Family Blue Fishing for Adventures and Great Family Party Favors

One of our favorite ways to spend time with our kids every summer is to take a deep sea fishing charter from Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It’s one of the gifts of living in New Jersey; that we are near the ocean. The sun, the waves and the camaraderie are great for having lots of fun and just enjoying each other; And let’s not forget the competition factor. Fishing brings out the competitor in the meekest person. A sweet boy becomes one of the main contenders in the battle to catch the biggest fish. It is fun.

If you have never opted for blue fish, you are missing out on one of the great sporting battles that the sea offers. Blue fish are fighters. Each fish weighs about seven to eleven pounds, but some “group winners” can weigh up to 30 pounds or more. What that means is that, when they take the bait, you will find yourself with a torn arm, your heart pounding for twenty minutes; and at the end of the day, your arms and shoulders are both burning and leaden from fatigue. However, with a bit of luck, a family of four can drive home with 20 or more fish.

Our children know our family rule: you must eat what you get from the ocean. Boy, did you ever! Twenty fish leaves us with forty fillets.

We live near a lot of family, so when they find out we’re fishing, they set out for a fish fry picnic in our backyard. My sisters gather fresh local Jersey corn, make a mega salad, mix up some margaritas and mojitos, and then everyone waits for us to arrive.

When we perform at what has now become our “big family fish fry extravaganza,” the other ladies and I let our gourmet imaginations run wild. Blue fish nuggets with breadcrumbs and lemon zest, Blue fish with tequila and lime, Blue fish chimichurri, Blue fish with Thai sauce, Mexican blue fish, Blue fish with onion and tomato, Blue fish in butter and wine, and so on successively.

With the exception of the oily fish croquettes, all fish are wrapped in foil packets with the sauce designated for that packet and then grilled.

Simply grill, open the package and eat. At the end of the day, whatever is left over is frozen. But wow, there’s nothing like enjoying blue fish fresh from the water!