Edible fish and otherwise..............

[Bob Wright]

From my most interestin' recent post, Southern tradition..., there was comment made about smoking carp, the fish. Among the fish sold here in fish markets, the most popular is pond raised catfish. However, among the Black population, buffalo, carp, and gar are popular. I have driven by little turn-offs on the road and seen a pick-up truck with a big buffalo hanging from the ladder rack, offered for sale to passers-by. And many years ago while in Vicksburg, Mississippi I drove by a fish market to show my wife a sign reading "We have fresh gar!"

Many, many years ago, in the spring of the year, we often browsed along the ox bow lakes left by the receding Mississippi River. The water was all but depleted of oxygen and the only thing left alive were the gar, and these flopping around in their dying throes. We would plink these as we went by.

One day I shot one across a small lake with my .45, the impact of that slug blew the fish out of the water and hung up in a small bush. I heard "Wait a minute, Mister!" and a small Black boy came out of nowhere, grabbed the flapping fish and disappeared with it!

Bob Wright

 

[Fox Mike]

Never tried buffalo (we called them "sucker fish") or gar, but I do like smoked carp.

 

[gramps]

I lived in Charlottesville, Va while taking advanced medical courses at UVA. One of my neighbors was an Oriental Chef. At a block party, he had a whole 20lb carp that was baked whole. It was tasty, and a huge hit at the party.
Gramps

 

[coach]

As a kid, we caught a lot of carp in Bear Creek. It never occurred to us they were edible. Same thing with the eels we caught. The word was they were full of bones and the eels were to slimy to bother with once you got them untangled from your line.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

In my experience carp are indeed bony, but when smoked the little bones are so brittle they aren't a problem to eat. I still prefer catfish, though.

Once dressed out and cooked, eels are somewhat greasy when compared to catfish.

 

[toysoldier]

Carp were brought to this country by European settlers, who prized them for eating. A family friend once served us fish balls---chunks of carp dipped in a batter of pancake mix and 7-Up, then deep-fried. Melt-in-your-mouth delicious. At the Fin Inn north of Alton, Illinois I enjoyed a buffalo sandwich---half a fish, scored and deep-fried, on a toasted bun. Best fish sandwich I ever ate. And a co-worker told of how his half-Indian grandmother would serve up delicious gar. Snakeheads and all species of Asian carp are on the menu in their native lands. Sometimes, we're kinda stupid about what is and isn't edible.

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

Years back, an elderly friend pf my Dad, would give Dad smoked carp. He only smoked the rear tail section where there was no bone or cartlidge. And, he only smoked fish when the water was cold, ala late spring when the fish ran in the creeks and were in DNR fish traps.

 

[Dan in MI]

I bow fished for carp a lot as a kid. We’d give them away to those that asked. The rest fed Dad’s tomatoes and peonies.

 

[eveled]

I just recently discovered pan fish how to clean cook and eat them. I’ve been throwing them back my entire life. I was told they aren’t worth eating. Turns out they are the best tasting fish I’ve ever had. My son won’t stop raving about how good they are.

Nobody in the Northeast eats them.

 

[Heliman]

A related story....,

Back in 2000, my wife and I went to Florida to visit my Brother and his family. One day he took us to Lake Washington to go on an air boat ride with his brother-in-law. The boat would only hold 2 passengers. So, my brother and I stayed ashore while the girls went for a ride. While waiting, I noticed a couple of guys fishing from the bank near the launch. They appeared to be in their 60's, one white and one black. They were laughing and having a good time.
I walked over to them and started a conversation:
"How's it going guys?", I asked.
"Hey were fishin', all is good!" says one of them.
"So, what are you fishing for?"
"Gar."
"Are they good to eat?"
"They are okay..."
"So how do you cook them?"
One guy says, "Well, first you season them up, then you put it on a cedar board and bake it."
Then what?
"Well you take it out of the oven, throw away the fish and eat the cedar board!.."
I guess I made their day..... They laughed like heck and took a drink out of the jug they had nearby.
I will never forget that experience....

