Gaftop eat fine they fry a lot better than redfish does. Never eaten hardheads, but talked to people who have and say there is no difference.

I have eaten bullheads out of fresh water and despite the similar reputation they have to hardheads, they ate fine. I think the majority of it is just a stigma people have. If they were well prepared and people didn't know what it was I bet a lot of people would like them.

I have heard they have more slime than a Blue cat. People won't put them in their boat because of it.
Never ate one but I would try it.

The world record hardhead is 3 lbs. 5 oz. You sure you didn't catch a gafftopsail?

Have caught them bigger I believe. I would bet not too many people catch a big old hardhead and think to run to the record books, too busy cussing because what they thought may have been a trout red or flounder turned out to be a hardhead.

I used to eat Gafftops a lot, but the Wife doesn't like them, so I abstain, they are good eating IMO. Hardheads aren't bad if you clean them and get the mud line and dark meat / fat off of them. Soak them for a minimum of an hour in milk, or better yet buttermilk, and they taste like catfish. Most hardheads that I catch are smaller and are too much work for the amount of meat I get out of them, so I don't mess around with them much.

Hardheads and gafftops are good to eat. It just depends on if you know how to cook or not.

You come across like an experience cook of both...tell us.

Same here.

I've heard you can use them for bait???? is it foreal???

A ling will scarf a hardhead down in a flash. I don't know anything else that gets after them that fast.

You can catch sharks on hardheads as well.

i don't eat hardheads, but i also hear people say they wouldn't eat a croaker. the speckled seatrout is in the croaker family, so you may be eating croaker and claim you don't. as for gafftop, they are very slimmy, but after you cut out the red meat like you do on a redfish they are very good eating.

Tarpon like 'em too.

What's a hardhead? You talking about Gaff tops?