# Eating Sail Cat?



## Yo-Zuri (May 31, 2015)

I heard mixed reviews on these, and then I had one the other night. Wow! That's a high-quality fish in my opinion! :thumbup:

How do other folks feel about these? I feel bad now about all the ones I've thrown back!


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## catfever24 (Dec 26, 2011)

I`ve eaten them before. Not a lot of meat for the size fish. The head is freak`n hugh. After cleaning all the slim off them, fileting them up and dropping them in a fryer, they are actually not bad. I would eat them again.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

Tastes absolutely fine. Anyone that says otherwise is either too snobby for their own good, or lying.


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## Sirhc (Sep 23, 2014)

I've always been told they are one of the best tasting catfish in both fresh and saltwater combined. I throw them back all the time, only because I don't care to clean them. I think the hard heads give the local saltwater catfish around here a bad name in general.


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## Pompano Joe (Jan 28, 2009)

*Sail Cats*



catfever24 said:


> I`ve eaten them before. Not a lot of meat for the size fish. The head is freak`n hugh. After cleaning all the slim off them, fileting them up and dropping them in a fryer, they are actually not bad. I would eat them again.


Agreed! They're OK to eat...I just can't get past the slime!


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

In my experience, like mullet, there are good ones, and ones I'd just as soon have recycled back into the water. So, I've caught some out of the gulf (clean water), they are a tasty fish. But we've had some out of Mobile Bay- and I just couldn't pallet them - yuck! Those seemed like they were a lot "slimey-er" that ones I've gotten in the gulf too. Maybe this was helpful-


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I'm a fish snob, so naturally you have to assume what I'm going to say.

If you like freshwater catfish like channel cats than you will like Sailcats. They aren't terrible really but I just don't like the consistency or flavor of catfish so I won't go throught the trouble....or slime.


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## Yo-Zuri (May 31, 2015)

badonskybuccaneers said:


> In my experience, like mullet, there are good ones, and ones I'd just as soon have recycled back into the water. So, *I've caught some out of the gulf (clean water), they are a tasty fish. But we've had some out of Mobile Bay- and I just couldn't pallet them - yuck!* Those seemed like they were a lot "slimey-er" that ones I've gotten in the gulf too. Maybe this was helpful-


Interesting. These the other night were out of 50+ feet of water in Pensacola Bay.


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## Yo-Zuri (May 31, 2015)

Chris V said:


> I'm a fish snob, so naturally you have to assume what I'm going to say.
> 
> If you like freshwater catfish like channel cats than you will like Sailcats. They aren't terrible really but I just don't like the consistency or flavor of catfish so I won't go throught the trouble....or slime.


I'm a big fan of David's Catfish House in Milton, which according to them are farm-raised freshwater catfish, but these Sail Cats the other day were every bit as good. And I was skeptical going in. I was prepared to take just one bite and toss them.


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Yo-Zuri said:


> Interesting. These the other night were out of 50+ feet of water in Pensacola Bay.


Not nearly as bad as the muddy water coming out of the mobile delta and some other tributaries (especially after a good rain). Some of the mud sucking fishes out of the mobile bay area we have caught and eaten had too much of that "earthy" flavor. But, not to put down fishing here, because there are plenty of fish out of our bay area that are very good.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

The sailcat is comparable to freshwater cats. 

On the other hand, never try to cook a hardhead, at least not around other humans.


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## Yo-Zuri (May 31, 2015)

kingfish501 said:


> The sailcat is comparable to freshwater cats.
> 
> On the other hand, *never try to cook a hardhead, at least not around other humans*.


What's the issue there? The smell?


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## shoreline (Aug 27, 2015)

Anyone eat catfish that wasn't fried? Catfish are ok to me I guess a little muddy tasting but I don't keep them (fresh pond or sail). Too much trouble to clean and if you have to fry it, I usually pass.


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## FishnLane (Oct 1, 2007)

I don't want to bother with them; a real nuisance ....too many other "fish in the sea". One of my friends makes a Manhattan Chowder with topsails and it was remarkable terrific. Skin them and cut meat into chunks. Soak in Buttermilk (anything soaked in buttermilk is better) then add to typical recipe of Manhattan Chowder.


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## nathar (Jun 25, 2009)

It's the only fish I can catch! :thumbup:


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

I've eat them before years ago but not anymore. I would like to think that I just became a better fisherman instead of being snobby. Like moving up the food chain. :yes:


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## Capt. Delynn (Oct 4, 2007)

Ok I'll bite on this one. I'm as much a fish snob as anyone. But, they are actually ok. If you eat freshwater catfish, you will like them. 

I'm very spoiled due to my good friends that I fish with. They keep me stocked up on many types of other fish that I really prefer.
I'm having fried scamp sandwiches for lunch today. Fried crispy, little tarter sauce, cole slaw. I'm fat for a reason. Yummy.


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

I eat them. I go from the water straight to my live well to keep tge slime off the boat. Once home, I pick them up with a pair of pliers, hold them with a rag, and filet them as any other fish. I get a lot of meat.

The area you catch them probably does matter but Sail Cat eat live fish, etc., whereas other catfish are mostly bottom feeders. The BW is clean. Head waters begin near Andalusia, AL, fliw through a National Forest until it crosses into FL where it floes through a State Forest - no toxic runoff, etc...


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

When I was stationed in Charleston S.C. I used to drive to this little town Hollywood on Rt 17 going W because they had an all you can eat catfish fry every day and it was delicious. Since then I haven't eaten a catfish including a few I cooked myself that could compare. I may try the next Sailcat I catch and see how that goes.


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## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

There as good as Flathead if you remove the red meat. Filet and skin like any other fish. Flathead are slimy also after being on ice overnight no biggie..


