Not the same fish. Sane people catch gaff tops
Hardheads are nasty little catfish with poison in their fins. I still have knots in my fingers from the little buggers stabbing me when I was eight years old.

Eat all you want but if a Seadrift crabber won't use them in their traps I don't want to mess with it.

Gaff top are good to eat!!! It makes for a great gumbo.
Listen to me and trust me.

A HARDHEAD is like eating a mud cat......Makes for great sushi once the bottle of Jack is half gone

As a kid I ate them down in Louisiana. Made into a fish stew. Don't remember liking it much. They would eat anything down there though. We use to catch choupique in the ditches and sell them to people for fifty cents. I tend to shy away from Gaftop as well. Just too much slime. Someone mentioned Croaker though. Give me some nice golden croakers over a speck any day of the week. Cut the head off and scale them. Fry them whole. that's some good eating.

Old timer I knew told me to take a small hardhead,cut its side fins off with pliers and drop it to the bottom

It would crawl on the bottom grunting and a big red will snatch it up quick

But how would you hook them whole or slice them up???

I would stick to Reds or flounder.. Just ask yourself, Would you eat snot and dirt?? Then you will find your answer..

did you know that in your name if you switch some letters you can spell gaff top. watch the transformation!!
Pat Goff
Gaff top

Oh jeesh...
Now that's funny, especially anyone that knows me and what a fit I raise to keep a snot rocket off my scooter.

Who'd have thought we'd get this much mileage out of a thread about eating hardheads................

We should start bowfshing for them......

Now thats a good idea!!

You can also use hard-head for shark-bait Ive heard

Ask Mikey he likes everything.

You'd have to be Robin Hood to harpoon a Hardhead.