# Blue Fish Language



## TitusV (Mar 29, 2007)

I'm a little confused with all the different kind of names board members give blue fish. I hear the term snapper blue, chomper blue, taylor blue etc. I think I'm pretty sure that a snapper blue is 6-8 inches? Usually the bait stealing guys. What are the others? The same thing happens with Drum (puppy drums etc) and I don't get those either. Whats up with all the nicknames. Can anyone post some definitions?


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## squalus (Sep 26, 2007)

snappers = little guys
taylors = mid size, I think up to about 2-4 lbs
Choppers/slammers = big boys

puppy drum = small red drum, I believe young ones, but not yearlings yet

That's my understanding...

Steve


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

snappers=juvies 10" fish up to 1/2 lb
cocktail blues -- up to 2 lb.
taylor blues (best eating) 2-5 lb.
i'm a little fuzzy on what the next weight group is called, maybe just blues.
generally speaking think the chopper term is for anything about 10 lb & up.

puppy drum are the juvies, not yet matured, yearlings follow, then old drum &/or bull reds 

drum are also known as channel bass


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## Hannibal (Aug 10, 2007)

I assume "slot reds" are those within the min and max length requirements (ie - eligeble to keep).


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

yup


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

Spring time big head blues are called Racers , 
Big Blues also called Oil Cans , Jumbo Blues also called Gorillas ,
also chompers , yellow eyes ,,,


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Weird, I had always considered a taylor to be up to 4#'s, snappers from 5-10#'s and choppers 10#+.


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

Cdog -- think sometimes the terminology is regional -- being here in the North, this is my understanding, but know ppl from the South who also have the same definitions as yours as to size & name.


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## fishbait (Nov 11, 2005)

The WBB definition (stolen from Tom ) for blues is:

Over 24" = Fun fight, but not worth eating.
Under 24" = Dinner
Under 12" = Bait
Under 8" = Live Bait


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## TitusV (Mar 29, 2007)

Why not eat the ones over 24"? Do they taste bad. Ive caught blues before, nothing too big. I think the biggest I have caught has been 16-17inches. I didn't bother keeping it cause it looked like I would be more of a pain cleaning it than the meat I would get. I was thinkin the ones around 20 would be good.


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

you can eat the big ones -- but there's more strong red meat to cut out & there's more chance that the bigger they are, the longer they been out there, and may have more mercury or whatever in em. so be aware.

the bigger ones usually have a stronger tasting flesh even after you get all the red out...soak fillets in milk for an hour, discard milk & continue with your recipe -- this will remove the overly fishy taste (i know, i know, fish should taste like fish, i am referring to a too-strong taste). if i keep the bigger ones, i like to turn them into bluefish "crab" cakes.


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## fishbait (Nov 11, 2005)

TitusV said:


> Why not eat the ones over 24"? Do they taste bad. Ive caught blues before, nothing too big. I think the biggest I have caught has been 16-17inches. I didn't bother keeping it cause it looked like I would be more of a pain cleaning it than the meat I would get. I was thinkin the ones around 20 would be good.


For me,
Big Blues = Big bloodline = Not my bag

If you do keep a big one, make sure to bleed it out to preserve the freshness and flavor. Put it on ice right away.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

fishinmama said:


> you can eat the big ones -- but there's more strong red meat to cut out & there's more chance that the bigger they are, the longer they been out there, and may have more mercury or whatever in em. so be aware.
> 
> the bigger ones usually have a stronger tasting flesh even after you get all the red out...soak fillets in milk for an hour, discard milk & continue with your recipe -- this will remove the overly fishy taste (i know, i know, fish should taste like fish, i am referring to a too-strong taste). if i keep the bigger ones, i like to turn them into bluefish "crab" cakes.


My bluefish recipe, put bluefish fillets on aluminum foil, bake in oven for 25 min, remove, throw away bluefish and eat aluminum foil...

Never have liked bluefish, although DD says its only cuz I haven't had Jody's bluefish cakes...


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

fishbait said:


> For me,
> Big Blues = Big bloodline = Not my bag
> 
> If you do keep a big one, make sure to bleed it out to preserve the freshness and flavor. Put it on ice right away.


Don't listen to my misguided brethren. All blues are good to eat regardless on the size. But he is correct you should bleed them first.


