# Eating pinfish?



## Mumbo_Pungo (Dec 8, 2014)

I'm sure it's been discussed before but was wondering if anyone eat them and what they compare too? 

I've had times where I was catching some pretty big ones and always wondered if they might be worth keeping.


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## Rougesun (Oct 26, 2020)

IMHO, those little pests are better as a baitfish. Lots of small bones. Blah.


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## slosh (Jul 1, 2017)

It's a snapper, so if you can get past the bones it's probably pretty good. 

Might have to settle for dozens of tiny fillets.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

We had a family vacation and caught a bunch of them one time at Pawley's and tried them. There was some other fish in the mix too, so the Pinfish just added to the total and there was a bunch of us that had to eat. Didn't fillet them, just scaled, and removed heads & insides. They were fried. Wasn't a favorite but it's a fish. Not something I would likely do again, because of the bones and small size. Yes, they make better bait than table fare!


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

I was catching them as big as,some bigger than, spots back in October. The fillet off of them was as big as any spot. And filleted pin fish is one of my favorite flounder baits.


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## Bullred (Mar 13, 2010)

Caught a couple of big ones out of the ocean years ago. Fried them up. Tasted like spot or croaker to me.


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## slosh (Jul 1, 2017)

Bullred said:


> Caught a couple of big ones out of the ocean years ago. Fried them up. Tasted like spot or croaker to me.


Ha, now that you mention it we've kept and eaten a few big spottail pinfish while out on headboats. They are good to eat.


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## Dwick239 (Oct 13, 2021)

slosh said:


> Ha, now that you mention it we've kept and eaten a few big spottail pinfish while out on headboats. They are good to eat.


 Spot tails are tomtates..pinfish are a different Species lol


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## slosh (Jul 1, 2017)

Dwick239 said:


> Spot tails are tomtates..pinfish are a different Species lol


Google spottail pinfish.


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## Fishing Lady (Dec 6, 2021)

Mumbo_Pungo said:


> I'm sure it's been discussed before but was wondering if anyone eat them and what they compare too?
> 
> I've had times where I was catching some pretty big ones and always wondered if they might be worth keeping.


I've eaten them before. If you can get past the number of bones you deal with, the meat is very good. I batter & fry them up. I found filleting them is pretty useless.


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## Von (Apr 26, 2021)

They're bony like a fresh water brim. If you catch decent size ones 6”- 8” they eat okay. They’re to small to fillet but just like a brim they fry up okay. After frying remove the fins and backbone. The little rib bones are all that’s left.

Von


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## hangout (Dec 9, 2016)

I eated them many times. My personal opinion is they are pretty good to eat as long as you can deal with tiny bones or you fried them hard.


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## Papa-T (Sep 5, 2011)

Unless I was trapped on a deserted island; I wouldn’t.


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## retired (Oct 20, 2016)

Papa-T said:


> Unless I was trapped on a deserted island; I wouldn’t.


 BINGO.....we have a winner............


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## Von (Apr 26, 2021)

Papa-T said:


> Unless I was trapped on a deserted island; I wouldn’t.


A Lizard fish might look good trapped on a deserted island!

Von


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## Papa-T (Sep 5, 2011)

Oh yea, I’d eat the crap out of a lizard fish on a deserted island. Lol


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## Von (Apr 26, 2021)

Papa-T said:


> Oh yea, I’d eat the crap out of a lizard fish on a deserted island. Lol


The lizard fish is so ugly that it’s kinda cute. I would have to be really hungry to eat one but in the end I would fry it up. Not trying to thread jack but has anyone here tried eating them?

Von


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