Anyone ever eat hardhead catfish?

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I have never tried it. Has anyone else?

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Absolutely not

In elementary and junior high Used to go to fort Pickens every year with a buddy and his family. We would wear out the catfish on the bay side and his dad would cook them up every year We has no clue they were frowned upon. We just knew they were catfish. And there really was nothing wrong with them Haven’t eaten one since though

I have two things why I haven’t, and probably never will.

First, With all the excellent eating fish we have in coastal La, why eat those things.

Second, they are turd suckers just like mullet. Don’t eat turd suckers.

I don't know that anyone ever said they taste gross, but they're kinda up there with sheepshead and gaffstop when it comes down to it. They're slimy and there's the obvious issue that if you get stuck cleaning one it's gonna hurt like a bitch, with the added bonus of a slight chance of vibrio. Sheepshead taste great too, but there are plenty of fish out there that don't require the extra steps. If we're being honest most fried white fleshed fish is gonna taste similar, unless it's grouper or an especially old strong tasting red/black drum.

Yeah but there’s not much meat on them...Pain in the arse for not much meat. Gafftops that are large enough might be worth it...but even then only if you are hard pressed

I threw a fish fry once for my son's birthday, and neglected to mention that it was hardhead and gafftop on the menu instead of the usual speckled trout. It was all heartily consumed, and there was much conversation about how great speckled trout tastes.

One of my friends from College took me fishing at his family’s camp in Grand Isle when we were still in school and I caught about a 18” or so hardhead and was cussing it for making touch the slime. When I started to throw it back he yelled at me and told me his grandfather would skin us if he knew we threw it out. I laughed thinking he was joking. He had a 5gal bucket just for them. I assumed he was going to use it as cut bait for bull reds or something but nah. I was shocked at how it tasted.

Still don’t keep them... slimy f’ers

I used to just crush their heads with channel locks and throw them back.

Just seems too risky to have them anywhere near.

Them bastards are painful.

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I honestly now wonder who ever decided to start telling everyone they suck. That guy was full of shite

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Wanted them all for himself...