Trash Fish Dining

[Taproot]

If you order "Snapper" in any restaurant (not Red), you are eating Sheepshead. A lot of people consider them trash, but I love Sheepys.

[saute86]

Originally Posted by swamp snorkler

You talked to Saute?


My family has never considered puppy drum to be a trash fish. If you keep smaller redfish to eat and throw back black drum of the same size you aint cookin with the oven on.

Wasn't me. To me a red is a trash fish. It has a tangy taste. I do agree with small drum and croaker as good eating. I once feed all the guys at the SWLA fishing club Bonita. I told them it was smoked yellow fin. They said it was the best tuna they ever ate. You should of seen the look on their faces when I pulled a Bonita head out of an ice chest. Its amazing what a bucket of brine and ice can do in a few hours.

[Clampy]

I will eat a sheepshead over a red and drum any day. Not all that hard to clean if you don't cut through the ribs just kind of go over them.

[I make oil]

I keep it all except hard heads, gaff tops and big drum. I know enough people some one will take them and be glad to get it. We prefer to fry trout and bake Reds or Puppy Drum. Sheepshead are good fried too.

[mr crab]

I'm actually frying drum tonight. We caught a bunch last night. They were feeding with the specks. Only kept 4 tho. Gonna have a bunch of people over for the fish fry and to watch the UFC fight. I'll keep the drum and trout seperate and not tell anybody what either platter is holding, then ask people which they like better, platter 'A' or platter "B'. Oughtta be a pretty good test

[mr crab]

I personally like most fish I've ever eaten. I once pan seared some huge bluefish immediately when we returned from short rigging. They were excellent! I tried freezing some and thawed them for a fry.......not so good. I think most fish is good if it is never frozen.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by saute86

Wasn't me. To me a red is a trash fish. It has a tangy taste. I do agree with small drum and croaker as good eating. I once feed all the guys at the SWLA fishing club Bonita. I told them it was smoked yellow fin. They said it was the best tuna they ever ate. You should of seen the look on their faces when I pulled a Bonita head out of an ice chest. Its amazing what a bucket of brine and ice can do in a few hours.

I always thought bonito would be good eating, they are basically a tuna. I know the guys in Florida keep em, but they also keep king mackerel. I have eaten king mackerel and I just do not like em, we had a guy fish with us from New York and he let us keep his red snapper to let him catch and keep each of 'our' king mackerel Whatever floats your boat I guess

[MarshRat89]

Had a guy I used to work with frying fish on the barge one day. When I asked him what it was he said "just eat it" turned out to be mullet. It wasn't to die for but it wasn't half bad.

[Clampy]

I grilled a king once and it tasted fine.

[Gasper Master]

i haven't ever been able to tell the difference b/w sailcat and channel or blue cat.... If the pickings are slim or we don't have fish in the box yet, I will keep a few sail cats.

[mr crab]

Originally Posted by mr crab

I'm actually frying drum tonight. We caught a bunch last night. They were feeding with the specks. Only kept 4 tho. Gonna have a bunch of people over for the fish fry and to watch the UFC fight. I'll keep the drum and trout seperate and not tell anybody what either platter is holding, then ask people which they like better, platter 'A' or platter "B'. Oughtta be a pretty good test

tURNED OUT ABOUT 50/50. Some liked the drum better, some liked the trout. I liked em both

[mcjaredsandwich]

I didn't eat any, but the Vietnamese sand blasters we had on board for 6 weeks were catching and cooking hardtails and what we call "turd hustlers"....stunk up the galley.

Asked them if they were keeping them for bait, they said no no we eat. Jaw dropped for a moment.

[Bdub]

Yea puppy drum 16-20max, some people don't know that not all drum will have worm problems. They act as a host to the parasite and it just depends on If the area they stick around has a high parasite content or not. Also have had trout with tons of worms. I've had sheepshead and it wasn't bad just tricky to clean. I catch enough trout (which I prefer, flounder is #1) to not need to keep other fish, but I do keep a supply of reds on the halfshell for the pit. I would rather eat a 12-14inch trout than a 3lber any day, I like my fish just thin enough to have a good crisp/fish ratio not too much fish. Now blackened speck that's another story!

[Clampy]

I really can't see a difference from a 3 lb trout and 14" trout. They both great. 5 lb ones taste good too.

[Bdub]

Its not a difference in meat I prefer just size...Some people like thick filets, I like mine somewhat "thin n crispy" if you know what I mean. Btw that palomar knot u recommended has been great, haven't broke off since.

[Gerald]

When you are frying the fish.....the smaller [thinner] ones are the best. The 16" and larger are kind of thick for frying, but great size for broling.

[Clampy]

Gotcha. Now I wanna go fry some trout.