# Anglers Trash Sushi Grade Tuna



## Snook Slayer

I am wondering if anglers in the Panhandle eat Little Tunny Bonito?

I was involved in a debate on the Scubaboard and half the guys think it's trash. They are all talking about this story http://www.floridagofishing.com/news/2012/anglers-trash-sushi-grade-tuna.html

Are you guys catching the Little Tunny's this summer in the Panhandle? They are running right now on the east coast.


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## MillerTime

I would never eat it. Would never consider it even remotely close to sushi grade. Although I think blackfin is really good, just stepping up from blackfin to yellowfin is a considerable difference. I would consider little tunny to be considerably lower than blackfin.

Maybe other people think differently?


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## Aquahollic

A friend of mine ate some once and said it was OK at best. He also marinated the living crap out of it and then seasoned the living crap out of it also. Personally if olive oil, salt, and pepper don't take care of it then it doesn't need to be eaten. I will blacken, fry, or marinate sometimes but my baseline is set at olive oil, salt, and pepper.


John


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## Longbow14

i'm sure you can eat little tiny/ false albacore/ bonita. from what i've heard it's pretty bad (rather squishy and oily) I've eaten atlantic bonito but thats a different fish.


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## Aquahollic

If they were sushi grade then there wouldn't be as many as there are.


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## MrFish

I've eaten it with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little lemon. It's not as bad as most people claim, IMO. Wasn't horrible, but it makes a lot better strips. I have 4 or 5 in my freezer right now. They aren't bad, but they can catch tastier fish.


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## Contender

Try making Tuna Salad or Tuna Dip out of it. Trim it really close, boil it in crab boil, then flake it, add Mayo, Sweet Pickles, Onion and Liquid Smoke. For Dip leave off the pickles and run it thru the food processor, takes a little more Mayo than salad. 

Beats canned Tuna, falls short of all the other Tunas out there.


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## Clay-Doh

You guys talking about regular standard bonito? Or a different kind?


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## Snook Slayer

The Little Tunny (False Albacore)


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## Contender

Yea. Little Tunny, Euthynnus alletteiatus, the Atlantic Bonita is Thunnus alalunga.


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## TURTLE

Snook Slayer said:


> The Little Tunny (False Albacore)


*We caught several the last time we went out but didn't keep any. Fun as Hell to catch when they get in the 15-25lb range.*

*My youngest seems to atrack them and talked me into cooking one for him and IMO, it's not a target species but if a day ever comes that it's all I catch, I'll eat em.*


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## compulsivehp

I actually marinated one up and sautéed it in a skillet. It was really good and I would eye it again. You have to
Bleed them immediate and spend the time to carve off every it of dark meat. Don't know if it is sushi grade though.


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## Snook Slayer

Contender said:


> Yea. Little Tunny, Euthynnus alletteiatus, the Atlantic Bonita is Thunnus alalunga.


I looked up Thunnus alalunga and it's Albacore Tuna.

The Atlantic Bonita is _Sarda sarda http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_bonito_


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## jhall

*ok ok*

I gotta admit it since someone started the thread. I've always just used em for bait but about a month ago i did it. I caught one, gutted and bled one. Buried it in ice and then cut the back strap out when we got back. No blood line, just a long round strip the thickness of a 1/2 dollar. put it in the fridge for a little while and then thinly sliced it for sushi. All i can say is that i wouldnt turn it down if someone put it in front of me. We had a seasame ginger sauce made by iron chef that we picked up from winn dixie. Just dont knock it till ya try it. There, i admitted it and i didnt get sick at all. Everyone else thought we went out and bought tuna.They were all eating and enjoying it until we told em what it was.


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## Snook Slayer

I started this thread because I just couldn't beleive how many people have a bad opinion about this fish. 

I ate it just as you did as sushi - bled, iced, cut out the dark meat, and it was excellent. I also marinated it then grilled it and it was even better. 

I'll give you a tip - take the dark center meat and cut it into strips, throw it into a ziplock back then freeze it for your next fishing trip. It worked out great as bait. Then use the head for shark bait. Nothing wasted on this fish.


