# Eating Spanish?



## Wolfithius

I caught a half dozen Spanish at Okaloosa Island pier Thursday. I iced them down on site and cleaned them right away when I got home. Due to our schedule, I have not eaten them yet; kept them in refrigerator. So if I eat them Monday will they be ok? Read somewhere to ear with in 36 hours. Fry or broil? 

Thanks!!


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## badonskybuccaneers

That is probably reference to storebought fish- and they have had it a couple days already. As to fish you have caught yourself, 4-5 days in the fridge. Although, if I wasn't planning on cooking it within the next day- I would merely just scale / gut the fish, and filet it right before cooking for the best preservation of flavor. I have cooked mine a few days after being caught. We prefer spanish broiled or grilled- Fried is tasty too, especially after a short buttermilk bath and a dip in some cornmeal / flour/ Tony's seasoning. 
A good indicator is the smell- if it starts to smell badly, it's a good time to make chum out of it. Thinking about it, if the filets are kept in the fridge put them in a ziplock bag with as much air removed - to prevent them from drying out.


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## Redneckracoon

They're very oily fish. Best to eat them the day you catch them or keep them well iced until the next day. Due to the amount of oil I prefer throwing them on the pan, grill, or smoker. I've never fried them


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## Blake R.

They're good fried, I use the same way as mentioned above. Peanut oil for everything.


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## jetajockey

Yeah they'll be fine for a few days. I like the oiliness sometimes, it's an interesting contrast to the much milder fish that I usually eat.


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## oldflathead

*Ceviche*

I fish for Spanish Mackeral, called Sierra in the Baja, just so I can make ceviche.
I gut and bleed as soon as I catch them, then skin and fillet, put on ice. As soon as possible, cut into chunks, 1" to 2", place in lime juice, best from freshly squeezed limes, refrigerate at least 4 hours while the lime juice cooks the fish.

Drain, mix with some freshly made salsa and chow down.


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## dsar592

I guess I need to try it this way. The last time I grilled it it was nasty. I put some butter and Tonys on it and did not like it at all. Cant go wrong with frying it.


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## MrFish

oldflathead said:


> I fish for Spanish Mackeral, called Sierra in the Baja, just so I can make ceviche.
> I gut and bleed as soon as I catch them, then skin and fillet, put on ice. As soon as possible, cut into chunks, 1" to 2", place in lime juice, best from freshly squeezed limes, refrigerate at least 4 hours while the lime juice cooks the fish.
> 
> Drain, mix with some freshly made salsa and chow down.


What he said. Best ceviche I ever had was in Cabo made from some sierra we had caught while looking for roosters.


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## gulfbreezetom

Broiled with Cajun seasoning and smothered in Red Beans and Rice.


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## SpeedoJosh

You'll be fine. I've found a bag of spanish in my fridge that was a week old (possibly more). They passed the smell test. Cooked them up and they tasted great.


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## bigrick

Like he said above, things like lemons and Italian dressing work well because they are acidic.


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## Caddy Yakker

Sierra and spanish are not the same fish even tho they look the same.Different species. ..


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## TeaSea

sorta on-topic: so if a person vacuum seals fresh caught fish fillets and freezes them same day caught how long can you keep them if freezer and they'll still cook up ok and taste good?


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## Contender

Varies depending on the Species. Macks not very long, grouper snapper a year maybe more.


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## TeaSea

Okay, thanks.


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## WW2

Wow, no suggestions that you fry them up, toss out the fish and eat the pan..... I am losing faith in the PFF... 

I have always like Spanish. Smoked on crackers.... yummy....


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## Wolfithius

Thank you all for the assistance. Broiled them with lemon pepper, and they were good. Not excellent, but taste worthy. 

I need to catch me some redfish, grouper, snapper and pompano too. 

Just moved here last year, so I am learning.


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## TeaSea

Wolfithius said:


> Thank you all for the assistance. Broiled them with lemon pepper, and they were good. Not excellent, but taste worthy.
> 
> I need to catch me some redfish, grouper, snapper and pompano too.
> 
> Just moved here last year, so I am learning.


Add specks to the list. Usually agreeable about biting and very good for eating. I also just moved here last year and have been fishing from a kayak but plan on buying a bay boat this year and spend a lot more time on the water. Maybe we can get after them together sometime.


