Catching large mullet in cast net on beach.......good to eat?

I have heard of people filleting them and soaking them in milk but never seen it done or tried it.

I don't know if it's a different fish with the same name or what, but back years ago, I went to a fish fry in South Georgia, and that was supposedly what they had cooked. It was greasy and awful, I couldn't believe those folks were eatin that crap. Then to make matters worse, I saw, what I thought were some hushpuppies and I was hungry, so I grabbed one and bit into it. That was a big mistake, It was a sack of eggs, that was battered up and fried. I literally puked up my beer, right then and there. It didn't take me long to get the hell out of that fish fry.
Years later at a boat yard, we were raising a boat up on a floating dry dock, and there were mullet caught in the drains, and the Vietnamese Guys were grabbing them in 5 gallon buckets. I thought, damn, I hope that's a different fish.
I have unfortunately, tried 1 food item that was worse, and that happened at a Filipino picnic, and a whole other story.

There's a little fish that they eat up on the great lakes too that I have tried, that's pretty bad, but I can't think of the name of it It's a small fish like a sardine.

Biloxi Bacon. They're pretty damn good fried. Haven't had them any other way.

They smoke them in south Alabama but I’ve never had it.
If I remember correctly the type of bottom they were caught determined whether they were edible or not.

Mud bottom through them back
Sand bottom was good.

I don’t know if that’s accurate, just what I remember.

Many in the FL panhandle eat them, including my fishing guide. Says that eaten fresh they are delicious. Never had it myself.

That’s a good point also, has to be fresh. They go bad with a quickness like 2-3 days even on ice. Get mushy and stinky.

I can see eating them back in the day when people didn’t have as many options and didn’t travel as far to fish. But now a days, I don’t understand it personally. Many guys that snag them will snag mullet one day and bream fish further up river the next. I’d eat bream over mullet any day....but you know like I said whatever floats your boat.

I certainly wouldn’t keep more than 3-4 to try out the first time.

I’ve also heard of guys canning them. I could see how that would be good for winter food. Canned fish over crackers is a great snack.

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There's a little fish that they eat up on the great lakes too that I have tried, that's pretty bad, but I can't think of the name of it It's a small fish like a sardine.

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Smelt

Mullet is one of favorite fish to eat, only way I’ve ever eaten them is fried. To me they have sweet taste to them compared to game fish.

I just ain't that hungry. I think I'd eat a fricking hardhead before a suck mullet.

I get after the Channel Mullet though.

If you live in Mississippi. Not sure why they like them there but Louisiana people don't eat them. I'm not trying it.