# gasparilla catfish poisonous???



## SeaSlut

we are picking up these around gasparilla










The local dock monkey says they are poisonious to eat, I call bullshit.

What say you?


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## eaglesfanguy

Bullshizzz is correct!.
That there is a saltwater Hardhead catfish. 
Actually good eating! There spines can inflict a nasty puncture.. No more or less then any sharp object.
Clean em like any fresh water cat .. and deep fry.. very good eating.


Not much meat on em.. but what ya get is white and delicious!


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## repair5343

They are good to eat BUT if you get spiked your in for a lot of pain.
It happened to me I sucked as much poison as I could the pain got so bad I started to tear but it went away in about an hour.


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## Rockfish1

SeaSlut said:


> The local dock monkey says they are poisonious to eat,
> What say you?


he's prolly hoping you go to throw it back and he'll want it for "crab bait"...
then get it home and it'll be back strokin through the grease...


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## SmoothLures

Naw, they're fine. Every now and then when I take someone after freshwater catfish they say they're poisonous. It hurts if you get stuck by the fins, but no more so then getting stuck by something of the same size, IMO.


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## eaglesfanguy

See, you got Hornsquabbled.. there a simple catfish...


which amazes me.. cause most folks round here hate em so much they just slaughter em.. with that thought that there poiseness.. and waste em.
there fun to catch , not a glamorous species, but an important one.
they should be released or eaten... 
I like em alot more then freshwater catfish!


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## emanuel

The sailcats are better to eat than the hardhead you have there, from what I've heard. Then again, I have never eaten catfish in my life so I couldn't tell you which one tastes better.


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## eaglesfanguy

Ive eaten both side by side . and i like the hardhead better.. mainly because the flesh is more firm, the sailcats seems a little mushy.. plus ive seen alot of worms in sails.. never in a hardhead.


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## mwhuffman

emanuel said:


> The sailcats are better to eat than the hardhead you have there, from what I've heard.



In my experience, hardheads are not good to eat. I've caught freshwater cats for years and enjoyed eating them, so imagine my delight when I found the ocean was full of catfish which looked just like channel cats back home. After catching a nice mess of said saltwater cats, I cleaned 'em and prepared them just like I do the freshies. Everyone of those hardheads tasted like shite. I've heard the gafftops taste better, but I don't have the stomach to try that experiment again. As for the getting stuck with the spines, rub some of the slime off the fish's body on the puncture wound. It has a pain-killing component of some kind and will ease the pain somewhat. If you're allergic, that's another story. My brother got stuck in the finger and his hand swelled so badly, they had to cut off his wedding ring in the ER. He was very sick with a fever for a day or two.


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## emanuel

I know people who keep sailcats every chance they get. I'll eat one if they cook it for me.


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