# Is there a trick to cleaning a sail cat ??????



## parrothead (Oct 1, 2007)

Caugth a few big ones today. Was wondering if theres a trick to skinning them ???Or do just filet them normally ?? Thanks

Scott


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

i always filet them normally. they do have some wierd bones behind their heads so the fillets will be smaller than you might think, but they eat just fine, nice white meat. enjoy!


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

Parrothead.....

My method is a little messy.......!!

1st -I get 4x8 piece of OSB board or similar and lay it in the middle of my <U>neighbors</U> yard

2ndI make sure the fish is dead and lay very carfully down on his left side

3rd - I stick a Cherry Bomb







down deep in his stomach with a long fuse

4th - I tell everyone to step back, light the fuse, run and ....BAMMMMM he's all cleaned!









*Just kidd'n, after you eat let us know if its any good!*


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## Bryan Bennett (Dec 29, 2007)

I find them pretty tasty, just not much yield. Almost not worth cleaning him if he's under about three pounds.

Two ways to clean them; you can fillet it them as per normal, trimming the red out of the meat, of course. The fillets are white and fry up nicely. Secondly, you can skin them just like a freshwater cat. I used to nail them to a fence, through the head. Then score the "neck" with your knife, behind the gill plates. Next, using skinning pliers, just rip the skin off the fish. Head him and gut him, and leave the body whole. Then you can prepare the whole fish like you would any other.

Fuel prices and other factors have made me much less snobbish about what kind of fish I will keep for the table, lately. Sail cats ain't bad...


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I second what bryan said, both on how to filet and on feeling less snobbish about what kind of fishI eat.


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## tom1s (Oct 4, 2007)

The meat is pretty darn good if you can deal with cleaning them. Its not worth it if they are less then 5 lbs cause the bone of the skull is huge and the fillet is much smaller then the fish looks. I haven't eaten one in years but I always *start with the hose and spray off all that thick slime. * Fillet as any fish...batter and fry, fillets or nuggets...white meat, tasty catfish just a lot more trouble.


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## cobe killer (Apr 13, 2008)

you dig a hole about 2 ft deep for eachsail cat,about a foot apart( in the area where you garden will be next year) toss in sc cover and pack dirt tightly. your tomato's,bell peppers, etc. will taste great. you wouldn't eat out of a garbage can would ya? so why eat the can?oke


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

The trick to cleaning sailcats is to startfilleting behind the stomach,don't even cut into the gut sack.The tail section is the only part of the fish with a fillet. Leave a little meat on the skin when skinning the fillet. This will eliminate most of the blood.


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

<P align=center>*So Scott, was it any good?*<P align=center>


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

I usually clean them by cuttingmy line right above where the blobs of slimestop. :sick


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## Bryan Bennett (Dec 29, 2007)

Anyone here like oysters? Or crawfish?


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## parrothead (Oct 1, 2007)

Ok, my wife cooked it yesterday and since im not allowed to eat fried food anymore, i didnt have any. My wife said it was ok. On a scale of 1-10,she gave it about a 4. She said next time we will just let them go. Not alot of meat on them.Alot of work for so so fish!!!!!!! :banghead:banghead

Scott


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## Coryphaena (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Bryan Bennett (10/19/2008)*Anyone here like oysters? Or crawfish?


Mmmmmm... visceral masses and hepatopancreas..... :hungry:hungry


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## SolarFlare (Oct 3, 2007)

> *Coryphaena (10/19/2008)*
> 
> 
> > *Bryan Bennett (10/19/2008)*Anyone here like oysters? Or crawfish?
> ...


I have some Visceral masses on ice in the garage right now! Raw last night, May steam some Mullusk-a-nosis tonight!








<P align=center>*Scott, glad you got thru the Sailcat, even better , you couldn't eat any!*<P align=center>


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## Bryan Bennett (Dec 29, 2007)

> *parrothead (10/19/2008)*Ok, my wife cooked it yesterday and since im not allowed to eat fried food anymore, i didnt have any. My wife said it was ok. On a scale of 1-10,she gave it about a 4. She said next time we will just let them go. Not alot of meat on them.Alot of work for so so fish!!!!!!! :banghead:banghead
> 
> Scott


Nothing a little Zatarain's Wonderful Fish Fri and some Canola oil couldn't help...


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