I have many opportunities to introduce fresh water fish into my culinary circle of friends and family over the years. Some of the fish have been fan favorites and always welcome to their dinner menu while others not so much.

After much contemplation I decided to make a list of some of the most popular fish and ways that people prepare them for consumption. There is no consensus of which fish is the most popular as it depends on your personal tastes and favorite cooking methods. Hopefully one of these fish will land on your dinner plate this fishing season.

Fish in general are an excellent source of protein, rich in vitamins B-12, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids with low cholesterol. Depending on how you prepare fish it is a good pairing for dieters and the Keto diet.

Local fish that can be found in Pennsylvania waters include the trout, walleye, bass, perch, crappie, bluegill, pike and catfish among others. Each species has different qualities, habitat and favorite ways to prepare them for table fare.

Most fish can be pan fried, grilled or baked with good results but using the wrong method can ruin a fish and make you turn your nose to ever trying them again.

All fish need to be handled with care before serving as a meal. They should always be fresh, kept cool on ice or refrigerated, and dressed out for cooking properly with blood and entrails flushed out effectively. Remove fins, scales, heads as unnecessary parts add nothing to the meal.

Some recipes leave the head on the fish such as smoking fish methods. Small species such as smelts can be served in different ways but are usually dressed out for consumption.

The filleting of fish can be tricky and an experienced chef or angler can show you the most effective process to fillet a fish. Filleting a fish generally means that you are preparing for a skinless and boneless fillet of fish to cook. If fish are not filleted, they will likely need to be scaled, especially fish such as perch or walleye. Catfish and trout do not have the scaly outer skin and each species will need to be dealt with accordingly.

Once you have a cool bowl of fish fillets you will need to decide how they will best be served to your tastes. Methods include; pan frying, deep frying, baked, broiled, smoked and grilled.

Each species lends itself to ideal ways to present it for table fare. Delicate fish like bluegill, perch and crappies are best served in my opinion in a pan fried or deep-fried method with a light coating or batter preparation.

They do not require a long cooking time until they are golden brown and ready for the platter. Serve the fish hot and drained well out of the fryer. The fish will be crispy on the outer coating and tender on the inside with a mild, sweet and white meat.

Channel catfish are also a popular fish for deep frying and usually cut into nugget sized portions. Cleaning the fish is some work but the fillets are easy to prepare once you get the finished product.

Walleye can be prepared in a variety of ways including; baking, broiling, pan frying and deepfrying. I have had them in in every method and have not had a dish that did not make us smile! Walleye can have big fillets and need to have attention to possible smaller bones and even cutting the fillets into smaller presentations.

Thicker fillets work well with baking or broiling methods while smaller fillets can be handled with a frying method. Do not over cook fish, a good way to test readiness is with a fork to see if the fish flakes easily.

I like to use milk, butter milk, white wine, butter, shallots, garlic and your favorite coatings to enhance the fish when preparing and cooking. We bake walleye with fresh garden herbs and tomato slices for a first-rate dish. Using butter, olive oil and wine gives you a nice way to have some sauce to spoon over your fish.

If you are fortunate enough to have more fish than you can use at one time carefully wrap the fish in an airtight method or use a bag of water to freeze the entire fish. The fish will stay safe and be ready for your next culinary adventure! Until we meet again let’s plan for our next fish fry!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.