# fish id please



## turtlegirl (Oct 21, 2012)

Hey guys, new to the forums. I grew up in Mobile, AL, moved away for about 10yrs and been in P'cola about a year now. Finally getting settled back in to life on the coast and doing some fishing. Seems I catch something new each time i'm out so i'm still learning about the different fish and seasons. Spent the day fishing the shore in Perdido, caught a couple saltwater catfish (i think) and not sure what the others are. Id's please!


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## jjam (Dec 9, 2007)

FUN FUN FUN !!!!!

Jack Crevalle, great fighting fish but no food value!

Jimmy


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## Redalert08 (May 30, 2011)

Top is jack crevall and 2nd is whiting really good eating!

Chase


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## turtlegirl (Oct 21, 2012)

anyone know what the 4th one is? was such a pretty fish in the sunlight, so white and silvery.


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## King Mike (Apr 15, 2008)

4th- whiting


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## spec-tacular! (Aug 20, 2012)

Yup whiting!


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

Yup, a few of those and you got yourself a good dinner. Throw the cats back though. The jack is good cut bait.


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## spec-tacular! (Aug 20, 2012)

Yup and welcome to the forum!


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## fishheadspin (Jun 9, 2008)

Is the second not a.ground mullet?


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

fishheadspin said:


> Is the second not a.ground mullet?


Yes, but I don't know the difference (other than color). I could be wrong, but I think they're both southern kingfish. I'll look it up though. I've often wondered if they were the same species.


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## GrayMan (Mar 17, 2011)

Yeah ground mullet is the local term, and I get em mixed up all the time but one is an Atlantic Whiting and the other is a gulf whiting also called a gulf kingfish...steppin out on a limb here but if I remember right the darker one with the bars is the gulf whiting...I'm probably wrong though, all I know for sure is they both eat the same!


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

You're probably right too, greyman. Just looked it up, the ground mullet (darker one) is a northern kingfish, and the lighter one is a southern kingfish. They're pretty much the same though. All you really need to call them is yummy.


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

1- jack crevelle
2- ? ( some type of snapper or Porgie)
3- Top sail catfish
4- whiting
5- saltwater catfish

I would say 2,3,4 are good to eat. 
1 and 5 not so much.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

Baby Jack
Ground mullet
hard head cat
whiting
hard head cat
No doubt!


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## LUPilot (Apr 10, 2012)

All of them have been ID'd correctly, but I disagree on the "don't eats" for either of the catfish. Both are excellent if fried and the gafftopsail catfish are great blackened too. Most people turn their noses up to catfish either haven't tried it, or didn't get all of the dark red meat off. You clean them of the dark red meat and they are GREAT!


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

LUPilot said:


> All of them have been ID'd correctly, but I disagree on the "don't eats" for either of the catfish. Both are excellent if fried and the gafftopsail catfish are great blackened too. Most people turn their noses up to catfish either haven't tried it, or didn't get all of the dark red meat off. You clean them of the dark red meat and they are GREAT!



Thanks for posting. I have tried the saltwater cat and didn't like it, topsail yea. I did over cook it though and I still could taste it. Guess I'm just comparing it to freshwater cat to much. 

I took Clay-doh's word on the Jack Crevelle, If he said it sucks I'm not trying it.


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## turtlegirl (Oct 21, 2012)

Thanks so much for all the info! Looking forward to getting back out there this weekend, and hopefully doing some deep sea charter fishing in the near future.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

LUPilot said:


> All of them have been ID'd correctly, but I disagree on the "don't eats" for either of the catfish. Both are excellent if fried and the gafftopsail catfish are great blackened too. Most people turn their noses up to catfish either haven't tried it, or didn't get all of the dark red meat off. You clean them of the dark red meat and they are GREAT!


Would agree. My first year surf fishing I didn't know they were "trash fish" and we fried them up and ate the snot out of them. Now that I know they are trash fish we fry them up and eat the snot out of them.


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## redfishreaper (Apr 23, 2012)

the cats arent that bad, they tast good but cleaning them is a pain and dont provide much meat. or have you ever ben barbed by one of those things. it hurts like a b**h. so i'll put it like this way. if you will cach and clean them for me i'll be happy to eat those cats.


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Ground Mullet*



Yakavelli said:


> Yes, but I don't know the difference (other than color). I could be wrong, but I think they're both southern kingfish. I'll look it up though. I've often wondered if they were the same species.


Another local name for the same fish. I've heard them called both ways. Good eating! JMHO C2


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Cleaning Catfish*



redfishreaper said:


> the cats arent that bad, they tast good but cleaning them is a pain and dont provide much meat. or have you ever ben barbed by one of those things. it hurts like a b**h. so i'll put it like this way. if you will cach and clean them for me i'll be happy to eat those cats.


I don't fool around with the hardheads except use them for Cobia bait.

I do the Gafftopsail thing and this will make your life easier. After you try it, I will show you an old commercial way where we would clean several hundred pounds at one time.

Take a board(wooden), an ice pick and a pair of pliers. I wear gloves to keep those tiny stinger cuts to a dull roar!

Pin the fish in an upright position with the ice pick down through the 'soft spot' on their head into the board.

Cut around the head and, taking a pair of pliers, pull the skin off. It'll come off like taking of a sock!

The skin will come off, leaving the skin on the aft part of the body with a triangular piece of skin remaining on the belly. Take the pliers to pull it off and the rest of the skin will come off.

I will then cut down right behind the 'horn(fin) all the way through the backbone. Taking my thumb and fingers, pull the head off. The guts will come with the head.

HINT: If you cut the vent before pulling off the head all of the guts will come out.

I will fillet and fry a big one, but will bake one in a heartbeat. Mighty good eating! JMHO C2


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