I did a little scouting of a new river called the Big Darby yesterday. Fishing a 3 inch slugo on a small jig head.. i flipped in twards a log next to the current.... WHAM.. this fish hit..like a ton of bricks, and headed straight for the current. I thought it was the biggest smallie I had latched on to all year....OHHHH was i wrong...it was a stinking.. slimmy catfish.

Sure was fun though!!!

vfr

I used to go catfish fishing when I lived in New York. Those little suckers sure do put up a fight.

Stefan

I HATE catfish............

if I were you, I would have tossed my rod in the water and gone home.

What's wrong with catfish?

Maybe this will sway your opinion a bit.

Cut the head off, and remove what interior crap you can. Butter some tin foil, and place it in there. Season both sides with salt, pepper, white wine worchestire, lemon, cube of butter on top and a bit of granulated garlic.

Wrap up the tin foil, and place on the grill. Doesn't take long, peels right off the boe and is quite flavorful. I haven't done this is a while, so I may be missing an ingredient or two 🙂

Stefan

Stephan,

I thought you had the day off! Stop working! You're making me hungry and I have at least an hour before I go to lunch!

But in all honesty, I thought the same thing. If the river is clean - I'd be eating some catfish tonight!

Oops, Sorry for spelling your name wrong. I meant Stefan. See what hunger does to me!

I agree with Stefan,

Only I use a slightly different recipe, though I will try yours out this afternoon Stefan.

I use the same method, with Butter, dillweed, and Jose Cuervo margarita mix. Any Tart Margarita mix will do, just not a sweet mix. Fresh dill is best, but dried will do in a pinch.

And I prefer my catfish to be less than 3 lbs. Any bigger than that, and you usually get an off flavor. As a ish gets larger, so does the buildup of toxins in their body. Larger fish are really not all that safe to eat.

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

You guys suck! I bought a bag of chips to hold me off! 🙂

As Homebrew knows, you never get a true "day off" in the restaurant world. Someone is always asking you something.

Dave-

The catfish we used to catch were usually in the low two pound range, so no worries there. I came up with this combo after my fishing buddy and I caught 6 one day. Went back to his place, and raided his pantry for seasoning. That's what I came up with. The margarita mix recipe sounds interesting though.

Stefan

Hey Stfan,

That recipie, came from necessity as well. LOL

I ran out of lemon juice one night, with a blackened snapper dinner special. I grabbed the Margarita mix from the bar, and the patrons loved it. After that, I started using margarita mix, in place of lemon juice, in almost all of my fish recipes. LOL I have even converted a couple of cajuns on the blackened snapper recipe. LOL

Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

my hatred of catfish is a psychological thing..........I've caught SO many catfish in the Indian river in Florida (yes the one that citrus grows by). You can't (or don't) eat those types of cats, but they sure can sting the **** out of you......and you always catch them when you are fishing for something else.

I have eaten mullet though.......and they are quite good.

Here in Louisiana on the Mississippi River some folks will tie down a hollow log underwater and bait it. Next day they come back, wade in, stick their gloved hand up inside the log and pull out massive catfish up to 80+ Lbs.

I never did this for fear of pulling out a water moccasin or 'gator, but I have seen it done.

Used to have friends who did that (noodling) on the Big Black River, and I agree with you, not my style of fising!

Charlie

I'm with Andy. When your fishin for bass the cats can get very annoying.

I see how you are Stefan, it's ok for other people to make a mistake and spell your name wrong but just one time I slip and slam!!!!!. Jeezy. peezy.

I don't eat bass so if I happen to catch a cat while bass fishing it goes in the live well.

Homie, I know several catfish guys that will not even keep one under 25 lbs. Now these are Blues and flatheads. Channels I agree with you.

The toxins really build up in the predatory fish. the entire state of IL is under a methyl-mercury warning.

I'll never understand how those noodling (catching big catfish with your bare hands) people do it. I watched 'em on TV wading in knee deep water and sticking their hands in underwater holes and under logs and rocks, and pulling out big cats. Me - I can't catch a catfish on a rod and reel, and get the ugly thing off the hook without getting speared three or four times! Ouch! Nothing hurts like getting speared by even a little catfish, and nothing I've found will make it stop hurting. Ouch! Cajuns are something else.

Can you explain "new river"? Mother nature sprung a leak, or new development? What causes a new river?

tuckersdad,

the only remedy I know of for getting speared is to apply the slime from the fish on the wound. This will diminish the stinging somewhat

The secret to removing the hook w/o getting speared is to have your friend suspend the fish in the air (hanging from the hook/line) while you beat it with a boat paddle.

Hey guys.. sorry.. our system crashed yesterday.. i was going through withdraws.

Im with Andy on this one!! I hate these slimy little bastages!!! Expecially when they latch on to one of my prize roostertials and i have to fight to get the thing back out of those nasty jaws.

I dont have a problem with them in most of the rivers i wade.. and I rarley use live bait. Its seems to be a rare thing when a cat hits an artificial lure.

Although im a hypocrite.. and i love shrimp.. im not much for eating bottom feeders!! So this boy went back in the river!!

v