting season; removing restrictions and handgun license requirements when chasing raccoons; adding the late season for taking lesser snow geese and Ross’ geese; adding the monk parakeet as an exempted species of bird to be taken at any time; adding the use of bow-fishing equipment and crossbows for taking Asian carp and other specified fish on rivers and streams; adding the rayed bean as an endangered species of mussel; and removing application deadlines and other changes to the special disability permit for hunters.

•Amendments to Indiana Administrative Code 312 IAC 9 governing commercial fishing, fishing guide licenses and establishment of the new roe harvesters and dealers licenses.

A largemouth bass die-off at a Steuben County lake last August was not as severe as anglers feared. Johnson Lake, a 17-acre natural lake north of Hamilton, still contains plenty of healthy bass, including many large ones, according to DNR fisheries biologists.

In mid-May 2012, biologists captured 49 bass in 30 minutes of sampling during an electro-fishing survey. The catch rate was typical for bass populations in most northeastern Indiana lakes.

Nearly half of the bass were 14 inches or larger. The largest was 18.5 inches. Various age groups of bass were present, including several from last year’s spawn.

“Although the die-off was disappointing, it was not devastating,” said Neil Ledet, DNR biologist.

Ledet said the bass die-off began in early August and was triggered by largemouth bass virus. Presence of the virus was later confirmed from samples sent by Ledet to Purdue University’s Animal Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory for testing. The samples included bass having recently died as well as healthy-looking ones.

Similar die-offs caused by largemouth bass virus have occurred at other Indiana lakes, including Steuben County’s Lake George in 2000 and Hamilton Lake in 2001. Bass populations in both lakes fully recovered, and the lakes remain popular among bass anglers.

“There is no reason to believe that Johnson Lake’s bass population won’t follow suit,” Ledet said.

Although the origin of largemouth bass virus is not known, biologists think it is present in many area lakes. Bass appear to be more susceptible to the virus during periods of hot weather. It has also been found in bluegills and crappies, but typically does not kill species other than bass.

“There is nothing that can be done to eradicate bass virus, but we want to document where it causes fish kills,” Ledet said.

Anglers can help prevent the spread of the virus by properly disposing unused bait and not transferring fish from one lake to another. More information about largemouth bass virus is available at www.in.gov/dnr/files/LMBV.pdf

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.