Lakes and ponds are great places for fish to live. They produce abundant plant food and offer plenty of cover for fish to hide. Shoreline structures like docks, logs, stumps, brush and rocks provide shelter, shade and protection for fish. Which means they also provide great fishing opportunities for the anxious angler.

You can fish lakes and ponds from the shore or from a boat. You can find fish in shallow or deep water, in open water or near natural or man-made structures. In lakes, you can catch freshwater fish like largemouth and smallmouth bass, pike, pickerel, perch, panfish, trout, even salmon.

Get to know your lake structure. Points, inlets, holes, sunken islands, dams, submerged objects (manmade or natural) and reeds and weeds are all considered structure. You should always fish in and around structure. It's a simple formula.

• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg white
• Approximately 1 pound panfish fillets
• Oil for deep frying

Combine the flour, cornstarch, pepper and salt and sift together onto a plate or piece of waxed paper.  Beat the egg yolk and water to a smooth cream then incorporate the flour mixture a few tablespoons at a time.Just before using the batter, beat the egg white until stiff enough to stand in peaks when lifted on the beater.  Scoop the egg white into the batter and fold it gently with a spoon or spatula. Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan.

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towel.Pick up fillets with tongs and dip into batter and carefully drop into the hot oil. Deep fry for four to five minutes, turn them as they brown. This will require about three minutes. After they brown, transfer the fillets to paper towel or a brown paper bag to drain excess oil. Arrange fillets on warm platter and serve at once accompanied with wedges of lemon.