# Saltwater Catfish



## hatchrooster (Mar 31, 2012)

First I hear they are no good to eat and have heard they are.Can anyone tell me why their not.I figure they would"nt be much different from fresh water catfish.


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## basscatcher (Mar 31, 2012)

I have never personally had a saltwater cat, but from what I have heard they are terrible.  However, I believe some people eat the sailcats.


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## Hit-n-Miss (Mar 31, 2012)

I too have heard that sailcats are good to eat. But I wont try them.


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## Bryannecker (Apr 1, 2012)

What is a sailcat??? Do ya'll mean saltcats?  Well, if you do, they are not good and have virtually disappeared in the coastal waters of Georgia.  I have not caught one in years.  They used to be everywhere, but are gone and no one at the DNR has a reason to explain why.  Yeah, where is Boston, Georgia?


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## Scott R (Apr 1, 2012)

We always called them Gafttop or Sail Catfish when I lived in Al.  Don't know what's proper but it googles up a pic.  

I know a guy that kept everyone we would catch.  Swore you couldn't tell the difference in it and freshwater cats.


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## Dustin Pate (Apr 1, 2012)

There is a big difference in a hardhead and a sail cat. Sail cats you can eat the others I would not recommend.


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## basscatcher (Apr 1, 2012)

Bryannecker said:


> What is a sailcat??? Do ya'll mean saltcats?  Well, if you do, they are not good and have virtually disappeared in the coastal waters of Georgia.  I have not caught one in years.  They used to be everywhere, but are gone and no one at the DNR has a reason to explain why.  Yeah, where is Boston, Georgia?




I catch sailcats fairly often, but I fish the Florida coast not Georgia.


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## Ga. Swamper (Apr 1, 2012)

Years back caught alot of sailcats and huge ones around the Jekyll Bridge. WE cleaned and ate them. I been around the Ga. Coast for 25 yrs. never Remember catching any hard heads.
I ask the DNR where the Croakers went in Ga. Waters around Brunswick. We could always catch a few of them on a bad day. Like the SAWDUST PILE around the BrickHill River. Or in Christmas Creek. Not any More, That I found. They had no answer.
I remember going to P.C. or Destin in small boat and you couldn't fish for hard heads back in the day before leaving Ala.


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## shakey gizzard (Apr 2, 2012)

http://www.rodnreel.com/gulffish/gulffish.asp?FishID=23&cmd=view           or       http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/hardhead/


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## Parker Phoenix (Apr 2, 2012)

This is something I'm going to have to trust ya'll on, I have never been hungry enough to eat a sail cat, heck, they are just as slimy as any eel I've ever caught.


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## grouper throat (Apr 2, 2012)

I think I'm with Parker on this one... I don't even want to touch one much less eat it.


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## hatchrooster (Apr 3, 2012)

Would"nt mind trying one just to see.


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## Hit-n-Miss (Apr 3, 2012)

Bryannecker said:


> What is a sailcat??? Do ya'll mean saltcats?  Well, if you do, they are not good and have virtually disappeared in the coastal waters of Georgia.  I have not caught one in years.  They used to be everywhere, but are gone and no one at the DNR has a reason to explain why.  Yeah, where is Boston, Georgia?


Common name for a Gatops(something) salt water catfish. The ones with the really long spined fins. Boston(home of the Boston mini marathon) is outside of Thomasville. Blink and you will miss it.


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## Jhud (Apr 4, 2012)

I'm with Parker and grouper, I will leave them for somebody else. I do remember as a kid on a birddog (net-boat) my dad and uncle would say some not so kind words when we got a bunch in the net. They would roll up and make a big mess... I am still on the fence about a sting ray, haven't tried one yet but I might one of these days


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## MERCing (Apr 8, 2012)

There isn't any shortage of them around the Port St Joe, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass area ! You can catch them till you run out of bait or get tired of taking them off of the hook. Alot of the Sailcats are in the 5+ lb range.
 One of the guides we used wouldn't even put one in the boat. If he couldn't unhook them at the side of the boat, he would cut the line, lol
 I know some of the locals eat the Sailcats but haven't talked to anybody that will eat the Hardheads.
The seagulls won't even eat them.
We tried a couple of the Sailcats and they weren't bad.
Kinda strange, they look so similar to freshwater cats that just about everybody eats. 
They are "especially" slimy though and you will have balls of slim on your line when you get them in.


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## Mak-n-Memories (Apr 8, 2012)

hard heads are only good for shark bait. Black tips love them.


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## shakey gizzard (Apr 9, 2012)

Jhud said:


> I'm with Parker and grouper, I will leave them for somebody else. I do remember as a kid on a birddog (net-boat) my dad and uncle would say some not so kind words when we got a bunch in the net. They would roll up and make a big mess... I am still on the fence about a sting ray, haven't tried one yet but I might one of these days



Poor mans scallops!


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## pottydoc (Apr 9, 2012)

recurve36 said:


> hard heads are only good for shark bait. Black tips love them.



So do cobia and tarpon. Clip the ends of their fins off before you put them in the livewell.


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## contender* (Apr 9, 2012)

I didn't catch any sailcats but did catch some very nice reg saltwater cats. Putem on the grill with onions salt and pepper, I thought they were pretty darn good. Not light and flaky like feshwater cats, more firm like chicken. We have also deepfried them, not bad thataway either. You have to cut further back on their heads to clean them. Skull is longer I guess. If you catchem big enough you can fillet them.


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