Dave

 

[Gator89]

A related story....,

Back in 2000, my wife and I went to Florida to visit my Brother and his family. One day he took us to Lake Washington to go on an air boat ride with his brother-in-law. The boat would only hold 2 passengers. So, my brother and I stayed ashore while the girls went for a ride. While waiting, I noticed a couple of guys fishing from the bank near the launch. They appeared to be in their 60's, one white and one black. They were laughing and having a good time.
I walked over to them and started a conversation:
"How's it going guys?", I asked.
"Hey were fishin', all is good!" says one of them.
"So, what are you fishing for?"
"Gar."
"Are they good to eat?"
"They are okay..."
"So how do you cook them?"
One guy says, "Well, first you season them up, then you put it on a cedar board and bake it."
Then what?
"Well you take it out of the oven, throw away the fish and eat the cedar board!.."
I guess I made their day..... They laughed like heck and took a drink out of the jug they had nearby.
I will never forget that experience....

Dave

I had the opportunity to try gar balls in LA. Gar balls are similar to salmon patties.

 

[Dan in MI]

I just recently discovered pan fish how to clean cook and eat them. I’ve been throwing them back my entire life. I was told they aren’t worth eating. Turns out they are the best tasting fish I’ve ever had. My son won’t stop raving about how good they are.

Nobody in the Northeast eats them.

I'm assuming blue gills, crappie, perch, sunfish, etc. Through the hard water (ice for those unaccustomed) they are even better.

 

[jimd441]

The cultural aspects of what fish we eat or don't eat are interesting. My father grew up trout fishing in the mountain streams of Pa. and then we moved to Maryland when I was a child. He taught us that (freshwater) trout and bass are good to eat as are members of the bluegill/sunfish family if you catch them big enough. Catfish and carp are not fish to eat, we were told, and never ate them or made any attempt to catch them. As an adult, I learned differently! In the meantime, I discovered salt water fishing which is where my fishing focus has been so catfish and carp eating has not been relevant, except for occasional catfish in a restaurant.

Jim

 

[Bob Wright]

The cultural aspects of what fish we eat or don't eat are interesting. My father grew up trout fishing in the mountain streams of Pa. and then we moved to Maryland when I was a child. He taught us that (freshwater) trout and bass are good to eat as are members of the bluegill/sunfish family if you catch them big enough. Catfish and carp are not fish to eat, we were told, and never ate them or made any attempt to catch them. As an adult, I learned differently! In the meantime, I discovered salt water fishing which is where my fishing focus has been so catfish and carp eating has not been relevant, except for occasional catfish in a restaurant.

Jim

Many years back crappie caught in Reelfoot Lake could be sold to the fish markets and then to local restaurants. Our favorite restaurant, Lakeview, had crappie dinners. I said it was as near to Heaven on earth to have a crappie dinner and return to Memphis for Memphis BBQ for supper!


Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

And, its as good as it gets:

Slingshot Charlie's in Galaway TN for fried catfish, fresh turnip greens, hush puppies, and chocolate fried pies with vanilla ice cream!


Bob Wright

 

[contender]

When I was growing up,, I was also told that carp weren't fit to eat & too many bones etc. Yet,, as a young teen,, I had a local lady,, a full blooded Cherokee,, who'd buy all I could catch. I took her many a tub full at a time.
Then,, one day,, she fed me some carp.
Boy did I learn differently.
Basically, like many things,, it's all in how you care for it & cook it when it comes to eating anything. AND,, of course,, many folks fail to try something because of what they were told WITHOUT any real experience.

 

[Tallbald]

I tried smoking a fish once but couldn't keep it lit. Went back to tobacco. Don.

 

[jgt]

Growing up in the south, I was a fried fish kind of guy. When I went to the Northwest, I was treated to the delights of smoked fish. I guess it is more what you are use to. As to the edibility of fish, most are edible.