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

^ FYI those are some great looking lures in your hand in that pic!


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## Yo-Zuri (May 31, 2015)

Capt. Delynn said:


> Ok I'll bite on this one. I'm as much a fish snob as anyone. But, they are actually ok. If you eat freshwater catfish, you will like them.
> 
> I'm very spoiled due to my good friends that I fish with. They keep me stocked up on many types of other fish that I really prefer.
> I'm having fried scamp sandwiches for lunch today. Fried crispy, little tarter sauce, cole slaw. I'm fat for a reason. Yummy.


Funny thing is, I usually hold out for the Snapper or the Pompano, leaving behind the Spanish and Kings for example, so I'm not big on just eating anything. I'm also not big on Grouper, so that ought to tell you I'm a bit picky.

Someone mentioned there is variation in the taste of these Sail Cats, so perhaps I got the "upper crust" so to speak with these particular ones, but these were every bit as good as Snapper or Pompano in my opinion.


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## Yo-Zuri (May 31, 2015)

Kim said:


> When I was stationed in Charleston S.C. I used to drive to this little town Hollywood on Rt 17 going W because they had an all you can eat catfish fry every day and it was delicious. Since then I haven't eaten a catfish including a few I cooked myself that could compare. I may try the next Sailcat I catch and see how that goes.


It might have something to do with the depth of water I was in, 50+ feet. I've had ones hit topwater lures in 5 feet of water. Have to wonder if those would taste any different.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

This has been discussed many many times! They have a weird bone structure and a biggun yields little meat but they have white meat and is very good fried up!:thumbsup:


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

Sail Cats are pretty good.

badazzchef tried to fry up some fresh hard heads a few years ago. "Edible", but very mushy and very fishy!

Jim


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## Yo-Zuri (May 31, 2015)

Jason said:


> This has been discussed many many times! They have a weird bone structure and a biggun yields little meat but they have white meat and is very good fried up!:thumbsup:


These were around 3-pounders, and yes the meat was very white. It was a little bloody at first, but soaking it in salty ice water seemed to get a good bit of that out.


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## Smarty (Nov 23, 2008)

The only time I've fried one up it was fresh where it was caught. That's just the way I usually like my fish. It was nothing special to me and really not worth the trouble. That being said, most positive comments I've heard state that they fried it up in smaller chunks or nuggets. Maybe that's the difference with more breaded and fried surface area. Maybe one night I'll try it that way. Like most I hate the slime. I'll still take a simple fish like croaker or ground mullet for a late night snack instead. No marinade or soaking required :thumbsup:


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

4lbs and up is all that are worth keeping, since 3lbs of that 4lbr are head!! Lol I do not tbrow any back over 4-5lbs







Before I soak em in a milk and egg wash and fry em, I remove that blood line. I dislike freshwater cats, unless its smaller flathead, but these saltwatwr cats do not taste as slimmy as freshwater, imo


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

I tried the hard head catfish once. I came home from fishing got the oil going and threw it in there. 

One and half beers later I remember it and pulled it out. Taste just as good as any grouper that was deep fried for 25 minutes. 

Never had sail cat but the burnt hard head didn't taste fishy and I didn't notice any slime when cleaning it.


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## 153 Large fish (Nov 30, 2013)

I caught (5) 5lb sailcats wednesday while chasing bulls reds....it seems that a huge school of sailcats were following the school of reds to clean up the injured menhaden...I was looking for the red school on sidescan and said...those arent bait fish...and they weren't. ..good ole sailcats...we were using 6" gulp twisty tails...

To me sailcats are the most sporty catfish, because I catch yhem all the time on artificials...which tells me they are clean too...they eat live food...not just bottom scum...

Follow this recipe and you'll never throw back a sail cat...
Fillet
Remove ALL RED MEAT
cut into nuggets
Don't freeze prepare fresh
Place all prepped meat into a big bowl and submerge the meat in milk overnight (this is key)
Crack a few eggs into another bowl and scramble
Add seasonings to the egg
Dip the meat into the egg covering it generously 
Put the egg covered meat into a 1 gallon zip lock with Zatterins cajun fish fry and shake...the egg will give a much thicker, richer batter.
Fry till golden brown 
You will never know its catfish and prepared fresh it will not be mushy


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## catfever24 (Dec 26, 2011)

153 Large fish said:


> I caught (5) 5lb sailcats wednesday while chasing bulls reds....it seems that a huge school of sailcats were following the school of reds to clean up the injured menhaden...I was looking for the red school on sidescan and said...those arent bait fish...and they weren't. ..good ole sailcats...we were using 6" gulp twisty tails...
> 
> To me sailcats are the most sporty catfish, because I catch yhem all the time on artificials...which tells me they are clean too...they eat live food...not just bottom scum...
> 
> ...


 Damn, now you got me hungry for fried fish. To bad I don`t have any now or I`d fry it up for breakfast. :thumbsup:


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

153 Large fish said:


> I caught (5) 5lb sailcats wednesday while chasing bulls reds....it seems that a huge school of sailcats were following the school of reds to clean up the injured menhaden...I was looking for the red school on sidescan and said...those arent bait fish...and they weren't. ..good ole sailcats...we were using 6" gulp twisty tails...
> 
> To me sailcats are the most sporty catfish, because I catch yhem all the time on artificials...which tells me they are clean too...they eat live food...not just bottom scum...
> 
> ...


I bet a dig turd would taste alright with that recipe. Just sayin...I like to simply batter my fish and fry it. Period. If it doesn't taste great (and most fish tastes great cooked like this) then I won't keep that species again.

That said, I'm not opposed to trying sail cat. I just don't want the slimy bastards in my cooler.


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