You said "I'm actually targeting catfish. I feel like I hit rock bottom. I feel like a parent using his kid's lunch money to buy heroin."!!!! I laughed SO freaking hard I dropped my phone that I was watching your video on. There is nothing like the straight up real life hard core humor of fellow New Orleaneans. You kill me, man! 🤣 Thank you for that. Ok, now I guess I will watch the rest of the video about fishin' and all...
I genuinely enjoyed this one. If I could make a suggestion (and I'm interested to know if people feel the same), it would be interesting to do a blind fold test of stingray, hardhead catfish, redfish, speckled trout, gas station fried catfish, and gafftop. Don't let them know what they're eating in an attempt to remove all bias and let the taste buds do their job. I bet we'll see people going "mmmmm" over things they'd throwback.
My two bits on gafftop, I keep a couple of the big ones so you can get big enough fillets, make sure to cut the red lateral line out. Be sure to get all of the red meat off and give that to the cat. Cook up the white meat and enjoy.Very sweet for a trash fish. For being able to tell when the oil is at the right temp you run a little tap water across your fingertips and flick them over the oil. When you get the snap, crackle pop from the droplets hitting the oil then you know its ready.
Exactly! You really have to cut out all of the red meat on most every fish to get the best tasting fillets. Marsh Man made a good video but got lazy at the fish cleaning station.
I wouldn't be surprised if the half or more of the restaurant catfish in Florida was gafftop. I think the only reason it is perceived as a trash fish is its ability to produce more mucous than a 2 year old cutting his teeth. They can make your cooler look like it was a breeding ground for alien spawn.
Great video I live in south Mississippi catch a lot of saltwater cats hardheads and gaftop. I do keep the bigger gaftop because we actually do like them.
I love them gaftops but I take out blood line and wash slime first - old salty soul told me to do them that way - they are actually different taste once blood line is out - plus just a hint of slime when cleaning changes flavor too
That fillet looks just as good as any speckled trout fillet. I'd really like to see a shift in mentality towards gafftops being a "food fish" rather than a trash fish.
I agree, however hopefully its not a giant shift! - I lived through the 'purdhomme' blackened redfish saga, that sucked hard! I don't want to see the sailcats dwindle in population from every jackleg out there now keeping them.
i brought 15 gaf tops home for a friend and it took me 30 minutes to clean the slime out of my ice chest. great video.........if this fresh water stays around, I'll be eating more catfish.
Man!! Really!?! I never throw one back!! I wish middendorfs would serve sailcats instead of that nasty farm raised b.s. I might eat there.. Once again the Man brings the truth to fishing vids and Louisiana!!
You should try a black cast iron pot for frying! They are great. I love sail cats or blue cats and I’m thrilled when they find themselves in my fish box :)
As a young kid in the '60's redfish were considered just above trash fish with no limits...most were thrown back when fishing....then along comes Paul Prudhomme and bam....the whole species was put in danger. Sheepshead is another sleeper fish. Harder to clean than reds or trout but delicious.
I threw back a 21 inch gafftop today and immediately wondered if I should have eaten it and came here to find the answer. I’ll keep the next big one that comes along.
I've always heard that you should bleed a gafftop before cleaning it, to get rid of any strong flavor - perhaps because those were small, it didn't matter.
I have made pretty good tacos out of sailcats Yes they’re nasty and slimy and pretty gross….(lol)…… to clean……. and it’s best to get big ones….. The thing is you need to get every bit of that red meat off the flesh….. and it’s best to soak them in buttermilk…..after draining off the buttermilk…. i’d season it with Cajun seasoning or blackened seasoning….. and either fry them or grill them….. What time on a tortillas… with some coleslaw, A little bit of onion, cilantro, Shredded sharp cheddar cheese .tomatillo Salsa…(it’s our cream you feel like) And mine were better than I got it one restaurant it was at Lol…. but then maybe it’s the cook
If I'm going to keep them on a particular day I will bleed them and the bloodline will be a lot thinner. It's a lot more "crucial" on ther 3-5lber's. Otherwise it gets pretty strong tasting. If not you end up having to cut out a pretty good bit of the meat.
I have eaten them and just like other fish the smaller ones are better. One tip on catfish, any catfish, you have to get all the grey fat off of them. The fat is what gives the strong “fishy” taste.
