I understand some folks do not prefer them.

But I was surprised that the gafftop cleaning video had more views in the first week than any other video I've posted. It turns out over 2000 viewers have been interested how to clean a gafftop.

It was something of a surprise that there has been more interest in my gafftop cleaning video than in my videos for catching bull reds from the beaches or in the passes. A lot of folks seem to be interested in giving them a try or improving the technique they are currently using to clean them.

you got a video on how to clean a stingray???????????

heard they was good eatin but for the life of me I have no idea how to cctually clean one or whats edible on them suckers lol (I heard its just the wings)

I've never caught a stingray, nor have any been caught from my boat or by my family fishing the beach. Five years ago, my son caught a small one on my brother's boat, but we cut it off and threw it back.

Last week at the jetties, a boat close to us caught a really big one fishing mullet on the bottom just like we were. I'm not sure why we don't catch them, but we don't.

I am working on some more cleaning videos: bull reds, drum, channel cats, etc. But to clean them, you gotta catch them. I'm thinking about some cooking videos also.

Seriously anyone interested in getting on some gafftops needs to head out to Da Bay.

If the title existed VBay would be known as the Gafftop Capital of The World. If they were a sport fish, it would be the premier fishery on the gulf coast. They can be found with ease pretty much anywhere out there but no area holds more Tops than Southwest Pass. I am pretty sure the creator carved it out just for them like a little slice of heaven. Its hard not to catch them when you don't want to most days. I imagine if you tried it would be next to impossible not to fill the boat. They are always there and always seem to be eating.

I've only tried to catch them once. Last summer after a long day of casting, burning gas, and casting some more. I saw some birds working in the pass and knew exactly what was under them. I stopped and let the guys I had with me wear them out. They put 40 in the boat in about 30 min. They are fun to catch when, especially if you have been fishing all day without a bite. I don't guess I am cool enough to not enjoy a gaff top beatdown. I don't think it would have been as fun if we didn't keep them so we did. I gave them to my neighbor. He told me he used them for crab bait but it turns out he cleaned them and sold them. Had to use hydrochloric acid to clean the fish box but it was worth it. All the Gafftop video talk reminded me of it. In case you missed it last time here it is.

https://youtu.be/wtZYfrig2lk

Awesome post. Great info.

We just spray the ice chest with the hose and leave it in the sun to dry.

They are good and bad to clean. Granted I've never caught a real big one. I laid it flat on a table and cut through the skin along the ribs and along the back bone and continue filleting the skin off out to the edge of the wing. Next I filleted the wing meat off of the skin on the bottom of the wing.

the last time I looked, I never saw any videos on youtube for cleaning stingrays but I just searched again, and now I see some videos showing how to clean stingrays

this guy makes it look so easy and simple to do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YiafYmAMVg

so you just pull the skin off then like some people do with catfish

ahh, after watching a few videos, I see there is a "backbone like" cartilage down the middle of the wing that the meat should be trimmed away from for ready to eat frying fillets, otherwise its like cooking "bone in" fish you have to separate from the cartilage

I have an aluminum one, it makes a "ting" sound when you bust em. like hitting a home run

I caught a stingray at the cameron jetties a couple years ago. I was using 40 pound braid and did all I could to keep it from just out running me and spooling my line. It went about 100 yards and went under another boat and wrapped up two of their lines that they had out and then I got it headed back my direction. They cut their lines so I could finish fighting it. About 30 minutes later I was disappointed when I finally brought it up to the boat and saw what it was. I cut it off quickly. No idea what it would have weighed but had interest in finding out.

Kudos to the peeps in the other boat who cut their lines so you could fight your fish.

That sets the bar pretty high. We usually get our lines up quick if someone has a fish headed our way, but other boats have not been so courteous.

Best thing to do with a sailcat is stick um in the throat by the head and rip'm to the anul fin and throw them back......crabs got to eat too......

Sabine has a nice population too. I have had some crush a topwater during the summer make you think its a nice trout. But I think your right about V bay holding the gaff top crown.

This picture was up in Lake Charles [near I-10].

I was catching big drag pulling Sail cats 4:1 on trout. The trout were about 14-16 inchers, so I kept at it while it lasted.