Brandon Shoemaker of Selma plans to eat a fried Midwestern smelt that still has its eyes, gills and fins at an October fundraiser for his state Assembly campaign.

Sound fishy? Shoemaker said he'll do it for a legitimate reason.

He wants to focus attention on his belief that the federal government favors another fish -- the delta smelt -- over water for San Joaquin Valley agriculture.

The 31st Assembly district that Shoemaker hopes to represent in Sacramento has been hit hard by the drought and reduced water deliveries for irrigation. One of the reasons is a ruling by a federal judge that curtails deliveries from the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta to protect the delta smelt. The delta smelt is listed as threatened on the state and federal endangered species acts.

"A federal court judge has decided that tiny bait fish are more important than thousands and thousands and thousands of people's livelihoods," said Shoemaker, a Republican and former Selma Police detective.

He has scheduled a "Delta" Smelt Barbecue on Oct. 3 in Visalia, but he won't be nibbling on delta smelt. That would be illegal because of its threatened status, Shoemaker said.

Instead, he said, he will have smelt from Lake Superior in the Midwest. They aren't protected by law, Shoemaker said.

Guests at the fundraiser will offered smelt minus the eyes, gills and fins. (Other food also will be served.) However, Shoemaker said he plans to eat a whole fish because he's been told by old-timers on the delta that they used to catch the smelt when they were plentiful, roll them in batter -- fins and all -- and fry them.

The $50 tickets to the "Delta" Smelt Barbecue are selling fast, Shoemaker said. "We've had a great response once people see what we're trying to do -- to bring awareness to the plight of farmers."

He's also received some flak. Shoemaker said some environmentalists have criticized him for proposing to serve a threatened species. But, he added, they're apparently confused about what type of smelt he'll be serving.

How much good the "Delta" Smelt Barbecue will do Shoemaker is debatable, said political analyst Jeff Cummins, an assistant professor of political science at California State University, Fresno. It might get him some publicity now, but whatever benefit will be gone by the June 2010 primary election.

However, Selma resident Diego Haro said the barbecue is "a catchy technique" to get attention and make a point. He and his wife, Sherri, plan to attend the Visalia fundraiser. Haro said he's game for sampling the smelt: "I'm looking forward to whatever they're cooking up."

There could be additional smelt barbecues, as well. Shoemaker said he might hold them in other communities leading up to the election.

So far, Shoemaker is the only Republican to file papers in Sacramento to run in the 31st Assembly District, which includes Selma, Fowler and Dinuba. Assemblyman Juan Arambula, a Democrat-turned-independent, now represents the district, but he cannot run again because of term limits. Fresno City Council Member Henry T. Perea, a Democrat, also has filed papers to run.

The winners of the Republican and Democratic primary elections in June 2010 will square off in the November 2010 election.