Also if any of you guys out there ever get unlucky enough to get finned by a gafftop or hardhead catfish just scrape a little of the slime off of it and smear it on the wound. It hurts like a bitch but I swear to you the slime will take the sting out! I’ve tried it, it works. ✌️
I heard plenty captains say it’s good eating and they bring it home for them selves. I personal have never eaten a snot shark but who knows I might give it a whirl now.
Hey marshman, what kinda braid do you use? i remember a few videos back u said power pro was junk. I need to respool new line. What should i buy? Edit:Fishing for bass in the basin
Hell some of them “ trout snobs” won’t eat redfish lol. Gafftop is good eating. Almost as good as channel mullet if you know what that is. And no it’s not a mullet.
I know….. Who is fishing in Carrabelle Florida…. and somebody told me the drum were no good!….. I don’t know with some people think….. What are the most prized fish redfish a red drum….: is no good who knew! lol
Glad you did this video as I have always heard that sail cats are "good" to eat. But honestly, I have never thrown one in the ice chest. Can't stand all the snotty slime. If times get real hard, I may try them, but if I can sink my teeth into ditch pickles, trout, redfish, etc..." I will always opt in that direction! Ha.
Rick, try throwing them inside an oyster sack and let it hang over the side of the boat. The sack will take all the slime off them. Be careful throwing them into cooler with thin sidewalls, their barbs will punch holes in them.
Todd, not a damned thing wrong with gafftops other than the slime. I wonder why people are reporting more than they used to when I was a kid. I wonder if less trawling has something to do with it. For me they fight well, eat well if you remove the red meat.
Vibrio vulnificus? No, because I don't have AIDS or hepatitis, and I'm not a heavy drinker. Besides, the waters I fish are low-salinity, and vibrio thrives in salty water.
You said "I'm actually targeting catfish.
I feel like I hit rock bottom. I feel like a parent using his kid's lunch money to buy heroin."!!!!
I laughed SO freaking hard I dropped my phone that I was watching your video on.
There is nothing like the straight up real life hard core humor of fellow New Orleaneans.
You kill me, man! 🤣 Thank you for that. Ok, now I guess I will watch the rest of the video about fishin' and all...
Yes I feel rock bottom too.. lol
I know what you’re saying…lol
But read my comment above
I genuinely enjoyed this one. If I could make a suggestion (and I'm interested to know if people feel the same), it would be interesting to do a blind fold test of stingray, hardhead catfish, redfish, speckled trout, gas station fried catfish, and gafftop.
Don't let them know what they're eating in an attempt to remove all bias and let the taste buds do their job. I bet we'll see people going "mmmmm" over things they'd throwback.
I definitely agree with you, but it would be tough to get them all on the same trip.
Depends on the gas station…
The stingray will win hands down
You gotta cut the red line out!!!!
My two bits on gafftop, I keep a couple of the big ones so you can get big enough fillets, make sure to cut the red lateral line out. Be sure to get all of the red meat off and give that to the cat. Cook up the white meat and enjoy.Very sweet for a trash fish. For being able to tell when the oil is at the right temp you run a little tap water across your fingertips and flick them over the oil. When you get the snap, crackle pop from the droplets hitting the oil then you know its ready.
Exactly! You really have to cut out all of the red meat on most every fish to get the best tasting fillets. Marsh Man made a good video but got lazy at the fish cleaning station.
Right 100%…. It’s that red meat that’s nasty get it off
I like to make fish tacos out of them….. People would never know it was that disgusting fish
I wouldn't be surprised if the half or more of the restaurant catfish in Florida was gafftop. I think the only reason it is perceived as a trash fish is its ability to produce more mucous than a 2 year old cutting his teeth. They can make your cooler look like it was a breeding ground for alien spawn.
Great video I live in south Mississippi catch a lot of saltwater cats hardheads and gaftop. I do keep the bigger gaftop because we actually do like them.
I love them gaftops but I take out blood line and wash slime first - old salty soul told me to do them that way - they are actually different taste once blood line is out - plus just a hint of slime when cleaning changes flavor too
That fillet looks just as good as any speckled trout fillet. I'd really like to see a shift in mentality towards gafftops being a "food fish" rather than a trash fish.
