# Stingray size/taste



## Pop Rivet (Jan 7, 2022)

I had stingray for the first time a month or two ago. We shot a fairly small on, maybe just larger than a dinner plate, and it was excellent (battered and fried). 

This weekend, my buddy shot a large one, probably 30+ inches across, and it was terrible. Are the big ones typically terrible, or did I screw something up? How big do you folks usually keep them?


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## Boardfeet (Sep 27, 2007)

Never are one…….that I know of.


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## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

Rumors are that some of the big scallops in restaurants are stingray. I've never tried one either.


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## Walton County (Aug 23, 2016)

How did you clean it? You have to fillet the meat off the center cartilage.
The scallop thing is just rumors cause the meat is nothing like a scallop. It gets firm and is striated.


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## Pop Rivet (Jan 7, 2022)

Walton County said:


> How did you clean it? You have to fillet the meat off the center cartilage.
> The scallop thing is just rumors cause the meat is nothing like a scallop. It gets firm and is striated.


Yeah, filleted it right off. A lot like cleaning a flounder, I would say. The big one had a lot of bloodline in the meat up against the center cartilage, so I cut as much of that away as I could, but still had a bunch in between the striations. 

Cleaning the little one, there's no way I could see the scallop thing being real. The big one, maybe. If you pull/cut each striation apart, the portion closer to the body is about the same diameter as a scallop, so...? Chopped into pieces and battered/fried, maybe.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

The taste will very depending on where they are living and what they are eating. Like a shark They need to be bleed and iced Asap. (Copied and pasted this) Fake scallops fall into the same category as crab sticks, in that they are both imitation seafood products made from *some kind of processed fish paste*. Scallops of this kind are often made of shark, skate or stingray meat, that is flavored to make it taste like actual scallop.


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## Catchemall (May 8, 2018)

I've only tried it once, and that was enough. That ray was probably 2 feet across, those striations were like a gristly gelatin if that's possible and it just wasn't good to me. I've heard of others that love them.


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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

Ha, you use a cutter to cut the wings to mimic scallops. Some folks that's never had real scallops don't know the difference. 
I'd have to say if the big one had a foul taste, stay with the smaller ones.


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

Stingray getting battered, sail cat getting fileted and it all prepped on the pan ready to eat. I have eaten it a few times. When you think you are skunked..... I can aleays find something to eat. Fed a dozen folks, no one complained!!!!


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

jaster said:


> Stingray getting battered, sail cat getting fileted and it all prepped on the pan ready to eat. I have eaten it a few times. When you think you are skunked..... I can aleays find something to eat. Fed a dozen folks, no one complained!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Heck ya! That looks great! back when I pulled a trawl for shrimp and bait/chum. The bigger ray's I would wack the tail cut the gills let them bleed. Put on ice. Fillet them and lightly Poach them in a light crab boil mix and fry that pretty dang good. A real deal racoon ass showed me this and it's great! Works as well or better with Gar.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Smaller rays are better IMO. Cownose ray are tastier than Southern Ray.

Sailcats are just as good as freshwater Channel cat.


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

Veal of the sea 








Would you eat a cownose ray? Virginia hopes so


For four years now, the state has worked to reduce the number of shellfish-eating rays in the Chesapeake Bay by adding a new predator to the waters - humans.




www.pilotonline.com


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

cownose are the only ones i've eaten. i have never had it fried, only baked or poached with cajun seasoning. the first one i caught a long time ago was at the 331 bridge at phillips inlet. the lady next to me fishing said, i don't eat them critters, they taste funny. i said you got to know how to cook it.
jack


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## Corpsman (Oct 3, 2007)

CurDog said:


> Ha, you use a cutter to cut the wings to mimic scallops. Some folks that's never had real scallops don't know the difference.
> I'd have to say if the big one had a foul taste, stay with the smaller ones.


You have actually, personally done this with good results? I know a few people who tried with horrible results. I have been told it's impossible to cut scallop-shaped rounds due to the cartilage, and there was no way anyone would ever mistake it for scallops.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Corpsman said:


> You have actually, personally done this with good results? I know a few people who tried with horrible results. I have been told it's impossible to cut scallop-shaped rounds due to the cartilage, and there was no way anyone would ever mistake it for scallops.


They have to big enough to filet then separate the individual muscles then lay those flat and cube them. I guess you could use some kind of round cutter. Still not gona be very close to a scallop though.


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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

Corpsman said:


> You have actually, personally done this with good results? I know a few people who tried with horrible results. I have been told it's impossible to cut scallop-shaped rounds due to the cartilage, and there was no way anyone would ever mistake it for scallops.


Some years ago, you buy a pack of plastic "cutters" and with different cut shapes. Worked real well. 
Yes, I've done it. Didn't say it looked like scallops, nor taste like scallops (it didn't, but it was still good eats). Just said people who've never had real scallops don't know the difference. 
I read somewhere a few years back, some restaurants were using grouper meat and selling as scallops? 
Same with venison and kids. We told them it was steak and they ate it up. Tell them its deer meat, and they'd refuse to eat it. 
Yes, I know neither taste alike, but some people in their mind, accepts it as steak, venison, scallops, etc. 
Just like the fake lobster tail. The fake stuff doesn't taste nothing like lobster to me, but others (my mom) swore it was real lobster. The longer you boiled it, the bigger it'd get. Reminded me of a sponge. lol


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