# Are bonita good to eat?



## appleguy

Just wondering I've caught tons of bonito but never keep any other than the ones I use for shark bait and was wondering has anyone ever ate them? :blink:


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## feelin' wright

Try it you might like. For me I will stick to fish that doesn't taste like shit. All kidding aside I know people that eat it but I will not. Tried it one time and hated it. Tasted to me like eating a bluefish only worse. If you are going to eat it I would recommend bleeding it out immeditely.


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## SHunter

You can eat it but the meat is dark and has a strong flavor. I've never heard about anyone here eating it around here but it is a lot of fun to catch one.


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## younghooker

great bait thou


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## Hook

Red Snapper likes them along with Whaoo in strips and some Marlin whole.:thumbup:


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## MGuns

They make better bait than table fare, but to each his own.


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## Chris V

If you bleed them, soak the loins in ice cold saltwater for about 4 hours, then put on the grill or smoker, its still fairly fishy but edible. Makes an OK tuna salad.

Theres just too many better eating fish to willingly eat a bobo.


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## local_hooker

To answer your question, they are very oily but once fried up they are great. It is just like a little tuna. The key is to cook them fresh and fry them and then all the oil goes away...


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## bamagator

I have eaten them after bleeding them. Smoked or soaked (a long time) in buttermilk and then fried. Their eatable but I'd have to be mighty hungry for fish to eat another one.


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## WW2

I tried it raw once...terrible. It's better used for bait, but if oyu have any left at the end of the day it can be good properly prepared. If you are a good enough cook you can make shoe leather taste good. 

And remember, bacon makes everything better. lol


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## bigrick

I was just about to say I've seen asian guys eat it raw on a charter once, don't know if they knew what they were doing or not but I wouldn't touch the stuff.


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## SaltAddict

I will play devils advocate. If you bleed it by clipping the tail as it first goes in the cooler, then clean it by leaving a generous amount of "edible" meat on the bloodline (instead of cutting close to the bloodline), it cooks ok to me. As some one said above, to each their own. I don't eat a lot of it in a years time (2-3 maybe).


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## scubapro

Bait....Cat Food, maybe... Too many other good fish to eat around here.


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## swhiting

This guy loves bonita!


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## Seachaser 186

I was told by someone if you bleed them, soak the meat in a saltwater brine overnight in the fridge, and then boil the meat it made good "tunafish" for sandwiches etc. I tried it and it stunk up the house so bad I couldn't eat it. Last time I tried a bobo


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## FowlHunter13

I have personally never tried them myself. I have heard of people eating them and saying that they are not that bad. They make for some great bait and like someone said already...there are too many other goodies swimmin out there to be cooked up. Why eat ground beef when you can have filet mignon.


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## appleguy

Lol like I said ive never tried.it figured. It was terrible.
Posted from Samsung Galaxy S


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## badazzchef

Ok ill bite lol no pun intended...I have a preconceived notion about them as I have tasted them...We will get some for this years JimT party and try them....Karon talked me into eating it raw once...


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## BWNN

Was tied up behind the freighters offshore out of Mobile one time, catching several in the chum slick...Greek ship and as we were releasing them the crew started yelling and pointing to the fish making gestures to send some up. They sent down a basket of which we placed several in and sent them on their way up. Kept fishing and didn't think anything of it, but about two hours later they yelled down to us & sent down the basket...inside was hot fried fish (can only assume it was the Bonita) and homemade rolls. It was great! Not sure what they did to this day, but IF it was some of the same fish we sent up, they transformed it!


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## samiams

i like em. bleed em right away seperate the dark meat from the lighter colored and soak overnight in ice water. Chunk and boil in salt water for sandwiches or for use in tuna dip. Made some tuna dip for my neighbors of hard core local fisherman that said that bobo was crap. they thought i gave em blackfin.... they loved it til i told em it was bobo then they were mad at me. it was almost like they were rooting for the stripper til the stripper turned out to be a tranny hahahahaha


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## Stressless

They are a tuna with a LARGE bloodline. So first brain and bleed - then ICE quickly. I don't have a cross section picture of the blood line but it's about half the fillet. Cut away and discard. WIth the pink/light red meat do any of the above.

As for frying I think you could fry up some deer turds and folks that like fried food would think they'r' Great. 

