So. Flo. Snakehead roundup 8-11-18

My son, gf's son and I went to see the weigh in of the snakehead roundup today and wow they took a lot of fish. There was $1180 paid out to 1st through 5th place and big fish. We are going to have to enter this one! Many there were discussing the fabulous eating quality of the white meat, and I agree regardless how some will not eat them because they're ugly.

Unfortunately the organizers didn't post pics of the fish... I wonder why?

https://www.facebook.com/jds.custombaits/posts/1699998376771894

I've yet to see a natural resource that could hold up to unchecked commercial demand. Seems like the only viable solution to the snakehead and silver carp infestations...ramp up the capitalism!

haven't had snakehead myself, silver carp taste fine ok fry up and smoke up decently. I don't know how snakehead are to clean, but silver carp and bighead carp are kind of a pain to clean. Lots of bones in them that are time consuming to get out. Lot of asian carp I know go to fertilizer plants and animal food plants.

Snakehead are pretty easy to clean. The meat is WHITE and firm. You can easily throw it on the BBQ and it wont fall apart. The flavor is light and takes well to pan or deep frying, baking, but these are the only ways I've made it.

I have a couple of folks that now eat it who qould not in the past.

I gotta say it is still a pretty darn ugly fish. :shock: But then again they say caviar is good and a sturgeon isn't going to win any beauty contests either.

gnappi said:

Snakehead are pretty easy to clean. The meat is WHITE and firm. You can easily throw it on the BBQ and it wont fall apart. The flavor is light and takes well to pan or deep frying, baking, but these are the only ways I've made it.

I have a couple of folks that now eat it who qould not in the past.

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I'd try eating it and would be after catching them if they were problem up here. Unfortunately the problem I've seen here granted only on rare occasions is people have caught bowfin a native species that has been around forever that doesn't cause any problem. People have mistaken them for snake head and have killed them just to kill them thinking they're invasive. I've had plenty of people that have said they don't like catfish that have had it when I've made it various ways end up liking it. So much of how well a fish taste has to do with how it was handled after being caught, how it well it was cleaned, and how it was cooked. I've found when I keep catfish or any fish for that matter if I have intentions of them ending up on the dinner table I don't mess with a live well. They go right into a cooler with ice/water. When I clean fish certain species around here wiper (white/striped bass hybrids), white bass, freshwater drum, and catfish the red fatty meat down the lateral line and against the skin just tastes fishy and bad. I make sure to trim it out well to get just the good nice white meat. Also while filleting I make sure right after I get a fillet done it gets rinsed, and goes into icy salt water. Rinsing helps prevent the meat from getting blood soaked and salt water helps draw any blood out that rinsing didn't get. Then obviously being seasoned and cooked properly has a lot to do with it as well. I'm meticulous about how I clean fish, but my thought is if I'm going to kill the fish to be eaten it's my responsibility to make sure it is done properly so it tastes good and isn't wasted.