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## hjorgan

Specks are one of my personal favorites. We fry em. First we add the filets to a zip lock then spurt in some Yellow Mustard and make sure the fish is coated well.
Then dip in your favorite breading/coating (Zatarans is what I use) and fry away.

I broil spanish when we bother with them.


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## Try'n Hard

Spanish - yuk! Feed 'em to the cat


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## badonskybuccaneers

I guess I'm just a fish of a different color. I prefer blues and spanish to a lot of other fish. Also, the first time I ate yellowtail and hogfish I was not as impressed, especially with all the praise about their taste.
This does have a lot to do with personal preferences, and preparation. Everyone has a different taste preference and a different way they dress and cook their fish. For example- I love the taste of bluefish. My preparation includes bleeding them as soon as I catch them. My favorite way to cook them is either smoked, or fried- usually with a side of slaw and some of my secret recipe hushpuppies. 
So, if asked- would prefer some spanish mackerel over king or specs. Either broiled with some olive oil misted over them (or butter) and Tonys creole seasoning; or fresh fried after a buttermilk bath and dipped in a 1c cornmeal- 1/3c flour- salt and pepper and Tonys to your flavor.
What's your taste and preparation preference?


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## Mac1528

Smoking & ceviche is reserved for the best fish. Spanish, blues, yellowfin, & steelhead. Just my taste I guess.

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## weedline

badonskybuccaneers said:


> I guess I'm just a fish of a different color. I prefer blues and spanish to a lot of other fish. Also, the first time I ate yellowtail and hogfish I was not as impressed, especially with all the praise about their taste.
> This does have a lot to do with personal preferences, and preparation. Everyone has a different taste preference and a different way they dress and cook their fish. For example- I love the taste of bluefish. My preparation includes bleeding them as soon as I catch them. My favorite way to cook them is either smoked, or fried- usually with a side of slaw and some of my secret recipe hushpuppies.
> So, if asked- would prefer some spanish mackerel over king or specs. Either broiled with some olive oil misted over them (or butter) and Tonys creole seasoning; or fresh fried after a buttermilk bath and dipped in a 1c cornmeal- 1/3c flour- salt and pepper and Tonys to your flavor.
> What's your taste and preparation preference?


i agree i think spanish and blues are great fried or grilled and kings are better i also think groper and flounder are hard to beat. snapper are good but i will take big mingos or blacks over reds any day. to me specks are the most over rated fish in the water as far as eating if i go trout fishing i let my trout go and throw the cast net for a good mullet dinner so to each their own


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## vickroid

TeaSea said:


> sorta on-topic: so if a person vacuum seals fresh caught fish fillets and freezes them same day caught how long can you keep them if freezer and they'll still cook up ok and taste good?


I have ate kings up to about 4 months old that have been vac sealed. Some will say that is gross.... I say meeeehhhhhh. Granted the are way better fresh but I am not really picky, especially with kings as they are near the bottom of my eats list. Spanish, reds, specks, and sheeps are way better. Oh and I bake nearly all of my catches in the oven with a smidge of butter and some orange slices on top.


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## Try'n Hard

As a general rule I stick with the old saying that salt water is better for fishing and fresh water is better for eating... And since the old saying doesnt say.... I put all the inshore fish in the freshwater category!! Here's the lineup
1)crappie 
2)tie - shell cracker and bluegill 
3)flounder 
4)tie - redfish and mullet 
5)grouper 
6)tie - white trout and speckled trout 
7)Cobia 
8 pompano 
9)freshwater catfish 
10)tie - croaker and amberjack


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## CharlieT

I agree with badonskybuccaneers...true fish connoisseurs prefer the distinct flavors of fish. When I was very young (3rd grade...60's) a friend and I would go to the Panama City pier early before school and catch a couple of blues each and bring them home where my mom would make fried fish and grits...then we would walk on to school.

Man, those were the days...ate like Kings using a white jig and Mitchel 300.


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## badonskybuccaneers

CharlieT said:


> I agree with badonskybuccaneers...true fish connoisseurs prefer the distinct flavors of fish. When I was very young (3rd grade...60's) a friend and I would go to the Panama City pier early before school and catch a couple of blues each and bring them home where my mom would make fried fish and grits...then we would walk on to school.
> 
> Man, those were the days...ate like Kings using a white jig and Mitchel 300.