If I catch one today I'll post up a couple pics. I think most people treat them like bait (left out warm, in the sun for most of the day) then try to clean and eat them later... :blink: Treat them like a small tuna and you might just be surprised but you'll have to change their name to Mini tuna in your post.

Good Luck,
Stressless


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## 20simmons sea skiff

the vietneise family that runs store down street takes everyone i get, also snapper heads. I asked how do you cook?? soup.Ive been taking him kings also,, soup.


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## First Catch

I've eaten it before. I would definitely eat it again, it was pretty good.


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## Fishermon

fresh is the key. Friends cooks soup with lots of fresh herbs and adds pineapple...habaneros on top...hot steaming soup...great this time of the year. better than themcdonaldcrapfersure.:thumbsup:


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## lastcast

People eat Mullet, why not bobo's?


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## rdg0913

*eating bobo*

Follow previous directions, after removing from ice water or chilled brine,pat dry with paper towel both sides and dry rub with lemon pepper.Back in fridge covered for 1-2 hours. A this time smoke or grill, if you grill spread a light pineapple glaze on the top 2-3 minutes before you take it off. Hawaiian bobo,not bad, bon appetit.


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## kahala boy

I eat bobo's and hard tails. Like Stressless said, cut the light meat out and it tastes like black fin maybe a little stronger but not bad. Roll hardtails in flour and cornstarch mixture and fry till tail is about to fall off. Great with ponzu sauce or soy sauce and lemon juice. But then again, I eat bait...


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## appleguy

Fishermon said:


> fresh is the key. Friends cooks soup with lots of fresh herbs and adds pineapple...habaneros on top...hot steaming soup...great this time of the year. better than themcdonaldcrapfersure.:thumbsup:


Anything is better than Mcdonalds  I haven't ate fast food in 6years :thumbup:


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## appleguy

rdg0913 said:


> Follow previous directions, after removing from ice water or chilled brine,pat dry with paper towel both sides and dry rub with lemon pepper.Back in fridge covered for 1-2 hours. A this time smoke or grill, if you grill spread a light pineapple glaze on the top 2-3 minutes before you take it off. Hawaiian bobo,not bad, bon appetit.


This actually sounds pretty good/...


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## appleguy

kahala boy said:


> I eat bobo's and hard tails. Like Stressless said, cut the light meat out and it tastes like black fin maybe a little stronger but not bad. Roll hardtails in flour and cornstarch mixture and fry till tail is about to fall off. Great with ponzu sauce or soy sauce and lemon juice. But then again, I eat bait...


I was thinking of taking it and making a sushi roll just to try it:thumbsup:


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## hubbyandwife

That is one funny @$$ photo of the guy who loves eating bonito. I think CARRIE would find a liking to it as well


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## hubbyandwife

ha ha


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## jdhkingfisher

jim spent a entire summer trying to find a way to do it. . . he failed


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## nextstep

there was a good recipe posted about 

this subject before on this forum.

let me see if i can recall

take a cast iron skillet

1 onion

2 garlic gloves

cayanne pepper to taste

evoo

cook down the onion and garlic in 

the evoo

then add bobo

place lid on skillet and let simmer for 40 minutes

turn off stove and and let sit for 10 minutes

place bobo in plastic bag

throw it away and eat the skillet:yes:


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## hogdogs

As said, bled, brined and/or soaked in buttermilk... It will leach out a lot of the yuck...

But then again, I can make Jack crevalle edible... first one I caught I didn't even know jack was a "blood fish" and after wifey-poo had seconds... She told me it was almost as good as dolphin.

And this from a woman who cannot stand king fish!
Brent


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## Orion45

nextstep said:


> there was a good recipe posted about
> 
> this subject before on this forum.
> 
> let me see if i can recall
> 
> take a cast iron skillet
> 
> 1 onion
> 
> 2 garlic gloves
> 
> cayanne pepper to taste
> 
> evoo
> 
> cook down the onion and garlic in
> 
> the evoo
> 
> then add bobo
> 
> place lid on skillet and let simmer for 40 minutes
> 
> turn off stove and and let sit for 10 minutes
> 
> place bobo in plastic bag
> 
> throw it away and eat the skillet:yes:


Best recipe for bobo yet.:thumbup:


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