I agree, however hopefully its not a giant shift! - I lived through the 'purdhomme' blackened redfish saga, that sucked hard! I don't want to see the sailcats dwindle in population from every jackleg out there now keeping them.
Have to get all the red crap off the filet….. I make fish tacos…..
Sometimes that’s all I catch….. and I’d be lucky to get a redfish(lol)
i brought 15 gaf tops home for a friend and it took me 30 minutes to clean the slime out of my ice chest. great video.........if this fresh water stays around, I'll be eating more catfish.
Gafftop are really good.
Man!! Really!?! I never throw one back!! I wish middendorfs would serve sailcats instead of that nasty farm raised b.s. I might eat there.. Once again the Man brings the truth to fishing vids and Louisiana!!
👍
I have no problem eating a Gafttop. I hear they where good so i brought some home from one of my trips and enjoyed them deep fried.
You should try a black cast iron pot for frying! They are great. I love sail cats or blue cats and I’m thrilled when they find themselves in my fish box :)
As a young kid in the '60's redfish were considered just above trash fish with no limits...most were thrown back when fishing....then along comes Paul Prudhomme and bam....the whole species was put in danger. Sheepshead is another sleeper fish. Harder to clean than reds or trout but delicious.
Thanks for this one. I have always wondered about gafs. I will keep them on a slow day from now on.
Be sure to get all the red crap off the fish… I make tacos
I threw back a 21 inch gafftop today and immediately wondered if I should have eaten it and came here to find the answer. I’ll keep the next big one that comes along.
That’s it. Gafftops will soon be on the endangered list. 🎣
ROTFLMAO!!!
PLEASE!!!
lol
cool to try out some new species - love this vid
They are good I eat them. But its usually a bad day when i have to keep those.
Great stuff. I love gafftop! It’s one of my favorites. I keep the big ones and remove the bloodline. It really helps. What’s the next catch and cook?
Yes you got to remove all that red crap
Been eating them for 50 years. Excellent table fare.
Nasty and slimy… A bitch to clean but they’re good
Try soaking them cats in butter milk to see if that makes em even better!
& Let us know, Keep up the good work I like 👍what you do👍
Shoulda got mullet, people here in Alabama love some fried mullet lol
I used to keep them years ago and eat them but lately just don't want to mess with how slimmy they are. Good video too👍
100% right they are very slimy and pain to clean….(but still I occasionally keep them to make fish tacos)
Joel doesn't admit when he's wrong or what? Haha, great video. I've been told it's good eatin', never tried it.
Also for bloody fish try painting yellow or brown mustard on the fillet before batter.
Interesting
Todd. Can you do a triple tail recipe video? When you come across one
PS
I do sauce picaunt with gaftops
Shaken not stirred 👍🏻
I like gafftop cubed and fried in beer batter
Yes you should have trimmed all the red off of fillets. Just like with all fish you gotta trim out the blood line. ✌️
Yea…. Get rid of all that red crap
I've always heard that you should bleed a gafftop before cleaning it, to get rid of any strong flavor - perhaps because those were small, it didn't matter.
Well, you've got the hot hand for frying fish, because whenever I do the kitchen looks like a flour bomb hit it.
I'll take a fresh gafftop over a shitty frozen farm raised fillet anyday. I keep the big ones and trim off all the bloodline and make catfish fingers
Gaftop is not bad. I bleed them before I put them on ice.
Where did you get the push pole?
hhlures.com
I have made pretty good tacos out of sailcats
Yes they’re nasty and slimy and pretty gross….(lol)…… to clean……. and it’s best to get big ones….. The thing is you need to get every bit of that red meat off the flesh….. and it’s best to soak them in buttermilk…..after draining off the buttermilk…. i’d season it with Cajun seasoning or blackened seasoning….. and either fry them or grill them….. What time on a tortillas… with some coleslaw, A little bit of onion, cilantro, Shredded sharp cheddar cheese .tomatillo Salsa…(it’s our cream you feel like)
And mine were better than I got it one restaurant it was at
Lol…. but then maybe it’s the cook
Never seen someone use a double rig with a cork before. I need to try it out. I love throwing double rigs in the fall n winter.
It's a great setup. I use it all the time.
