Thanks Westytoo I'll look it up. The catfish I used to get up North look and smell pretty ordinary, but the ones I've been getting out the bay almost look clean and at a stretch might even be OK. I suppose its just getting past the fact they are catties. I know the freshwater fisherman really rate the eel-tailed catfish for eating so I suppose the saltwater ones from clean open water may be OK too.
Will give one a go when I next go if no other fish gets landed.
Cheers
I can't believe that I'm admitting to this, but I have eaten Moreton Bay caught Catfish.
I caught a big one over on Moreton during a camping trip a few months ago. I joked that if we didn't catch anything better, we were having Catfish for dinner.
Well, we didn't catch anything better (the drinking may have been partly responsible?).
I fried a few small chunks for us to taste.
One guy loved it. He said it was some of the best fish he'd ever eaten. I don't trust him anymore.
Actually the taste wasn't the problem, it had no real taste, it was the texture. It was akin to eating flavourless chicken. (Maybe if it was soaked in milk, the flesh may have been softer?)
However, I tossed it in the camp oven with a bunch of other stuff, in an attempt to make a random, drunken, fish stew.
What came out was not unlike a seafood paella, and was actually sen-bloody-sational (maybe the drinking, again?).
If I caught nothing better, and was going to starve otherwise, I would eat Catfish from the Bay again. Or turn it into another stew.....
Hmmm... Catfish stew. Delicious? They say don't knock it till you try it but.... It's catfish. I wonder how a toadfish would go? Hmmmm nah
That's a nice fish you caught... Do you mind if I use it for bait.
Just counted over 50 catfish this morning in Manly marina. The smallest were over 70cm. Just slowly swimming around in schools of 6-20+ in the shallows.
Duncan
Yep saw some down there (Manly Harbour) a week or two ago!...they were there last year also.....couldn't work out what they were for a while could just see the big forked tail.....I actually thought for a bit they were threadies until I got a better look!
I had the same thought (Threadies), My heart skipped a beat or two, till I realised what there were. Still, quite impressive. I'm wondering if it may relate to spawing.
Went fishing over at Macleay on Tuesday and thought it was a 70cm snapper sans the head shakes and after a while longer thought it might be a cod . Turns out to be a 80cm+ catfish followed by 5 brothers and sisters. Never have caught so many catties. Used lures as well and hooked up 4 times but got 1 42cm into the boat the others were only holding on to the tails except for 1 that bit my lure off with 6lb fluro.
Yep.
We tried them in a curry. Fairly awful but you could survive on them if you had to.
Safe boating to all.
Cheers Greg
Sorry forgot to mention that the lure caught fish were Squire. Still can't get myself to call them Snapper .
'You can live on it.... But it tastes like shit'....:-)
I've been catching them in the Mooloolah river up the back waters on me kayak. The area looks great for Jacks, big rocks and ledges but the catfish are there. They take off on the 6lb braid and your hopes are up for a Jack but as soon as you see the silver you know what they are. I remember as a young fella using them for crab pot bait up in the Fitzroy river and getting heaps of crabs. 22 in one session with my Pop. Haven't had much luck down here with crabs as you need to sit on top of the pots to many share farmers.
I don't know if I could get past the slime to actually fillet one.
Went to same spot that I got all the catties at Macleay last night and never caught any catties at all.