Bad rep for blues

[wolfgang]

Does anyone know why blues have such a bad reputation for tasting bad?? I have friends who won't eat them at all and even seem disgusted at the thought. But I find them to be very tasty assuming one has the patience to trim off all of the dark/red meat. I filet 'em, lightly bread 'em with House Autry and then deep fry. My wife (who is a very picky eater) likes them as well as drum and flounder. I've even seen blues served in restaurants on the OBX for $18 - $20 a plate.

So...why this myth/rumor that they taste bad??

[trowpa]

They aren't the most mild fish...they do have a flavor. Some people like the flavor. Some people don't. So people either love them or hate them. I happen to love them :D

[barty b]

I used to agree that Blues,along with Speckled Trout SUCKED. But,like FM said, Properly bled,cleaned, chilled on ice AND NEVER FROZEN, they aren't bad. They are awesome on the smoker (if ya liked smoked fish as I do).

[RuddeDogg]

that they taste bad, some people don't like the oily texture and the intense "fishy" taste. I like the small snappers, the meat is not as over bearing in taste.

[TreednNC]

It's not that theyre bad....it's just that as you get older and more bitter...youre sense and yearning for a better tasting fish (anything else in the ocean) weakens.

[baitslingin]

I used to agree that Blues,along with Speckled Trout SUCKED. But,like FM said, Properly bled,cleaned, chilled on ice AND NEVER FROZEN, they aren't bad. They are awesome on the smoker (if ya liked smoked fish as I do).

first time i've ever heard that 'bout a speck.

[emanuel]

Had them once as a kid and it was prepared badly. I was 7 years old and to this day, I still won't touch them. I also won't touch spanish, rarely eat kings, and release all drum. I'm just picky I guess.:redface:

[Shooter]

I am just sitten here snickering, guess I am the lucky one whos wife was rasied on Bull Island and knows how to cookem.

Bleedem, get them on ice then when she cooks them she has a pan that has a raised center, it gets baked for a short while so the extra oils runs off then she puts it into a regular baken pan with taters, onions and covered in bacon. It don't matter what size the blue is cause she has fixed them up to 15Lb chopper size and they is still lip smackn good :D

Do they still taste fishy??? Yup but I happen to like the taste of fish.

[TreednNC]

I am just sitten here snickering, guess I am the lucky one whos wife was rasied on Bull Island and knows how to cookem.

Bleedem, get them on ice then when she cooks them she has a pan that has a raised center, it gets baked for a short while so the extra oils runs off then she puts it into a regular baken pan with taters, onions and covered in bacon. It don't matter what size the blue is cause she has fixed them up to 15Lb chopper size and they is still lip smackn good :D

Do they still taste fishy??? Yup but I happen to like the taste of fish.

You can fry a turd with taters onion and bacon and cover the tasgte:rolleyes: ;)......does sound good. Hard to go wrong with anything fried with taters, onions and bacon....if it gets bad...substitute onions fer ramps

[Dyhard]

I like them IF: They go on ice as soon as they are caught. Large ones skinned and all red meat cut off. NEVER FREEZE, and eaten shortly after catching. Small ones; filletted, brined, and smoked. MMMMMM!

[bjake]

Until this year always threw them back or gave them away because most say they are no good.This year I bled them as they were caught and cleaned them properly and they were very good.Makes me feel dumb throwing all them good fish away.
Jake

[Drumdum]

Most folks who dislike fish generally have the same complaint ... Too fishy ! Big blues are fishy tasting to sat the least . Some I think have evolved into liking them (perhaps not able to catch real fish) as they are so easy to catch ;)
Let er rip :popcorn:

Yeap,many other fish are considered by some to be more difficult to catch,like bonefish,tarpon,grey trout,spainish,or cobia.. All that being said,I'd much rather eat a bluefish than any of the above..

I can remember when we used to catch grey trout over 14lb with regularity on Cheasbay.. Even with light tackle,in compairison to a bluefish about the same size,they fought like "chumps".. OBTW tasted like "dodo" also...;):p

The bigguns as fishcakes,and the small ones properly cleaned and fried are superb,imo.. Oh,did I tell you that I release all the cobes and grey trout I catch,unless someone else feeshin with me wants the crappy tast'n stuff??

I also like jumpin mullet done up right..Are they hard to catch?? H#ll no,just good to eat..

All a matter of taste I reacon... :D

[Fishman]

I think that it the fish 3lbs and above that don’t taste as well. These fish are very oily and do have a strong flavor which makes them good if you like to smoke them. If that’s the case then they would make good table fair. The smaller blues taste good and I would surely eat them they are high in omega three oils which are good for you and your heart.

[bassZooKa]

the ones in the 1-3 pound range can be good if you know how to cook.

Notwithstanding stuff i read on the internet, i have yet to see anyone i know make a bigger blue into good table fare. I've tried it on several occasions only to fail pretty spectacularly. As blues get bigger the meat gets oilier/nastier. Hard to prep hard to cook hard to swallow. Throw em back.

[Drumdum]

:eek:;)
Dodo huh? Hmmm dont wanna know :eek:
I'll tell ya what you can have all my blues and I'll take the nasty cobes off your hands ;)

No problem,just have your butt down here in Hat come June.. ;) :D

[TreednNC]

I take my words back....have Kenny's (Drumdum's) wife Jody to make you some boofish cakes........Id just as soon have a pile of them rather than a steak.

[Furball]

Bluefish are great as long as they are fresh. What cracks me up is that a lot of folks who claim to dislike bluefish probably don' think twice about eating canned tuna (tunafish salad or otherwise) which is 10 times fishier that the largest blues.

