(OT, again)...Bluefish in the Gulf?

[Steve Day]

Andrew,

They aren't the prettiest fish to look at in a picture, but they are beautiful in the water. When you get them on deck, they display beautiful colors as they expire. It's beautiful and sad at the same time, but the taste of the meat more than makes up for that.

You are correct, Dorado is another name used for them. That is more common down in the Caribbean (I believe that is the Spanish name for them).

I happy to hear that the girls will allow you to "play" with us. :wink: Would hate to lose you over a misunderstanding.

Steve

[ken connors]

back to blues, they can taste a lot better if you prep them right. the most important thing is to cut the head off and let them bleed out right away. fillet them and freeze them quick unless you plan to cook them the same day. they are very good smoked if you like that smoked flavor. they are fun to catch. i got six in under 10 min last month when a school of blues met up with a school of baitfish right in front me and the water errupted into a boil. very cool sight!

[Greg Luckett]

Funny you should mention mullet. When I lived in Florida we really enjoyed smoked mullet. Moved over here to Texas and got told "them things ain't fit to eat" Same fish' date=' from the same gulf

I love fresh blues- used to have a buddy in Jax who would bring the ones he caught to me cause he diddn't like 'em . His loss, my gain.

My wife doesn't like them either, but she's a tad strange cause she doesn't care for Kingfish either. Of course, neither of us really like flounder either- go figure [/quote']

A friend of mine used to catch Mullet in Mobil Bay and called it Mississippi bacon I told him that in Texas we used them for target practice and cut bait but never ate them. :roll:

Flounder tend to be bottom fish around the Texas coast anyway. I use to gig them at night in Moses Lake near Texas City. It was fun and really exciting when we would stir up the Sting Rays. Having caught Halibut off of Iceland I often wondered how closely they were related to the Flounder.

[Greg Luckett]

Yeah- Dolphin is really a good fish. Haven't caught one in years though' date=' since I haven't been sailing offshore. Inshore we like redfish, and my wife is MOST fond of shark on the grill. Have to admit, it ain't bad [/quote']

What sort of shark, Charlie? When I was living near Port Hueneme some neighbors would cook Blue Shark on the grill. It was pretty good eating.

My favorite fish for every day eating is the Croaker that I caught in Galveston Bay. We were dirt poor and that fish fed my parents and siblings for years. I loved to fish the bay and would go early in the morning before school and in the evenings when not working too. Most of the bait was captured using a seine net with one of my buddies right off the beach. Gaff Top cat fish was better but I don't remember catching any after 1965 in the bay.

[Charlie Jones]

Greg- our preference on shark is for Blacktips, but Hammerheads, Atlantic Sharpnose (better known as the Sand shark), and or Bonnets are ok too. There is now a one shark per day limit here in Texas, because they were starting to get a little scarce. Two years ago you were allowed 5 per day.

The big croaker runs that used to happen are pretty much a thing of the past now. Croaker are caught and used so heavily as live bait for Seatrout that they just don't get to the size the Golden Croakers used to achieve. Some of us wish that the"croaker soakers' would find another bait, but it ain't gonna happen. The Gulf and Sand trouts are still quite available though.

There's a Gafftop run that happens here in Matagorda bay every march, usualy within a week either way of the Ides. Most people fish them at night, using cut squid. We've done it and it's kinda fun, fishing by a campfire on the beach, but that fish is SO slimy you almost have to throw away a landing net after you've put a gafftop in it. They cook up pretty good, but sure are messy to handle.

Flounder are ALWAYS bottom fish and gigging is still a big deal here. they rig flat bottom boats with generators, lights and air motors to work the flats, gigging off the bow. Maybe we'll have to start keeping a flounder or two and trying different recipes. Mostly we don't like 'em cause there just isn't much taste to them by themselves. I think what we get here are Southern Flounder and Gulf Flounder, with the Southern being the most common and the largest. I don't think they are related to the Halibuts at all, other than they are a flat fish that feeds from ambush on the bottom.

I"ve GOT to go fishing. Man- Laura and I were given brand new 12 foot surf rods, with reels, for our joint birthdays last year ( Jan, Feb) and they STILL have the tags on them NOW we're busy on our own boats, but after NEXT weekend, which is already scheduled full, I'm going fishing!!!!! We'll just have to drive over to her parents beach place in Sargent.

[Greg Luckett]

Oh, Charlie, I am so envious of where you live. I miss salt water fishing more and more every day. I don't fish here because I have found fresh water fishing to be DULL. Well okay, I do sometimes throw a line in just to keep people from bothering me when I am napping while sailing or at the slip... .

Sand sharks huh? That we were taught was as worthless as Mullets. Something new for me to try.

I don't remember the Gaff Tops as being any slimier than any other sort of catfish. The meat is delicious and not bony. It has been over 40 years since I have had any. Sorry to hear about the Croakers...that is a real shame.

My regards to Laura and enjoy the fishing.....will you give us a report?

[Charlie Jones]

LOL- Yep- sure will, as soon as we get to go.

Right now, Laura has just finished recoating the brightwork on Necessity and is starting to finish up the topsides sanding on Tehani so I can shoot a coat of paint. I've been working in the fore cabin, replacing the furniture in there. It was a mess, so I ripped it all out except the water tank and have started over.

NEXT weekend we have another couple visiting and we'll be sailing all weekend. Perhaps some fishing, but maybe not.

so we're busy, but now it's a BOAT busy Here's what the new work in the forecabin looks like at the moment. Starboard side is a mirror image. Has a drawer, top loading bin in front of that and a front loading bin under the drawer. Gonna be storage above also, but that'll come after the bunk top is installed.

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[Craig]

My Gran used to tell a long drawn out story about how to cook Carp. Carp are a northern fish notorious for muddy bottom feeding behavior. Anyway, the recipe called for all kinds of special spices, vegetables, two new galvanized nails, and a clear pine board to stake the fish upon. Various wines were added and precise temperature control was required to get the fish just right. Once the prescribed cooking time was expired you were supposed to throw the Carp away eat the board and drink the sauce. Should work for Blues too Charlie