# Catfish Galore!!



## AquaSport175 (Oct 15, 2007)

Very late post here from Friday after work. No photos since I don't consider a catfish a good catch in my book, but I will say it is better then 0.



I took my wife's brother and father out Friday after work and headed east to big Sabine with live shrimp under corks and drifted the grass beds. Caught a total of 8 catfish. Two were huge. (on my boga it read 5 1/2lbs to 6lbs for one of them) We couldn't find anything but cats that afternoon. It was so ironic because I don't think I have ever caught a catfish on the grass flats. I even caught one on a top water....wtf?



Anyone else get into the catfish out in SRS or was it just me? I must have had that catfish jew jew going on for me or something.


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## flatsfever (Jun 5, 2008)

It's the same with the Destin Bridge. It was a relief the other night to find some Lady fish to mess with.


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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

I caught 2 on a sabiki while bait fishing today, needless to say I was not so happy about it


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## FreeLine (Oct 5, 2007)

The catfish get thick sometimes and you just have to move around to get away from them. On the optimistic side, catfish often swin under trout picking up the scraps. Always try the top if you start catching cats, but don't just keep feeding the cats if you don't get any trout.


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

I kinda find that if catfish are the catch of the day in the area, it's time to move to a different area. 

So, multipleCatfish = MOVE!!!

JMHO,

Jim


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

Other option is to make catfish for dinner. I am kinda partial to catfish fillet-of-the-day.:letsdrink


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

> *angus_cow_doctor (6/15/2009)*Other option is to make catfish for dinner. I am kinda partial to catfish fillet-of-the-day.:letsdrink


We tried saltwater bullhead catfish with Badazzchef a couple months ago at a party... He fried a couple whole after gutting them. VERY mushy, not a "bad" flavor, just WAY, waytoo mushy. We did not try a Gafftopsail Cat though.

Certainly edible, but sorta "Survivor" TV show edible only.

JOHO,

Jim

PS... FRESHWATER Catfish CERTAINLY edible...


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## AquaSport175 (Oct 15, 2007)

I have always wondered if anyone eats those slimy suckers, but I would figure some do as I know people that will eat lady fish......I agree about moving to a new area.



Actually I guess i did take a photo on my phone. Not good but at least something...


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

> *AquaSport175 (6/15/2009)*I have always wondered if anyone eats those slimy suckers, but I would figure some do as I know people that will eat lady fish......I agree about moving to a new area.
> 
> Actually I guess i did take a photo on my phone. Not good but at least something...


thats a gafftop cat. it is said that them are the good ones to eat. nice catch.


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## Sam Roberts (Oct 22, 2007)

if you go to day break and throw in a carcase next to the fish cleaning station you will see a galoreof catfish


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## Rocky Creek Rider (Jan 14, 2009)

Cut them in half and put them in a crab trap, do the same with pin fish. I think they are over populated. If you get a good size pin fish eat it, they are preety good.


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## Rocky Creek Rider (Jan 14, 2009)

Cut them in half and put them in a crab trap, do the same with pin fish. I think they are over populated. If you get a good size pin fish eat it, they are preety good.


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## Sam Roberts (Oct 22, 2007)

> *Rocky Creek Rider (6/15/2009)*Cut them in half and put them in a crab trap, do the same with pin fish. I think they are over populated. If you get a good size pin fish eat it, they are preety good.


your crazyabout eating pinfish thatgross:sickand catfish are horrible pinfish bait IMO


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

No so fast on the pinfish deal. :nonono

A youngster we were fishing with caught a monster pin the other day. Almost 2 lbs!

We fried it up with the sheepshead and mullet --- an everyone agreed it was the best!!


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## -- Saints Domination -- (Jun 24, 2008)

CATFISH RUINED MY LIFE!


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## Saltfisher (Mar 26, 2009)

I tried frying some hardheads once but I don't like it..the fillets were real bloody. but they make good crab bait. just remember to cut their fins off cause they will get stuck in the bait holder when u try to shake em out


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## Death From Above (Sep 28, 2007)

Live hardheads make great cobia bait. Cobes can't resist them. Snip the fins off though so they don't swim straight down when you throw it in front of one.


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## local_hooker (Mar 17, 2009)

I am new to the salt fishing and will try anything at least once so.. I got a nice cat about 2 weeks ago and decided I was gonna cook one up... Well the only neg thing I can say is that they are a pain to clean but the filets I got were really very good... I cut him in filets and then rolled in italian bread crumbs and pan fried him. the meat has a constancy like chicken. Very good flavor and I would keep a big one if I caught one. I also tried a Bonita (cooked the same way) and thought it wasent too bad either.... seriously you should try one some time...


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## Sam Roberts (Oct 22, 2007)

> *local_hooker (6/16/2009)*I am new to the salt fishing and will try anything at least once so.. I got a nice cat about 2 weeks ago and decided I was gonna cook one up... Well the only neg thing I can say is that they are a pain to clean but the filets I got were really very good... I cut him in filets and then rolled in italian bread crumbs and pan fried him. the meat has a constancy like chicken. Very good flavor and I would keep a big one if I caught one. I also tried a Bonita (cooked the same way) and thought it wasent too bad either.... seriously you should try one some time...


nope.


