I have been eating smoked fish, mostly mullet, since I was a child. I am no expert at smoking and really don't have the time for it anyway. Towards the end of last year I found out my favorite meat market would smoke it for me. I brought him a choice red that I left the bones in and unscaled.....ie, redfish on the halfshell. Anyway it turned out great. I have since learned he now smokes fish regularly for a local seafood market. I spoke to him last week and he will smoke your fish for you. The name of the market is "Tillmans" in Mandarin, located on St. Augustine rd. Call ahead as he does not run his smoker everyday. I'll probably try trout next, C.

I have been thinking of smoking a redfish or trout does he put anything on the fish prior to smoking it? I just bought a new smoker.

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He uses a rub of some sort, not sure what it is.

Most of the recipes I've seen have you brine the fish. I've tried it but haven't come up with a good combination yet, there are a ton of recipes on the Net.

useing a brine will help keep the fish from drying out while smoking. the larger and thicker the filet, the better results you will have. brine can add a little flavor to the party but your going to get the majority of your flavor from a dry rub and the smoke created by what ever wood your using . the type of wood you use is the most important. recommend cherry or apple wood if you can find it. especially for fish. hickory and oak are great for beef, pork, chicken but tend to amplify the salty taste of the fish especially if its a salt water fish that you brine in a salt solution. the cherry or apple wood smoke tends to offset the saltyness with a bit of sweetness. when smoking fish it is imperitive to use "very" indirect heat. fish cooks quick and the qicker it cooks the less smoking you doing. a grill with a side smoker box it ideal. try to keep the heat in the grill from exceeding 125% but keeping smoke at a maximum. this can be difficult and takes constant attention to the air vents on the grill and smoke box. useing small woodchips well soaked in water helps alot. depending on size of fillets and amount of fish your smoking it will take between 2 and 5 hours of smoking.

notes.1. make a dry rub with powders not salts (for example use garlic powder not garlic salt)
2.do not brine fish for longer than 45 minutes
3. try to put a alluminum pan of water above coals/woodchips also. this will also help create a steamy, smoky sauna and will help aviod your fish from drying out.
4. lay a piece of foil "SHINNY SIDE UP" on the top of each fillet. this also helps to keep the fish from over drying.

good luck.
fish is one of the trickiest thinks to smoke and have turn out tasty. when done right its melt in your mouth good. when done wrong its dry and not very good at all.

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Thanks for the tips, I'll have to try again. My fisrt attempt was red filets and it tasted like a salty piece of fishy rubber. I think I used mequite if I recall. Maybe it would help not to brine next time around.

I listened about a smoke boy but 1st time I aware about the smoke fisher, anyhow I believe that could be a great recipe...and I must try to taste it