You know the only way we used to eat bluefish was camping out on Ft Morgan - catch them fresh, cook them on the open fire- :thumbup: I guess that's why I like them smoked, brings back memories... Like you said, those were the days!


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## Yakavelli

I'll never understand the whole "spanish are nasty" thing. It's one of my favorites. I just don't understand. Are people who claim not to eat spanish just fish snobs or what?

I also love how people claim they're too oily but are perfectly fine frying any other fish in OIL. Makes no sense to me.

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## jetajockey

Yakavelli said:


> I'll never understand the whole "spanish are nasty" thing. It's one of my favorites. I just don't understand. Are people who claim not to eat spanish just fish snobs or what?
> 
> I also love how people claim they're too oily but are perfectly fine frying any other fish in OIL. Makes no sense to me.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


They tend to be more gamey than say, snapper, or trout. But I'm with you 100%, send the spanish my way. I even eat bluefish if they are cleaned well. 

There's only a few I truly disliked, one was a sandbar shark that one of my friends decided to keep and cook up years ago, and the other was a bowfin, I think people call them grinnels? The meat wasn't bad tasting but it was very gelatinous so the texture was really surprising and I couldn't get over it.


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## daylate

Now that's funny! I've never heard of anyone trying to eat a grindle. I don't think smothering it with red beans and rice would even help that.

Skipjack meatballs took the cake before that one. Pensacola pier used to sell fish sandwiches made from the catch of the day...usually jack crevalle or mackerel. They used to give me a free day pass for each jack I gave them. Morrisons Cafeteria offered broiled Spanish mackerel almost every day and it was very popular.


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## jetajockey

daylate said:


> Now that's funny! I've never heard of anyone trying to eat a grindle. I don't think smothering it with red beans and rice would even help that.
> 
> Skipjack meatballs took the cake before that one. Pensacola pier used to sell fish sandwiches made from the catch of the day...usually jack crevalle or mackerel. They used to give me a free day pass for each jack I gave them. Morrisons Cafeteria offered broiled Spanish mackerel almost every day and it was very popular.


That's pretty interesting. Next smallish jack crevalle I catch I'm going to try. Grew up with everyone saying they are trash fish but hey, why not. 

Here's a skipjack cleaning video I just found, guess it makes sense, might try it on a really bad fishing day 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhwckYuIwlM


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## Mac1528

Two things I learned. I didn't know that a ladyfish and a skipjack were the same, and I never knew you could eat ladyfish, let alone how to clean it! Thanks, I'm going to try it next time.

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## Yakavelli

jetajockey said:


> They tend to be more gamey than say, snapper, or trout. But I'm with you 100%, send the spanish my way. I even eat bluefish if they are cleaned well.
> 
> There's only a few I truly disliked, one was a sandbar shark that one of my friends decided to keep and cook up years ago, and the other was a bowfin, I think people call them grinnels? The meat wasn't bad tasting but it was very gelatinous so the texture was really surprising and I couldn't get over it.


It's the "gamey" thing I don't understand. Maybe I just take better care of my fish than those who don't like spanish? Spanish aren't gamey to me. 

Although I LOVE mullet, I could see how some might think it's gamey. A distaste for mullet is understandable. Spanish is just plain awesome though.

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## vickroid

Yakavelli said:


> A distaste for mullet is understandable. Spanish is just plain awesome though.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Agree! Tried mullet once and I'm not going to go out of my way to try it again.


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## daylate

They had a really good cook (and fisherman) at the pier in those days. He could even make cigar minnows into a fine meal. Many of you probably know him as Ben from Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle. He probably had a secret marinade that made those jacks edible. They sure sold a lot of sandwiches made out of them.


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## badonskybuccaneers

*Nicknames and mullet*



Mac1528 said:


> Two things I learned. I didn't know that a ladyfish and a skipjack were the same, and I never knew you could eat ladyfish, let alone how to clean it! Thanks, I'm going to try it next time.
> 
> Sent using taptalk


...also called spanish hogfish, jack-rashes, ten pounder, and my favorite- poor mans tarpon. In any case.... that would be one I don't think I'd want to try....