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## nyjpd (May 25, 2009)

Ok... the hard head cat & pinfish stuff was interesting. But frying up lady fish orbonito -->>> OMG. Nextpost will express the attributes ofgrilling hard tails and jack cavaleia. 

However, I will say that a sail top cat is equal to any fresh water cat (including flat heads). Back in the 60's it was on the menu of the few resturants in Foley / Gulf Shores. (Note: back then OBA was a small green sign just past 161 on canal road.) 

Tip - One must trim the filet for all white meat. Fried or blackend is excellent.


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

First of all, if gas prices and the federal government keep going at the present rate, you might consider yourself lucky to be able to eat sand fleas before much longer.

I can remember growing up, and my best friend's dad would stand over us as we cleaned the fish because he would not let us waste a single scrap. There was no filleting of fish. We even cut the fish at the gills to remove the head. I guess you guys never heard of "bream throats" but that is exactly what they ate on a regular basis. 

The reason for it was they were poor. My friend was a major source of food in their household. When we went fishing/hunting, it was for dinner. We even ate softshelled turtles. If you cut the soft edges off of the shell and fry them, it is a bit like fried eggplant. We would pressure cook the turtle meat, then make turtle stew or lightly fry it.

I fried up some spanish last week and thought it was very good. Never caught any pinfish that was big enough to eat.

I have eaten red horse suckers before. We used to catch them by the truckload in gillnets. They have hundreds of tiny bones that require you to "gash" the meat ever 1/4 inch to the backbone, then fry them. The bones get crunchy, and are completely edible after cooking.

For the record, I think mullet and flounder are some of the best fish anyone can ask for. Snapper is good, but I would take flounder any day of the week.


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

I doubt many people on this forum have ever scalded hogs either..... Only way to get the hair to turn loose after you kill hogs. Only worth doing it if you want pork skins....

My question (and I was wondering this on tuesday, might even start a new thread) is if you can freeze blue crab. I see it in joe patti's all the time. Looks like they cleaned the crab, then froze it in ziplock bags. If it would work, I would like to freeze some to have during the winter months when they are less plentiful. Anyone have any experience??


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

ive been freezing blue crabs for as long as ive been eatin them. i always clean them first though.. i actually have never cooked live crabs. i always throw my crabs in a cooler full of ice. have never had a problem with bacteria.. and blue crabs are one of my favorite seafoods!! as far as eating hardheads....i think ill pass. i can go out on any given day and catch a fish that tastes better than that so im not gonna waste my time. but im not gonna look down on you for doin it. you wanna eat a hardhead or a bonito or even a nasty ole skipjack, go right ahead


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## Death From Above (Sep 28, 2007)

"Bream throats"? Was you smoking a lot of weed back then too?


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

I can honestly say that I have never smoked weed. Couple or three marlboros, but no weed. We did not think of it as eating bream throats. It was only eating what was available.


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## Baitcaster (Oct 4, 2007)

> *nyjpd (6/16/2009)*Ok... the hard head cat & pinfish stuff was interesting. But frying up lady fish orbonito -->>> OMG. Nextpost will express the attributes ofgrilling hard tails and jack cavaleia.
> 
> However, I will say that a sail top cat is equal to any fresh water cat (including flat heads). Back in the 60's it was on the menu of the few resturants in Foley / Gulf Shores. (Note: back then OBA was a small green sign just past 161 on canal road.)
> 
> Tip - One must trim the filet for all white meat. Fried or blackend is excellent.


don't know about grilled, but fried hard tails are good. would love to catch some 5 pounders and try 'em grilled !


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## AquaSport175 (Oct 15, 2007)

Wow I never heard someone say "Bream throats".... oke


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## saltfisher1 (Oct 8, 2007)

Gafftop = crucifix fish.

http://www.lafishmag.com/CrucifixFish.html


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## ghost95 (May 4, 2009)

I've been eating hardheads for some time now and there are a couple tricks I use on them and other undesirable species.

The first thing I do is cut the gill rakers to bleed the fish. This makes a mess but is a big help in cleaning up the flesh. The second thing I do is to try and keep a cooler with an ice and saltwater slurry. As soon as you cut the gills dump the fish in icewater. From what I can gather this sends the fis into a kind of hyopthermis. The blood is redirected to the internal organs. So alonk with the bleeding and the ice bath the meat is suprisingly clean and white. Keep the fish very cold and there should be no problem cleaning them.

Actually I prefer hardheads to the sail cat's. If you've ever had the gritty aisain catfish/grouper sold at some local resteraunts it's about the same. It's a little weird in that it doesn't seem to flake like regular fish. Not bad but strange.


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## jthuwf (Oct 3, 2007)

Its not really bream throats. My g-pa does it. Not as much now, but we used to do it a lot when I was little. Scale the fish, cut the head off, gut the fish, batter and fry. You eat the meat off the bones, the fins become real crunchy. I was never a huge fan, but my dad and g-pa ate the hell outta them.


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

I was taught by my dad to cut the fish and remove the head (behind the gills 1/2 inch or so). 

That is not what I am talking about with bream throats.

What I am describing is cutting the fish at the bottom of the gill, twisting the head up, and cutting the top of the gill and backbone. The fish will be left with the rear gill opening still on it. Not a shred of meat is wasted.

I was halfway kidding about the bream throats, but that is what they are, actually. Just not cut out of the fish like snapper/grouper.


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