Fantastic job!!!! What a trip of a lifetime. Jealous as heck. Meals look delicious!!!! Thank you for the generosity and sharing.

Blackened Redfish is credited to Chef Paul Prudhomme of New Orleans. It's a very popular way to cook redfish along the Gulf coast states and south in general. His own season mix is very good (Seafood Magic and Blackened Redfish Magic) and Slap Yo Mamma are two great options to use for blackening fish. East coasters could probably use Old Bay as a substitute.

Redfish, Hybrid Striped Bass, Striped Bass; really any fish with firm, white flesh and thicker skin will work with this style of cooking. As Ron mentioned, just fillet as usual but leave the skin and scales on. I'm lazy and don't remove the the rib cage and secondary bones in the redfish, but you can do so prior to cooking. Prior to adding the seasoning it's important to pat the fillet as dry as possible with paper towels, this allows the seasoning to stick very well (this is good technique prior to seasoning any meat).

The best way to blacken is over hot coals or really hot cast iron. It's best to use the cast iron outside unless you have a helluva of ventilation system in your kitchen. You can also use the broiler setting in the oven, but you won't get as much blackening effect this route.

Here's how I blacken fish:

• Heat your cooking surface (whether it's a pile of charcoal, cast iron over high heat, or broiler set to at least 500)
• Pat fillet dry and add seasoning (most store bought blends have plenty of salt, so no need to salt). Depending on the desired spice level you want you can really cake on the seasoning.
• Prepare your cooking surface. Grill: clean grates with a wire brush then lube with oil soaked folded paper towel held with tongs. Cast Iron: throw in some clarified butter (ghee), regular butter (the milk solids will burn quick and really "blacken" the fillet, or any high temp oil on hand. Broiler: Line your baking sheet with foil.
• Grill and Cast Iron place the fillet flesh side down onto the cooking surface. Broiler place the fillet flesh side up on the pan and place under the broiler.
• While that is cooking slice a lemon into 1/8" thick circles (optional for grilling/cast iron, preferable for Broiler). Melt butter in a microwavable safe dish (1 tbsp per fillet). Mince or press garlic (1 clove per fillet) and add to the melted butter.
• Around 10 minutes after cooking for cast iron or broiler, 15 minutes for charcoal check fillets. The seasoning should be very dark and start to "blacken". I've taken redfish to almost char (arguably burnt looking) before flipping and it was great if you like that flavor.
• Once they reach the desired color flip the fillets over on grill and cast iron, brush with the butter/garlic mixture and lay the lemon slices on the flesh. If using the broiler there's no need to flip. Just brush with the butter/garlic mixture and add the lemon slices.
• Cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes for cast iron/grill and about 5 minutes if using the broiler.
• I like to eat this with rice and a hearty green; such as brussels sprouts or asparagus

Josh fishes with the same competency he displays in the kitchen, and there is no way to overstate his skills at either.
Will also add the completeness of his planning and preparation is the reason his sweet wife has the confidence to let him out to go fishing during the Record winter storm.

Donny is also one of those guys if you get close to fish, he'll do the rest.
I can contrast this with friends with a range of skills from natural-born to overthinking themselves out of fish in any situation (and others who don't care and are just happy to be out).

Donny what is the Hercules of Land Cruisers? Inquiring minds want to know? Is it a cargo van or a tricked out camper?

I have a 2017 Mercedes Sprinter Crew Van, Turbo-Diesel 6 cylinder, high roof, 4 wd. The extra seat is removed for trips like this but the design is a cargo van with an extra row-seat for a carpet cleaning crew or something like that.

It is a terrific vehicle and I have kept it pretty much stock as I didn't want to give up any flexibility to carry things or when camping. I have a rack on the back that will carry two fat-tire ebikes and two kayaks. Inside I set it up with a cot, with clothing bins beneath, a water jug with a small pump on top, an equipment bin with cooking equipment, a port-a-potty, cooler, magnetic window coverings for privacy, and other minor niceties including a factory dual battery arrangement that allows me to keep my electronics charged without drawing down my starting battery.

Fortunately, I also have a very warm Cabelas Alaska Guide sleeping bag that kept me warm during the 10 degree night as I headed down to the coast. Here are some pictures. You can see one Shakespeare rod hanging along the wall at the top left of the interior picture.

That is what I use this for frequently. It is nice to sleep in a hard wall structure. If you are going to do this, we can talk offline. I have learned a lot of useful lessons.