sail catfish any good to eat?????

Recipes for Fish and things that go with it, also Fileting and Cleaning tips.
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ki4iwd
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sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by ki4iwd »

i catch these regulary and allways released them. but saturday i was on jekyll island pier and caught one and this guy came over and politely gave the what ever for not keeping " the best tasting fish in the ocean" . i gave him the next 2 i caught. he said they grilled them with the skin on after cleaning but not removing the head. growing up we would catch these and i have allways been told you could not eat saltwater catfish. so someone please enlighten me, i may have been missing out on something all my life.

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james380
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by james380 »

Ricky you also eat blue runners.

I'm sure you can make just about any fish taste good. If you can't just fry it up with salt, pepper, and butter and enjoy it then I have no interest.
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PhishingPhanatic
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by PhishingPhanatic »

I have heard they are good too. I cannot bring myself to eat one however, too many other good fish out there.
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james380
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by james380 »

I have tried trigger and you couldn't tell the difference between that and snapper.
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PhishingPhanatic
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by PhishingPhanatic »

Triggerfish is one of my favorite fish. Taste and consistency is very similar to lobster IMO.
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GO4EM
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by GO4EM »

rare wrote:
james380 wrote:I have tried trigger and you couldn't tell the difference between that and snapper.
I have no doubt they taste great- but just looking at them & having to clean them is the off part about it. It's the same for you James as cooking the fish with the head still on. lol Rather see them swim away if I catch them, but put a plate in front of me is a different story.
pretty easy to clean after you figure them out . and I totally agree with pp .
I'm with ya on the eating ric the only thing I say no to is the chubs . just say no to chubs
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fishnfool73
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by fishnfool73 »

I had a similar experience and kept a few to give away to friends. The fillets were white firm cleanand looked like farm raised freshwater catfish. I gave the fillets to some friends and refused to tell them what is was. All begged me for more and even guessed it was grouper or snook. I tried some and it was actually good. Blackened , fried , or breaded is the best way to cook it rolled in crumbled Ritz crackers and baked was my favorite. Give one a try but eat it fresh. The worst you'll do is throw it out . Funny how guys that eat pilchards and needlefish turn their noses up at gaffsail. You guys should try it sometime but make sure its sailcat and not normal seacat.
Dreaming the dream that one day I can be as good as some of the boatless pros and catch some 12 inch mangrove snapper.

ki4iwd
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by ki4iwd »

well i guess i wil try to cook one up as the guy said grilling with the skin on. as to if he was italian i have no idea just some ramdom guy staying in the campground on the island. most people lol at me when i tell them i like to eat crooker, so i caint say much about what most people eat from the sea.

salvadorsanchez
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by salvadorsanchez »

We catch quite a bit in the gulf, panhandle region off piers. We've caught them around 15 pounds or better. The guide in Appalachacola told us to keep them for sure while redfishing and trout fishing in 83 (before the ban on reds) He told us they were just as good, and yes, they were.

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on light line 6969
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by on light line 6969 »

ive heard many stories bout eatting them,they are just too slimy and a pain to remove from the hook most times,not only that they can cause you some pain if they get you with those fins,dont kill them just put them back if you have no use for them.PP is correct too many others u can eat. :happyfisherman:

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Bi0tic
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by Bi0tic »

I like them, taste just like channel cats IMO. The ones I have consumed were from the surf, not sure about ones caught from backwater areas.
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tears143
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Re: sail catfish any good to eat?????

Post by tears143 »

The normal sea catfish is also known as hardhead catfish. These guy taste like mud most of the time but in some months they taste really good. I don't remember which one. I toss the one I caught away all the time, don't like to deal with them.

The sail catfish on the other hand is very good eating. I have caught them recently at Sebastian Inlet, it seems like the rain has push them to the beach side of the inlet.

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