Wow!  What a neat gift idea for your unlucky fisherman!

The perfect gift for your boyfriend, father, husband, friend or brother who does a lot of fishing but not a lot of catching.  "How to Cook Bait" is actually  three books in one.  First, don't let the title fool you, the cookbook portion contains 126 really delicious recipes plus tips and tricks on cooking fish and shellfish. Second, fishing humor - jokes, stories and yarns that are sure to put a smile on anyone's face, especially a fisherman's Thirdly, tried and true Fresh and Saltwater Fishing Tips,  115 techniques and secrets from fishing experts that might just change your "Unlucky Fisherman's" luck.   "A humorous yet utilitarian guide to unique epicurean delights and successful fishing trips"

Can't you just see the look of surprise and wonder on the face of the "Unlucky Fisherman" in your life when he opens this unique gift.  Whether he cooks or not, you can be sure he will read this book from cover to cover, everybody does.  My uncle Bob doesn't fish or cook and he read it, probably more for the humor than the recipes or fishing tips. 

The idea for this book came to us one beautiful bright blue October day as my dad and I were fishing for flounder and/or cod just off the Gurnet Lighthouse outside of Plymouth harbor.  That's in Massachusetts near where the Pilgrims landed sometime before the first Thanksgiving day.

A perfect gift for the person that has everything

We were using sea worms as bait for the flounder and clams to attract the cod.  We fished for both at the same time on the same rod by using a special rig that let the sea worm lay on the bottom and the clam float about a foot or so above.   The rig had worked real slick and we had caught just about all the fish we wanted to clean so, we headed back in.  On the way in conversation turned to lunch, which by my watch, we had missed about three hours before. 

The ladies of the household would all be out shopping when we got in so fixin' something to eat was going to be up to us.  One of us said, "How about a nice clam chowder for lunch?"  Why not use the clams we had brought out as bait?  We were very hungry and so that idea seemed to have merit. That's when the idea for this cookbook hit us. 

Lots of folks go fishing and never seem to catch anything.  My uncle KC, for example, loves to fish yet never catches anything and that is ok with him.  He really enjoys being out in the fresh air away from the everyday hustle and bustle.  He just never catches any fish.  Now, if he were to use for bait something he likes to eat, perhaps lobster, he could double the enjoyment he gets from his fishing experience.

Fish eat all kinds of stuff you generally don't think of as bait.  Smelts, sardines, mackerel and shrimp make fine bait and are a lot tastier than those plastic and metal lures (more appealing to the fish too).  Some fish will eat just about anything.  Why not choose as bait something you would enjoy eating?  Made sense to us and this book was born.

The Recipes, cooking hints and tips

Scores of delicious recipes and cooking hints. To gain an appreciation as to how extensive the collection of recipes are you should take a look at the Table of Contents. 

How about instructions on how to prepare an authentic New England Clam Bake without having to dig a hole in the sand, burn a cord of wood or heat a ton of rocks.  We will share with you how we do a backyard Clam Bake that has all the flavors and aromas of the ocean side version without the mess and stress. 

In fact, using our method, you can do a clam bake right from your kitchen stove.  That's right, you can prepare an authentic New England Clam Bake for your family and friends even if you live in an apartment and during any season of the year.  Now you don't have to wait for a summer weekend to enjoy a delicious clam bake.

Fishing Tips
Here is one example of the fishing tips found throughout this cookbook.

When I was just a boy I remember my dad taking me fishing with an old timer from Nova Scotia.  He was quite a character and a darn good fisherman.  He wouldn't allow a rod in his boat.  No way!  Hand lines and hand lines only.  He insisted you couldn't feel the fish with a rod (he is probably right but don't tell the Shakespeare Co. I told you).

As I remember we were out for flounder that day.  We caught more fish than we knew what to do with.  The fishermen in the boats all around us were going crazy.  They couldn't understand why the old timer in his even older wooden boat, a double ended row boat, using hand lines was catching all the fish while they in their fancy power boats with all the latest gear were not catching anything!  I remember my dad cleaning fish well into the night.  That old Novi fisherman had his secret.

His secret?  Sardines, yes sardines!  Here's how it works.  Take a can of sardines packed in oil.  Punch some holes in the can and lower it to the bottom on a string or in a mesh bag.  As the oil releases it acts as a chum line attracting the fish right under your boat.

After he had caught what he needed, up came the can, nice and cool, free of that oily taste, a perfect snack at the end of a successful day of fishing.

Now I fish in that same spot with my children.  I still put down a can of sardines.  Broken mussels from off the piers in the harbor and put into an onion bag, possibly might attract more fish but sardines are still my favorite.

Fishing Humor
Jokes, stories and yarns are sprinkled amongst the recipes, fishing tips and secrets.  I will leave it for you to determine if the jokes, stories and yarns are humorous or not.  However, I did overhear a person commenting to my wife that I must be a funny person.  Her reply was, "Yes he is funny but looks aren't everything."  How's that for an endorsement?

What people are saying

We have formatted "How to Cook Bait" as an Adobe .pdf  file so you can download your copy of this cookbook and print it within minutes.  Prints 120 pages on standard 8 1/2" X 11"  paper and is ready to be bound by your local printer or office supply store (approximate cost of  $2.00) or not.  Choose the download version and we will email it to the email address you give us within 24 hours. 

Choose the download version and Save!  Downloadable version only costs $9.95 compared to the printed version priced at $14.95 plus $3.45 postage you save $8.45 by downloading the E-book version of "How to Cook Bait."

Either way you will be giving a truly unique and fun gift to that special fisherman in your life.  

   Click here to order Download version    

   Click here to order Bound version