 

[Daveboone]

Here in upstate NY, carp are associated with polluted waters that nothing else will live in...
Nearby we have Onondaga Lake, once the most polluted lake in the country...but it had carp. Every spring the shoreline would be covered in dead rotting carp. You could smell the lake for miles. It is much cleaner now, with a health population. Carp can be found almost anywhere, but easier to catch are walleye, northerns, perch etc.
We have burbot and ling ( a freshwater cod) that are usually caught from the ice. They are considered trash fish, but I know alot of midwest localities target them. I would like to try them but they arent caught as much as they used to be.
We also have sheepshead....a freshwater drum. They are a beautiful hard fighting fish with big scales. They also are considered trash, but I had a neighbor who loved them.
As time goes by, I think alot fewer fishermen are fishing for the frying pan and fishing for the "gloryj' species including (to me ) the inedible ugly too easy to catch bass, Walleye and yellow perch, northern pike and muskies.
Northerns are another fish alot of fishermen think are inedible. We love them...very sweet meat. We just toss back all the little ones (anything under 25") and only keep nice fat ones, the bigger the easier to cut around the y bones.

 

[krw]

I crappie fish 90% of the time. My favorite fish to eat. Catch quite a few spotted bass too. Those that are 12-13” eat just like Crappie. Aint never cleaned a buffaloe, but the ribs are really good and easy to eat too

 

[Uncle Howie]

As referenced by several posters, sometimes we can be surprised by the “less-loved” fish.

Freshwater drum (aka sheephead) are best if bled out and placed on ice, immediately.

Try preparing them using redfish recipes.

 

[powder smoke]

Yellow Perch in these parts is awesome! The meat is tight and flavor is great, cut the strap out
on either side of the dorsal fin. Many call it poor mans shrimp! We ice fish for them they're awesome ps

 

[phonejack]

Several years ago I tasted Buffalo ribs for the first time. Fantastically good eating !

 

[powder smoke]

I just recently discovered pan fish how to clean cook and eat them. I’ve been throwing them back my entire life. I was told they aren’t worth eating. Turns out they are the best tasting fish I’ve ever had. My son won’t stop raving about how good they are.

Nobody in the Northeast eats them.

I'm assuming blue gills, crappie, perch, sunfish, etc. Through the hard water (ice for those unaccustomed) they are even better.

Ice fishing on Winnipasaukee we'd catch beautiful Yellow perch fillet them out they are like eating shrimp.
The meat is tight the flavor is great back side of Bear Island is the honey hole. Hard water fishing naturally! ps

 

[Achigan]

Asian carp is delicious. The ones are big and easily avoidable, the mild tasting firm white meat has it own with cod. There is a reason they aren't a problem in Asia...

 

[arky65]

Gar balls are the bomb. We eat Gar all the time beautiflul white meat. Pain to skin out but worth it.

To each their own.

 

[Danjet500]

Yellow Perch in these parts is awesome! The meat is tight and flavor is great, cut the strap out
on either side of the dorsal fin. Many call it poor mans shrimp! We ice fish for them they're awesome ps

You are right. There's not much better than yellow perch, although halibut is damn good too. Western Lake Erie is full of perch and walleye.

 

[Mobuck]

"Gar balls are similar to salmon patties."

Last week we (IMHO) ran the gamut of "edible fish" meals. Grouch Attack got an air fryer and was trying it out. She'd "found" some bass and bluegill filets while cleaning out the freezer before deer season so those were coated with some sort of seasoning stuff and came out quite good considering how long they might have been hidden in the freezer. A few days later, she made "salmon patties" and fried them in a cast iron skillet. I ate the results rather than cause a big fight when I tossed them out to the cats but it wasn't anything to brag about. Sort of the +1 vs the -10 of the edible fish scale.

 

[bobski]

trafe. how anyone can eat vacuum cleaners of the water world is beyond me.