What's the deal with catfish?!...

[thegreatpiscator]

I live in Bay City, right on Saginaw Bay, so I thought I'd go jigging under some bridges for some fall walleyes, but all I caught were a bunch of catfish and one 24" channel cat. I gave some of the regular cats to a guy I know, but since it was beautifully colored, I decided to give the channel cat a try. I skinned it, filleted it, and even cut off what some guys call the "mud vein" along its lateral line. I soaked it in milk, then into flour, back into beaten egg, then finally in cornmeal, and deep-fried until golden brown.
But I just could not abide the taste and texture! Am I just spoiled by a diet of yellow-bellied perch, walleye and salmon, or am I doing something wrong? I'm absolutely serious...I probably caught and released nearly 30 cats in less than four hours. Thanks.

 

[ehenry]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

I've been eating catfish all my life. Never soaked it in milk or cut a "mud Vein" out either. I tend to shy away from the larger fish. I like the 12 to 15 inch fish. I know the pond raised fish down here are generally harvested around 1.5 to 2 pounds.

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

I'm with you....cat fish are mushy.....I love Walleye, but rarely get to eat it around here. The lake I fish has so many Nothern in it I think when they stock the walleye, they're just feeding the pike. We eat a lot of Northern Pike. Once you know how to get the Y-bone out they're good eating mild white fish.

Here's how I do it....pat fish dry, roll in dry batter mix (I like shore lunch), dip in an egg wash (milk n eggs), roll in Panko bread crumbs and deep fry in peanut oil. The Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) keeps the fish very crispy....the kids and in-laws beg me to make this at the lake.

 

[southkogs]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Grew up on yellow perch, walleye & whitefish - LOVE IT. Enjoy visiting the coast for the seafood (Atlantic or the Gulf). Moved down to Tennessee and seafood is spelled C-A-T-F-I-S-H. 15 years and I still can't take the stuff, no matter what dear old southern cook makes it or what family favorite breading they try to cover up the real taste with. That's one chunk of Southern Livin' I'm not picking up on ... now, the hushpuppies on the other hand

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Call me spoiled but can'ttake catfish because it stinks up the house, and taste strong. Will stick to walleye, and ring perch. Like Northern Pike.

 

[ehenry]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Well, I guess is all in where you're from and what you're use to eating. I've never had walleye, northern pike or ring perch. Never even seen any of the 3. I grew up eating blue gill bream, large and small mouth bass, crappie, Chinquapin and catfish. Love em all.

 

[mommicked]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Catfish taken in clear water tend to eat better than ones from muddy water. And I've never been fond of bullheads from any type of water. Try cutting it into smaller pieces so it is cooked through, thick pieces can be somewhat raw in the middle while the outside is done, undercooked catfish has a much stronger flavor to me.

 

[JB]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

There are fish and there are fish. Catfish are as different from other fish as salmon or tuna. If you prepare it like crappie and expect the taste and texture to be like crappie you are going to be disappointed.

I prepare catfish filets as I would chicken cutlets. Roll them in seasoned cornmeal and grill in the Geo Forman grill. I do not expect Crappies or perch. I expect catfish, and it is one of my favorites.

 

[dlindeblad]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

You have to prepare catfish right.

I like to skin and gut the catfish, washing it out with buttermilk afterward. I then stuff it with lemon, celery, and onion and place it on a wooden board in the oven at 350 degress. After about 40 minutes I take the fish out, walk over to the trash, scrape the catfish into the trash, and eat the wooden board because it tastes better.

Out of all the fish I have eaten from Alaska to Maryland down to Florida and over through the Med Sea, I would have to say hands down catfish is my least favorite. Something about having a mouth full of mud doesn't stomach well.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Here it is, have caught catfish in early spring tried them, yuk. summer, yuk, and fall, yuk. Dipped in egg rolled in crackers, drakes, and various other ways, still yuk. I don't care for crappie, but love blue gills, punkinseeds, and rock ***. Smallies and bucket mouths is like a mouth full of mud. So each your own

 

[ngt]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

I love catfish, but I can stomach ray, and really enjoy sturgeon and leopard shark, so whatever. As of late, my favorites are bluegill and perch. Easy to fillet and good eating. As posted above, to each his own. The only fish I've caught that I couldn't eat was some ray once but I wasn't preparing it properly. After learning how to get the "fishy" out of it and that I really only like the white meat strips along the top, I could eat it all day.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Here in Michigan we are really lucky to be able to catch just about any kind of fish we want. I will take a plate of pan fried perch or blue gills over any other kind of fish here in Michigan. Walleye are also as good as it get's when it comes to fresh water eaters. We throw any walleye over 4 lbs back, they will not meet our picky standards. They also are the spawners for tomorrows fish-fry. Blue gills actually have a slight sweet taste, just need to find a lake with enough big ones to bother. Through the ice, all of the above are just that much better, that cold water makes the meat nice n firm.
Because we have choices, I will say Catfish is right down there with bait, most here in Michigan would agree.

 

[erwinner]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Lotsa catfish down here and plenty of places that specialize in cornmeal fried catfish.
I'll eat it, but something about the taste of dirt if you inhale while chewing it is less than desirable.
Just about any other kind of fish is preferred by me!

 

[mommicked]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

I personally don't like farm raised catfish as much as wild ones.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

I would have never guessed so many guys dislike catfish...I love it. I prefer it over most fish. I simply roll it in whatever fish breader strikes my fancy in the grocery store and fry it....Yes, I have had it that tasted like mud. My theory was it hadn't had the mud vein or whatever you call it removed. I cut that out before packing fresh fish and have never had that taste. I've never had it in grocery store bought fish either.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

You can eat catfish?????
I'll stick to ocean pelagics thanks anyway.

 

[oops!]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

being a canadian........i have never had catfish in my life......

but this is really funny

You have to prepare catfish right.

I like to skin and gut the catfish, washing it out with buttermilk afterward. I then stuff it with lemon, celery, and onion and place it on a wooden board in the oven at 350 degress. After about 40 minutes I take the fish out, walk over to the trash, scrape the catfish into the trash, and eat the wooden board because it tastes better.
.

 

[mommicked]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

I guess it's a South/North thing. Catfish is a common menu item where i'm from. All the preferred fish, compared to Catfish in this thread have a mild or sweet flavor to me. I like them too. But I like to eat fish because it tastes like FISH. I'm a big fan of fishy tasteing FISH, King Macks, fresh Bluefish, Spanish, Shad, Mullet and Catfish, but I know alot of folks who won't touch it, or hate to smell it cooking ! You cannot cook Catfish and expect it to taste like Crappie, Perch or Walleye. Different species, habits and diet. If you've never seen or caught one, they do not have scales, just slippery,slimey, smelly, tough as heck skin and lots of muscle.

 

[bassman284]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Well mommicked, I don't know about it being a south/north deal. I live quite a bit north of ou and know a lot of folks around here who crave catfish. Eat it at every opportunity . I'm not one of those, although I don't mind a deep fired fresh catfish fillet from time to time.

I prefer walleye, crappie and bluegill for local fish. For fine dining, I love yellowfin tuna or swordfish.

 

[southkogs]

Re: What's the deal with catfish?!...

Mommicked is kinda' right ... when I lived up north, people did indeed eat catfish (my great grandfather loved lake cats). However, catfish in the South are a traditional food. They're more prolific in the South than in the North and they've become part of a way of life. Walleye, Perch, Whitefish and the like are not as available. Things change when you get close to a coast, but inland folks in the South seem to LOVE catfish ... yours truly being one of several exceptions