The catfish from HELL

[loose rivet]

Re: The catfish from HELL

I've been eating the larger one's for years, never heard them to be 'bad' table fair. Their quite tasty done right.
The little one's do have sharper barbs, I just flip them off the line like an oyster cracker with a dehooking hook.
It does depend on where you catch them and what they've been eating. The one area I catch most of mine is full of crabs, which is what I find in their stomachs most of the time. If they eat garbage, they taste like it. One river here is loaded with cats, just downstream of a sewage plant. I couldn't imagine what they taste like.

 

[catfishcarl99]

Re: The catfish from HELL

well with my user name one can prob tell ive caught a few. 57 to be precise. in 2012 that is so far. about all i presue. they say the belly slime does help. though ive never done it. asside from a poke or two and a slice they have never inflicted a full blown stab on me. guess its from the years of experience in handeling them. i know use a lip gripper. they (over 5 lbs can be impossible to hold when they do a roll or flop. the lip gripper wont let em come out.

when cleaning a catfish the taste can vary. the red meat in the laterial line produces a strong taste thats not favored to many. i remove this after i fillet them. also there is often a yellowish fat inriched meat strip along the top. if yellow in color it too should be cut off. and i fillet them from the skin with an electric knife. just pulling off the skin with pliers leaves the silver skin on. also adds to the muddish taste. in the belly meat (easily seen in frozen catfish nuggets at stores) theres a silver lining on the inside. this should be removed by scrubbing with thumbs under cold running water or a wipe or two with a brillo pad. what you are then left with is the white mild meat wich is very good. the red turns to a gray paste after its cooked and fouls the taste somewhat.