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## Contender

I fed some to some friends once in a Tuna salad, they raved about it wanted the recipe -- the whole nine yards. When I told them it was Bonita they started retching, LoL. Saw a guy here at the condo cleaning some Bonita, I asked him if he ate them he said yes they were great just another Tuna, last week same guy had some Black Drum, he asked me if they were good to eat, I said yes just another drum, he decided to use them for bait.

People are funny.

BTW I eat Bonita and Black Drum, just not at the same time, heard it would give you nightmares if you did that! I'm just saying,,,


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## Telum Pisces

People used to not eat AJ's either. I just think that Bonita(o) are just too good as bait to catch a slightly better tasting fish. Big Bonita strips are candy to so many other good tasting fish. So I would rather not waste it by eating it.


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## jhall

I heard trigger used to be trash too.


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## Clay-Doh

Can someone post a picture of the "other" bonita, the one that you don't eat? I'm confused, and didn't know there were 2 different kinds here.


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## Telum Pisces

Clay-Doh said:


> Can someone post a picture of the "other" bonita, the one that you don't eat? I'm confused, and didn't know there were 2 different kinds here.


One in the same. Only one fish. Just called different names depending on who you talk to. Bonita, Bonito, Bobo, Little Tunny, skipjack, and more.

Although there is an Atlantic Bonito that is slightly different, but found mostly in the mid atlantic states.


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## WW2

I sliced a nice hunk off of a freshly caught bobo and it was not good. Later I caught one, bled it, iced it and cleaned it to loins, steaked the loins and it was pretty darn good, I just coated it nicely with pepper on both sides and set it on a nice hot skillet for about 30 seconds a side.


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## Snook Slayer

WW2 said:


> I sliced a nice hunk off of a freshly caught bobo and it was not good. Later I caught one, bled it, iced it and cleaned it to loins, steaked the loins and it was pretty darn good, I just coated it nicely with pepper on both sides and set it on a nice hot skillet for about 30 seconds a side.


So, this big debate of whether they are good or not stems from how they are prepared. I have wondered what all these guys that say it's bad are talking about, mine (bled/iced/cleaned) was excellent raw and grilled.

Fresh caught - :furious: terrible
Bled, iced, cleaned - :notworthy:terrific


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## WW2

Snook Slayer said:


> So, this big debate of whether they are good or not stems from how they are prepared. I have wondered what all these guys that say it's bad are talking about, mine (bled/iced/cleaned) was excellent raw and grilled.
> 
> Fresh caught - :furious: terrible
> Bled, iced, cleaned - :notworthy:terrific



Well, I think what you will find is that many have never even tried. They see bloody meat and think it's the end. Many don't know that just a little prep goes a long way. Then there are those that know that they can turn one bonito into a bunch of grouper, snapper and AJ. So, they don't bother with it. And LOTS of foods are good or bad based on preparation. Liver comes to mind. Made correctly it's awesome. Made poorly it's like eating a shit sandwich.


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## jhall

Exactly. It's all about the prep. Just like shark. One way tastes like piss and the other is awesome. Bonito is really good if its done right.


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## johnboatjosh

What's the best way to go about bleeding a bonita?


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## Snook Slayer

johnboatjosh said:


> What's the best way to go about bleeding a bonita?


Fillet them then throw the fillets in a cooler full of ice water and let them soak a few hours. Then cut out the center dark meat and you end up with two pieces each side the size of pork loins. 

I cooked two batches, one that soaked for 3 hours, ate this batch raw like Tuna sushi. The second batch stayed in the cooler with more ice added for 24 hours. Then I marinated it a few hours and grilled it. It was outstanding. Don't over cook it, do it like a rare steak. I made a quick marinate of soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh garlic, sesame oil, ginger, salt & pepper.

I have heard of others who bleed the fish in the water but I can't see how that gets the blood from the meat.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

This makes me want to try some winter Bonita!


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## Austin

Damnit man... Looks like sushi is on the meal plan tomorrow. Sake Cafe is amazing.


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