Fishing Forum

everything i have tried tastes horrible. someone help me out!
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Search tube dude's recipe for one. Its a very good one just add a bit of McCormick perfict pinch!
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Did you catch 'em, or pick up 'chunks' at Walmart?

Ever try smoked catfish? Might change your tune.

One thing about cats is you wanna cook 'em down good. Light fish like trout, panfish - they cook quick and just have to 'turn white' or 'opaque' but cats - you wanna let them 'render' some.
Plus a good fillet job - cut out the 'grey line' - along the lateral. Avoid some of the belly meat, or on bigger cats - the tailzone too can be fattier. You see more of a yellow.

Simple basic spice - salt, pepper, garlic &/or onion, plus... for smoking I balance sugar (brown usually) against salt/pepper. aprika, touch of oregano...

I like 'em spicy - some cajun,or creole, or blackening spice - then baked long and low.
On a bed of white rice - nice.
You can marinade, wrap in bacon, and put 'em on a grill - in a basket helps.
Chopped and thrown into a Zatarain's Jambalaya rice mix (maybe some Chorizo too).
Then there's always the deep fried. But from reading (TD's) seems you're better off with a breading than a batter for cats - as they take more time to cook through - and you don't want the batter to burn before the fish is done. Panko breading and batters rock!

I think there's other fish folks say 'taste great' - but it's really because they don't 'taste' much of their own. Panfish, Walleye, other light white fish. Vs something that has more of it's own flavor, like catfish, salmon.

But lots of times - the fish is the conveyor of the spices, flavors applied. Though often the balance of spice flavor, vs LETTING the fishes own flavor come through.

fillet them and deep fry them. So good XD
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[cool][#0000ff]Most folks do not cook catfish long enough. It is dense flesh and requires more cooking to firm it up and make it more palatable. Do it right and it is great. Undercook it and it will be soft and have "off" tastes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are a couple of things. First, a [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=579140;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]link to a post[/url] on doing them on the grill. Great stuff.[/#0000ff]
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Here's one I would like to try:

Catfish Cakes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/catfish-cakes/detail.aspx
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all the cats ive eatin out of utah lake and the jordan taste like pond scum, i gueess i dont know how to prepare it right.
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Go to walmart and buy some of that louisiana deep fry its in a yellow packet cut them into chunks and deep fry. Just toss out the fingers and rings and license plates before you cook them.
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there is also a white string that runs through the fillet called a scent string you can pull it out with your fingers will get rid of the bad taste a cook at a resturaunt in cullman alabama showed me this .
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[quote Jazzperch1]all the cats ive eatin out of utah lake and the jordan taste like pond scum, i gueess i dont know how to prepare it right.[/quote]

Try TubeDude's recipie....I had his smoked catfish today.....yummy in the tummy man!

Also try the deep fry method....that is good too.

Don't give up on the kitties just yet...in the words of Tony the Tiger.....they are grrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeat!
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I know this is a little off topic but I recall you saying something about removing a red line on the fillets to reduce the fishy flavor. If that is the case then do you also want to remove said lines on other species like bass, perch, or bluegill? Or do they not have the oily concentrations that a catfish has? Sorry iam still learning how to fillet and so I may be miswording some things.
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[cool][#0000ff]On smaller "cookie cutter" sized cats...from Willard or Utah Lake...I may not bother with removing the reddish line of tissue along the lateral line. That is a different kind of flesh from the main body of the fish...mostly sensitive nerve tissue and is heavily "vascular"...bloody. It can taste strong in larger fish with a thicker red flesh line.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I remove it by first making shallow slices under the red flesh from both top and bottom. Then I start at the tail end, cutting and lifting the strip and running my knife up under it until it peels off...kinda like mini filleting. See the pic below.[/#0000ff]
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[inline "CATFISH STRIPS (1).jpg"]

[#0000ff]Most fish have some of this darker colored sensory tissue. But only larger fish of a few species really justify going to the extra effort to slice it out. Wipers are another species that are improved by removing the red tissue. Ditto for their larger half parents...the wipers. But their smaller parents, white bass, don't need it. You can cook them up without bothing with the red tissue and you won't even notice it. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The pic below is of a wiper. Same process. Shallow slices and then slice and lift.[/#0000ff]
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[inline "WIPER STRIPS.jpg"]
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This is pretty much all you need. Trust me.
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+1 love that stuff, and as a bonus - I've found it at the dollar store.

The 'red line' or 'grey line' - you only really need to worry on larger fish. Panfish - not a problem, small kitties, likewise. I'd say it's not till you're dealing with a 3# plus that you need concern over it.

I lik to smoke Salmon filets from the store with the skin on, but then after cooking, remove the skin, and scrape off the grey line (after cooking - looks more so) reduces a lot fo the fishy flavor.