Thread: One man's trash... ;-)

Trash Fish Guide | Garden and Gun

Guide to Trash Fish

BY JED PORTMAN - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
From bycatch to unusual catches of the day, a growing appreciation for underutilized seafood is changing menus across the South

I get that magazine. It's a good one. I can remember when triggerfish were considered trash fish.

Yeah, triggerfish were tossed back the first time I ever went out deep sea fishing, and so were Amberjacks, because the were "wormy". That was in the mid '70s. My second time deep sea fishing, I sorta made a bad impression with the 1st Mate, cause I was keeping so much "trash". There were some recipes in a little ole thin book from Foodland that called for triggers and 'jacks. MMMM, good! Pasta salad with braised or boiled fish. Yoohoo!

Fish that I've heard called "trash fish" that I've tried and wouldn't hesitate to eat again:
Spadefish, Pinfish, Remora (only if somebody else cleaned it for me), Bluefish, Gafftop Catfish, Spanish Mackerel, Sheephead, Croaker,
White Trout.
So far LYs (yeah I'll try anything once, LOL) and Hardheads are the only strikeouts for me.

Originally Posted by JeremyD

Fish that I've heard called "trash fish" that I've tried and wouldn't hesitate to eat again:
Spadefish, Pinfish, Remora (only if somebody else cleaned it for me), Bluefish, Gafftop Catfish, Spanish Mackerel, Sheephead, Croaker,
White Trout.
So far LYs (yeah I'll try anything once, LOL) and Hardheads are the only strikeouts for me.

Remoras clean up just like every other fish when filleted - There's nothing objectionable or different about the process. Beautiful clean white meat with no aftertaste. I'm like you about the hardhead catfish. I tried it once and there was a slightly unpleasant aftertaste and consistency. I may experiment with hardhead catfish again one day, but not one day soon.
I like pinfish, too, but like remoras, you need to catch some big ones or a bunch of 'em to get a "mess". Sailcats - If other fishermen don't want them because of their protective slime, I'll certainly take them. What a great fish! It pulls hard, tastes great and has a unique appearance with the long barbels and dorsal fin - It's also quite a beautiful fish when you consider the evolution of it.

I haven't tried jacks yet. That's a target for this year. I plan on putting large chunks on the grill and flaking them into a fish salad with celery salt, dill pickle relish and mayo. That's how I cook kings - anything left from the grill goes into fish salad.