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## ffemtreed (Mar 29, 2007)

Snapper = up to 17" 
Taylors = 17" to 25" 
Chompers/Slammer = anything bigger


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## patindaytona (Jun 17, 2006)

*Blues*

I like the "Oil Cans" terminology for them


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## fingersandclaws (Oct 17, 2005)

We should start our own definitions based off the oil can analogy:

Bottle Rockets
Deuces
40s
Oil Cans

Call em' whatever ya want . . . if someone calls ya out on what you consider an arbitrary definition, they can go bleep in a bleep with a bleep.


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

Cdog said:


> My bluefish recipe, put bluefish fillets on aluminum foil, bake in oven for 25 min, remove, throw away bluefish and eat aluminum foil...
> 
> Never have liked bluefish, although DD says its only cuz I haven't had Jody's bluefish cakes...


Jody's bluefish cakes will make ya slap ya grandmaw. I never had a blue that I liked but derned if them bluefish cakes werent the cats meow. I wish you hadnt mentioned them. Makes me hawngry


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

TreednNC said:


> Jody's bluefish cakes will make ya slap ya grandmaw. I never had a blue that I liked but derned if them bluefish cakes werent the cats meow. I wish you hadnt mentioned them. Makes me hawngry


my grandma makes bluefish cakes when i give her blues..man they are awesome..

i like the smaller 1-2lb blues filleted and deep fried, but the big ones, not so much.


bluefish cakes=the shiz




Jesse


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## UnknownFish (Sep 12, 2007)

all the blues are good eating, the smaller ones I deep fry , bigger ones i smoke


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

UnknownFish said:


> all the blues are good eating, the smaller ones I deep fry , bigger ones i smoke


You tell 'em UF... However if you all prefer to NOT eat those choppers just release them gently back into the surf so that we can catch them!!


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

i don't put breading or cracker crumbs on the outside of the cakes, just a little crackers crumbs mixed in with all to hold it together...
now take a nice sized dollop or 2 of the cake mixture & plop in on a flounder filet - roll up & secure with toothpick -- now you've the makings for stuffed flounder. yummy.


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## Rockfish1 (Apr 8, 2005)

what do y'all do to them blues to get them into condition to make cakes?...


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## WoofPack (May 15, 2007)

*Doggie treats*

Believe it or not, my two Golden Retrievers love snapper bluefish. On more than one occasion Dailey consumed the whole bluefish I left on the sand waiting for it to die to turn it into flounder bait.

Now I just cut off the head and trimmed off the fins and cut the body into chunks and feed 'em raw to my dogs as treats.

My dogs are fish connoisseurs. They wouldn't touch finger mullet, but Bluefish = doggie treats.

Jacob


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

Rockfish1 said:


> what do y'all do to them blues to get them into condition to make cakes?...


poach the fillets -- let em cool so you can handle em to flake em -- mix up flaked fish with whatever ya want to make cakes - after forming into cakes you can freeze what ya don't use right away -- give me a bit of time -- i'll type in the recipes later -- got my elderly dad here tonight so gotta feed & entertain him


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

fishinmama said:


> Cdog -- think sometimes the terminology is regional -- being here in the North, this is my understanding, but know ppl from the South who also have the same definitions as yours as to size & name.


Yup, Down here we call Bluefish SHARKBAIT


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

barty b said:


> Yup, Down here we call Bluefish SHARKBAIT



Then what are tuna heads and cownose rays? lol


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## Oyster (Jun 28, 2000)

I use the same sounding term for the small keeper blues as most here but I always thought the word was spelled “tailer” not “taylor”. I’m curious now, which is correct? Was the term derived from Mr. Taylor who caught a lot of small blues or did it come from a fish that you grab by the tail?


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

in my circle of friends, any fish that is big for the species, or that gets away is referred to as "Old moss head".


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## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

don't quite know if its tailor or taylor or tailer
but from another site posted by TuneAFish (not the Tunafish here)

"Taylor Blues
was a name of a fish sandwich that Taylors Restaurant in (Delterville Va) started making back about 40 years ago, when the Chesepeake Bay was full of Bluefish (BIG) and Taylors (Bait). My 2nd cousins decided to make Fish Samichs with the BY catch from the Bunker fleets and the name became a term for small bluefish and the restaurant became a local landmark where people traveled for hundreds of miles to eat the NEW taste treat.
TRUE STORY. TuneAFish"

ROCKFISH1 -- recipe for the cakes in the recipe forum


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## rgking03 (Mar 20, 2005)

fishinmama said:


> snappers=juvies 10" fish up to 1/2 lb
> cocktail blues -- up to 2 lb.
> taylor blues (best eating) 2-5 lb.
> i'm a little fuzzy on what the next weight group is called, maybe just blues.
> ...


10lb and up is known as Gators


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