If I'm going to keep them on a particular day I will bleed them and the bloodline will be a lot thinner. It's a lot more "crucial" on ther 3-5lber's. Otherwise it gets pretty strong tasting. If not you end up having to cut out a pretty good bit of the meat.
Gafttop is my favorite catfish, better than freshwater cats.
I have eaten them and just like other fish the smaller ones are better. One tip on catfish, any catfish, you have to get all the grey fat off of them. The fat is what gives the strong “fishy” taste.
Jo Jo has the da-dan over that gafftop 😂
Also if any of you guys out there ever get unlucky enough to get finned by a gafftop or hardhead catfish just scrape a little of the slime off of it and smear it on the wound. It hurts like a bitch but I swear to you the slime will take the sting out! I’ve tried it, it works. ✌️
I’ve learned that if you keep the slime on the line you catch more!
I heard plenty captains say it’s good eating and they bring it home for them selves. I personal have never eaten a snot shark but who knows I might give it a whirl now.
Never heard it called that before, but will remember that next time I need to diss a gafftop. lol
Hey marshman, what kinda braid do you use? i remember a few videos back u said power pro was junk. I need to respool new line. What should i buy? Edit:Fishing for bass in the basin
Fitzgerald Vursa or Daiwa J-Braid.
Hell some of them “ trout snobs” won’t eat redfish lol. Gafftop is good eating. Almost as good as channel mullet if you know what that is. And no it’s not a mullet.
I know….. Who is fishing in Carrabelle Florida…. and somebody told me the drum were no good!….. I don’t know with some people think….. What are the most prized fish redfish a red drum….: is no good who knew!
lol
O yea dey powerful....cracked d lip on ma real can't cast it right na
They taste better than redfish in my opinion alot lets chewy and more flaky if cooked right to perfection
So what water do u prefer to fish dirty or clear
I draw the line on fresh water cats , ain’t gonna eat no gaff top cat !
Sorry but you can have mine
I've eaten them. They're good.
Glad you did this video as I have always heard that sail cats are "good" to eat. But honestly, I have never thrown one in the ice chest. Can't stand all the snotty slime. If times get real hard, I may try them, but if I can sink my teeth into ditch pickles, trout, redfish, etc..." I will always opt in that direction! Ha.
Rick, try throwing them inside an oyster sack and let it hang over the side of the boat. The sack will take all the slime off them. Be careful throwing them into cooler with thin sidewalls, their barbs will punch holes in them.
lol…. They are pretty damn Slimy
Todd, not a damned thing wrong with gafftops other than the slime. I wonder why people are reporting more than they used to when I was a kid. I wonder if less trawling has something to do with it.
For me they fight well, eat well if you remove the red meat.
Stick strike anywhere match in grease when it ignites. Start cooking, grandma’s way and I am 70.
So Joel didn't comment. What did he say off camera?
He and I both agree it was good, but would have been even better with the blood line cut out.
👍🏻
You say you can always push pole out, just like I did, until your boat gets vacuumed by mud to the bottom. Then your water pump is about to hate you.
Toss a kitchen match in da grease MMM. When it lights the grease is ready to go on the stovetop.
Wtf do you mean bass what bass did you catch in saltwater
Research it, but have heard the slime on them can cause hallucinations if somehow it gets ingested.
I heard that too…. But unfortunately it’s been proven wrong
At least what I’ve researched anyway
Fish those craws with one claw, bass like them better with 1 claw missing.
hey marsh man, do you worry bout the flesh eating bacteria?
Vibrio vulnificus? No, because I don't have AIDS or hepatitis, and I'm not a heavy drinker. Besides, the waters I fish are low-salinity, and vibrio thrives in salty water.
What kind of boat are you running?
G3 Bay 18 DLX. For now, but a change is coming.
@@MarshManMasson Do you have a patreon?
Sure do. Here it is: www.patreon.com/marshmanmasson
cut the tail off when you catch them to bleed them!
Y’all crazy
Dog days of summer not cat days! Sign of the times.
Drift down middle of rigolets with dead shrimp on bottom that's all you will catch.they taste like swamp mud
They are much better if u bleed them first my opinion
They taste like PCB’s!!!!
Love the video but y’all looked like Schumer and Pelosi behind the tiny podium when y’all were behind the plate of fish!
🤣