# Eating croaker



## Coach950 (Aug 9, 2015)

Recently me and some friends caught a 10 inch croaker. Well I know that usually people either throw them back or use them for bait but I had the idea to cook him up and eat him. To be honest if we didnt soak in lemon juice for 8 hrs it would have been deliouces. Does anyone else have experience eating croaker or fish not normally thought of as table fare.


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## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

Eat them when I catch them. There one of my favorite fish out there


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Soaking any fish in lemon juice that long will ruin it. The acid cooks the fish. If you would have fileted it and fried it up it would have been good eating.


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## Coach950 (Aug 9, 2015)

Splittine said:


> Soaking any fish in lemon juice that long will ruin it. The acid cooks the fish. If you would have fileted it and fried it up it would have been good eating.


Yeah I realize that now we grilled him in tinfoil since we didn't have a fryer


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

I'll sell you some fat pinfish.


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

Just about like eating a Redfish just smaller unless you find some big Bulls


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Splittine said:


> Soaking any fish in lemon juice that long will ruin it. The acid cooks the fish. If you would have fileted it and fried it up it would have been good eating.


True. That's how ceviche is made. 30 mins in lemon/lime oil and it's cooked.


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## nathar (Jun 25, 2009)

I'd be happy to bring home a few croaker and/or sail cats, seeing how I completely suck at fishing. The ones I filleted and fried were good.


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## Smarty (Nov 23, 2008)

All you need is some hot grease and Zatarans. Croaker, whiting, or ground mullet fry up great. Especially if their still twitching when they hit the grease! Dang it now I'm hungry.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

Coach950 said:


> Yeah I realize that now we grilled him in tinfoil since we didn't have a fryer


Like said before they are just like redfish. Your mistake was the grill. no sea food should be baked or grilled. you ruin it. :notworthy:. I also know their is those that will disagree. :yes:


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## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

Fishing in South Louisiana as a boy, we had a shell pile that always held croaker, large ones. So if we did not catch two ice chests full of Specs, Flounder, and Reds, we could pass the shell pile and finish off with a bunch of croaker.

Heck ya they are good!!!


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

They are good..!! I've caught some big ones and cooked (fried) them with some Snapper and no one knew the difference.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Like others have said, Croaker makes good table fare. Salt, pepper those filets and fry them up in some hot oil and you have a great dinner. Do a PFF search for recipes and you can add some good sea food meals to your home menue.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Croaker is in my top 6


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## Cousin-it (Apr 10, 2012)

They eat just like a red to me been eating them for years!! Use to catch big ones over 20' out behind Rustys fish camp back in the 70s.


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## Desert Eagle (Apr 25, 2012)

I catch Spot - Croaker's cousin - from my dock. Ecxellent pan fish.


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## SWAngler (Sep 13, 2014)

Excellent eating! Meat is almost sweet. Before they kicked us out of the NAS turning basin, I used to load up on big ones next to the pilings. Haven't found a reliable spot since.


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## speckledcroaker (Mar 23, 2012)

Wirelessly posted

Guess I'ma old pcolian. Used to eat croaker all the time when i was kid. Little bony but tasted great. Back in the early seventies used to catch bigguns.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Back in the day, when I started saltwater fishing, our goal was to catch big croaker. We've eaten a many of them. Good stuff. I'd still rather eat them than you for bait. That's what Ruby Reds are for. haha And sand/white trout.


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