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by Yakavelli
> A distaste for mullet is understandable. Spanish is just plain awesome though.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
> Agree! Tried mullet once and I'm not going to go out of my way to try it again.


 I really think mullet aren't necessarily an acquired taste, most people really like them .....but I really think some of their flavor has to do with their environment and diet. So, if you have tried mullet and thought it tasted too gamey or "earthy"- don't write them off. I've had good tasting mullet, and I've eaten mullet I didn't care for. So- Give them a second chance- also, in my opinion, any fish is better the fresher they are.


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## jmunoz

badonskybuccaneers said:


> ... in my opinion, any fish is better the fresher they are.


This is the key! At least for me i won't eat mullet unless I caught em and know how long they been on ice 


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## HighCotton

Try'n Hard said:


> As a general rule I stick with the old saying that salt water is better for fishing and fresh water is better for eating... And since the old saying doesnt say.... I put all the inshore fish in the freshwater category!! Here's the lineup
> 1)crappie
> 2)tie - shell cracker and bluegill
> 3)flounder
> 4)tie - redfish and mullet
> 5)grouper
> 6)tie - white trout and speckled trout
> 7)Cobia
> 8 pompano
> 9)freshwater catfish
> 10)tie - croaker and amberjack


White Trout better than Cobia & Pompano? ... You sho bout dat?


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## Try'n Hard

HighCotton said:


> White Trout better than Cobia & Pompano? ... You sho bout dat?


Haha - actually- kinda wanted to move it up on the list but knew someone was gonna bust me out about that. Fresh, skinless, fried white trout fillets just can't be beat. Easy to clean and plentiful!!

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## Lyin Too

Uggh, eating Spanish? What happens when you get excited and have an underbite?


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## Wolfithius

*great thoughts*

Thanks for the great comments to answer my question and provide a nice dialogue.

I think I will gut and ice all my fish. 

I have had mullet twice and did not care for them. I liked the Spanish better. I am good with an grouper or snapper. I have not caught my first pompano, trout or king.

I live in Niceville and am always looking for instruction, advice or a good ride (glad to pay expenses).


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## MrFish49

If you aren't gutting immediately, poke them once in the throat and bleed them out.


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## hittman2001

are these any good for bait?


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## agbiv

*Spanish*

Yes they're good for bait and chum--because of the natural oils. Also head is good for crabs and shark.

Gut, head, fin and tail the fish. Lightly make some veritical slashes in the skin 1" apart on both sides.

Two layers of wide foil, shiny side in and shiny side out--savvy? Lightly rub or spray *LIGHT* olive oil on the inside foil (no solids to scorch or burn).

Layer sliced onion to act as bed for fish. Sprinkling of fresh cracked pepper. Lay on fish. Douse with lime juice or lemon juice. Cover fish with very thinly slice naval orange (no pips). Another layer of onion with pepper. NO SALT--you don't need the sodium anyway. A few pats of real butter wedges spread out evenly. If you like spicy use Tony Chachre's No Salt seasoning--just don't breath any dust and wash your hands right away--just in case you touch some tender parts...like your eyes (I know what you were thinking).

Curl foil over fish and roll edges together lengthwise. Roll ends--like you'de make a HOBO dinner. 

Bake in oven at 400' F for 18-20 minutes or on the grill (do not flip) for about 25 minutes.

Be careful when opening foil--you could steam you digits.


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## shootnstarz

badonskybuccaneers said:


> I really think mullet aren't necessarily an acquired taste, most people really like them .....but I really think some of their flavor has to do with their environment and diet. So, if you have tried mullet and thought it tasted too gamey or "earthy"- don't write them off. I've had good tasting mullet, and I've eaten mullet I didn't care for. So- Give them a second chance- also, in my opinion, any fish is better the fresher they are.


Very true ! Mullet caught from Gulf Shores to Destin, especially gulf mullet are not even in the same ball park as those from further east or west.

I caught a bunch when I was working in Gulfport, cleaned'um up and fried the critters. You could see the mud oozing out of their flesh as they cooked and mud was just what they tasted like.


Rick


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## Sarghah

are these any good for bait?


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## Bravo87

I'm taking notes


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