Heck in some cuisines, they prefer their fish to actually taste like fish.

I think Mullet are delicious too! Tom

[Reelturner]

I take my words back....have Kenny's (Drumdum's) wife Jody to make you some boofish cakes........Id just as soon have a pile of them rather than a steak.



I got the receipe from Jody on the bluefish cakes receipe or I guess any other fish to use in the fishcakes receipe. Anyway, I did all the cutting, dicing, with all the ingrienients...green bell peppers, some red bell peppers, onions, celery, salt, pepper, and more things alsong with the coating of ritz cracker crumbs and we mixed this all up with some 12-15 # blues that WERE frozen for about probably 3 months.

Results, they were delicious and very, very tasty, yes I said frozen blues also cause we caught them like in Jan while striper fishing and we did this receipe like around April. I couldn't believe how good it was. Jody...your the one!!!

RT:D:D:D

[cygnus-x1]

Most folks who dislike fish generally have the same complaint ... Too fishy ! Big blues are fishy tasting to sat the least . Some I think have evolved into liking them (perhaps not able to catch real fish) as they are so easy to catch ;)
Let er rip :popcorn:

No evolution necessary my friend. First bluefish I ate was caught by my big brother when I was little tyke and I loved it then!

As for every one else ... it is a personal preference but ain't fish supposed to taste like fish ?? If you want bland white meat ... go eat chicken.

[DrumintheSuds]

Catch Bluefish
Cut head off immediately
Bleed said bluefish
Put head on drum rod and throw into slough
Fillet bluefish
Put in house of autry
Fry bluefish
Eat bluefish sandwich while waiting for Drum to hit bluefish head........

Goes better with a slash of VO Gold and a Coke chaser!

[Rockfish1]

Catch Bluefish
Cut head off immediately
Bleed said bluefish
Put head on drum rod and throw into slough
Fillet bluefish
Put in house of autry
Fry bluefish
Eat bluefish sandwich while waiting for Drum to hit bluefish head........

Goes better with a slash of VO Gold and a Coke chaser!

sounds like a plan, cept for the VO... them fish cops frown on it... ice cold coors light is much safer... :D

[Rockstar]

I personally don't care for bluefish... i'll eat 'em though. I have been in the restuarant business for 5yrs. and I have had them anyway you can eat 'em. I made a smoked bluefish pâté one time, served with grilled roasted garlic rustica points... friggin' awesome. Smoked bluefish is also great for sushi. In the spring i'll make a point to get out on a boat or pier to catch 'em... bleed/gut instantly, pack the cavity and surround the blue with crushed ice... I'll skin and poach them and give them to my girl's aunt... she makes some AWESOME bluefish cakes. Soaking in buttermilk and milk will definitely help.

[lipyanker]

I enjoy catching them i enjoy watching my children catch them and i enjoy investing a little time to make them taste good,Grilled, broiled baked or smoked.

[MacPE6]

Dem blues anit' the worst you could eat, not flounder but still good.

I like the 10-12's but do the big ones are too fishey for me.

[bassZooKa]

As for every one else ... it is a personal preference but ain't fish supposed to taste like fish ?? If you want bland white meat ... go eat chicken.

All fish tastes fishy . But bluefish the big ones at least are pretty terrible to eat. The small ones can be decent panfried if they are fresh but never try to freeze or leave it in your fridge more than a few days. A good rule of thumb is that the easier a fish is to catch the worse it is to eat. that's why in SJ you catch 10 skates and 5 blues for every striper or even decent size flounder

[wolfgang]

With all due respect, I think even the stuff about having to bleed 'em, never freeze 'em, etc. is a myth as well. Last batch we caught...didn't bleed 'em, they sat in the cooler on ice for at least 24 hrs before we even cleaned 'em, then we froze 'em. Ate 'em about three weeks later...not a thing wrong with them...very tasty.

[Lipyourown]

I'm with Cyg and Wolfgang on this one...some folks just don't like the taste of fish. The skin is my favorite part off the grill.

[Rockfish1]

hey Jack you forgot to add
" and then eat the tin foil"
cause you damn sure ruined the fish with that mayo... :D

[Fireline20]

I just caught a good mess of Blues this past weekend at Ft. Fisher. I took off their heads and gutted them on the beach but waited till I got home to scale them. They were on ice the whole time though. Once I got them home I prepared them the following way and they were super:

1. Scale then cutoff tail and belly flaps and save for cut bait another day.(brine and freeze them)

2. Cut off dorsal fins and belly fins.

3. Place in a 1 gallon freezer bag and cover with saltwater and place in fridge over night. (The next morning they will not even smell like fish)

4. Remove fish from baggie and sprinkle diced garlic, lemon pepper, salt and finely diced onions.

5. Place fish between two Napa Cabbage leaves and then wrap in aluminum foil and cook in oven at 350 for 30-45 mins.

Remove from oven and serve in the foil with yellow rice and sugar snap peas.

Excellent fare, trust me

[texas sharker]

to all:

my feelings about caught blues is:
1. release all the ones that aren't "guthooked",
2. feed the ones that i don't believe will live to our cats and/or
3. they make decent shark bait/chum

eat 'em??? NOT in this life! (there's too many other GOOD-tasting fish/shrimp/crabs in the sea. i feel the same about cobia & specs.)

btw, when we used to go to Manteo every summer (years ago), our 4 cats (Smudge, Mikey, Reuben & Tigra) followed me faithfully, every morning from our beach cottage 200 yards to the beach. they just KNEW that each would get a nice fat fish! (fyi, they were seldom disappointed.)

GOOD LUCK on the water, ts