This week on the Journal we'll fish the fall season for crappie. If you can find the fish the action should be really good. On Gear Time our angler's discuss how to do it and Donna Reynolds prepares trout cakes in the kitchen.

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small rep bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 cup water

1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon red pepper sauce

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound stream trout or substitute, fillets

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, divided

2 cups instant potato buds or flakes

½ cup House-Autry Seafood Breader

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 slices American cheese

¼ cup evaporated milk

If cooking over an open fire: Build campfire: allow to burn down to glowing coals. Otherwise, place cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and red bell pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes.

Add water, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper sauce and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add trout fillets. Cook 3-5 minutes or until trout is firm and completely flaked.

Remove skillet from heat. Add lemon juice and 1/3 cup cream of celery soup. Gradually stir in potato flakes until mixture is stiff. Let cool 5 minutes.

Place House-Autry Seafood Breader on a paper plate. Divide fish mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape each into 3.5 inch rounds. Dredge both sides of each patty in seafood breader. Wipe out skillet. Place back on heat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil.

Add 4 patties. Cooke for 4-6 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once and topping with cheese during final minutes of cooking time. Place on plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining patties.

Wipe out skillet. Add remaining soup and the evaporated milk. Cook mixture for 5-6 minutes or until hot, stirring constantly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sauce over each cake. Yield: 6 servings

On this edition of the Journal we'll be fishing a coastal river using kayaks.These versatile craft can put you on the fish. On Gear Time our anglers discuss fishing out of a kayak and the tackle they used. Donna Reynolds prepares a great recipe for crab cakes in the kitchen.

Yield: 8 patties Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Difficulty: Easy

2 cups fresh crabmeat, drained

½ cup House-Autry Seafood Breader

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 tbsp scallions, minced

2 tbsp celery, minced

2 tsp hot sauce

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1/2 tsp dried dill

Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Shape into 8 patties, then coat with additional House-Autry Seafood Breader. Cook over medium-high heat in 1/8-inch hot oil 5 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. Makes 4 servings.

Meal Suggestion: Serve these with Chipotle Mayonnaise. Combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 tsp of sugar and the juice of a lime.

Additional serving suggestions: shape into 16 patties and serve as an appetizer or on a small slider bun for fun finger food.

Note: Patties can be made and frozen until ready to cook and serve. Place portioned patties onto Press and Seal plastic wrap and seal. Store in freezer. To cook, let patties thaw in refrigerator and then dredge in House Autry Seafood Breader and fry in hot oil.

This week on the Journal we travel to High Rock lake for some tough bass fishing. Low water and high wind make catching fish a challenge. On Gear Time our anglers discuss what they did to meet the challenge. On Simple Cooking Donna Reynolds prepares a fish sandwich.

4 6-8 ounce skinless fish fillets

½ cups fresh pumpernickel bread crumbs

1 package House-Autry In Your Oven Breader

1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing

8 slices of Swiss cheese

2 cups sweet kraut

Preheat oven to 400 degree.

Combine the pumpernickel bread crumbs with House-Autry In Your Oven Breader. Shake to mix well. Place fish fillets in bag with breader and shake to coat. Place coated fillets on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until fish is thoroughly cooked. Once fish is cooked top each fillet with 1 tablespoon of Thousand Island dressing and 2 slices of cheese. Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese. Remove from oven, Serve fish fillets with sweet kraut. Yield: 4 servings

On this edition of the Journal we'll venture just off the beach for some hot flounder fishing. On Gear Time our anglers discuss what you need and how to catch flounder in deep water. Donna Reynolds serves up a fish salad in the kitchen.

1 cup House-Autry Fish Fry breader

1 teaspoon Chili powder

1.5 pounds flounder filets

½ cup olive oil, plus additional for frying

2 10-ounce bags mixed greens

¾ cup grape tomatoes, halved

½ cup pecans, roasted and coarsely chopped

¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup honey mustard

On a piece of waxed paper, combine House-Autry Fish Fry breader and chili powder. Dredge flounder filets in breader. Shake extra coating from filets.

In a heavy large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Working batches, add the fish and cook, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes total or until filets are cooked throughout.

Combine the greens, tomatoes, pecans and onion. In a jar with a lid, shake the honey mustard and 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour over the salad and toss. Serve the flounder filets on top of the salad.

This week on the Journal we'll take a look at several trout stream options in the mountains. On Gear Time our anglers briefly discuss the streams and equipment and we'll join Donna Reynolds in the kitchen for a trout recipe.

Ingredients

2 handfuls of dried aromatic twigs (such as apple, cherry, maple or hickory), or substitute wood chips or 2 large bunches fresh thyme

2 (10-ounce) trout filets, head and tail on

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large sprigs fresh sage, or 8 sprigs Italian parsley or thyme

1 lemon, halved from top to bottom and sliced

1/2 pound sliced bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Using your best fly, catch a trout. Clean and gut it.

2. Soak twigs in a brook (or a bowl of water) for 30 minutes. If using thyme, bind it at the stems with a natural fiber string. Drizzle cavity of trout with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with four lemon slices and one or two sprigs of the herbs.

3. Gather dried wood and build a fire. Let the fire burn down until the wood is red hot, but covered in a grey-white ash. While the wood is burning down, wrap trout with bacon like a mummy, using toothpicks to hold bacon in place. Each trout will require about four strips of bacon. Reserve.

4. Set a cooking grate over the fire at such a height that you can only hold your hand directly above the grate for a slow count of three seconds. Just before grilling, top the fire with water-soaked twigs (or can substitute twigs with chips or thyme).

5. Immediately set fish on grate and cover with a large upside-down frying pan. Cook directly over medium heat for approximately five minutes per side, or until bacon is crispy and trout is cooked throughout. Trout can also be seared in a cast-iron pan over a medium-high flame for approximately five minutes per side. Garnish with extra herb springs and serve immediately.

Bob’s Campfire Tip: Save any leftover bits of bacon and trout (cooked or uncooked) to transform your next morning’s scrambled eggs into a campfire delicacy.

Yield: 2 servings

Recipe from Chef Bob Blumer