And the blackened redfish, a dish that could have felt hopelessly dated, burst with flavor.

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Jack Stack is about as fancy as a moderately upscale chain restaurant like Redfish Grill or P.

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The Everglades, too, have tarpon, plus redfish and snook and even largemouth bass.

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"It is easy to juggle the numbers to make a particular point, " said salmon activist Scott Levy, director and producer of RedFish Bluefish.

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Red Fish: A victim of its own success, redfish was heavily overfished 30 years ago and when the supply dried up, so did regional demand, though it is delicious and still in favor in other regions.

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The salt water in the river has had a benefit for some anglers: "The redfish follow it up, so we're able to fish right in the Mississippi now instead of having to go to the gulf, " he said.

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