Can you eat hardhead catfish??

you can eat what u want just depends if you will die

Brit--there's no difference in the flesh from a hardhead catfish and a gafftopsail catfish. Most folks that I have come across in my life of fishing the Galveston Bay system, usually throw them back since they're a pain and eat your shrimp while trying for other target species.

If they're big enough, go ahead and take a few home or as many as you want to clean. They ARE NOT (their flesh)poisonous like some people think and the whiskers "barbels" will not sting you either. Just be careful of the dorsal and pectoral spines/fins, they can and will inflict pain.

Fry 'em, grill 'em doesn't make any difference, there's nothing wrong with eating them and they taste just fine. Now, I would not trade my specks, flounders or sheepshead fillets for hardhead fillets...my dad and grandfather didn't raise no fool!

Chris

I've never met anyone that threw them back in the water alive.

I have seen that in the past, and I myself have done that growing up. Let's remember, that killing a resource and not keeping it in edible condition, violates our game and fish regulations. We do not want to do anything illegal or pass on that type of action to our children, grandchildren or others but good, healthy, fishing and hunting ethics.

Chris

Funny story..
I took a friend who seldom fishes to the surf for a day of fishing. All we brought for lunch was a frying pan, butter, ziploc of spices and 2 cans of beanie weenies. We where optimists to the max. All we where catching where some really large hard heads. As it got close to lunch I thought what to heck and told the guy we needed to keep the next few big "Surf run seacats" we got. Well we got them quickly, filleted them, shook them good in the spices and threw them into the frying pan and scorched them southern style. I'm here to tell you that "Blackened surf run seacat" is VERY good. That was years ago and he still compliments me on those blackened seacats. Hope he doesn't read this message.. The "surf run seacat" name has fooled several into trying a plateful of blackened hardhead! Hardheads from the bay didn't seem to taste as good as the "sea cats" from the surf did.....
Now when I go surf fishing I always bring a "seacat" rod along to rig up with squid. If you see a scrawny fella throwing big hardheads into a cooler with big red letters "CHUM" written on the side... Follow him home and see what he has for dinner.

Hey Arlon, Are those hardheads you're talking about or Gafftops? I don't want you to think I'm putting you down, but those gafftops really like squid for bait...matter of fact, it's their first choice! They have the really LONG fleshy appendages coming off the dorsal and pectoral spines.

Everyone else is missing out on saltwater catfish if they're not trying them.

Been fishing the Texas coast for 30+ years now...
"surf run seacat" was just a name I came up with to give the poor hardheads some form of respect. I like gaftops too but I was refering to the "southern seacat" aka hardhead in the earlier post. Hardheads actually have better flakier meat than the "chewy" gaftop. Hardheads love squid too, especially the small white local variety and it lasts a lot longer than shrimp.

Been stuck by hardheads 3 times. Yea, I know the difference..I also learned how to stop the pain almost instantly before most knew the trick..

I use the chum ice box to fool those smart enough to know what chum is, those who don't don't matter anyway because they wouldn't know what a hardhead was either! Don't want surf veterans to think I'm a pot licker.. (-:


Here's someone who agree's with me...

Hardhead_info

I always catch em just never kept em. Maybe this year I will keep some and throw them in the "chum" cooler.
are they good fried?

yes its edible, but not very good eating. even on the largest hardheads (over 12") you only get a small fillet. the entire front half, up to the dorsal fin is bone. you can only fillet the back half of the fish. plus when you cook it, it'll shrink to a nugget sized fillet. not too good eating and not much meat. stick with gafftops or freshwater cats like blues, channels and flatheads.

they make ok baits for shark fishing. they are a bit bloody and that attracts sharks.

They catch reds too.

Arlon--
I have not been stuck yet, ,
What is the best way to stop the sting ?
Thanks
MO

I was always told to flip the fish over and rub its belly on your cut....I have done it.....seemed to help, but so does ice and beer..

Of course my buddy got popped by a jelly fish on the leg and asked me what to do, i told him to pee on it,,,he looked at me, and I said, well that will stop it and off I went into the surf....looked back and he had his left leg hanging out in front of him and the golden stream had begun..........it may have worked, but to see your buddy pee on himself on purpose-priceless.

Hardhead toxin comes in the form of thin protein strands that stay in the puncture. First time I was stuck I was clueless and suffered several hrs. of trip ending pain. stuck deep in the ankle. Second time I was ready, I had done a little research. I had swung a head over the gunnel and smack into my bare knee. Spine deep over the knee cap. quickly pulled as many of the filaments (thinner than hair) from the puncture as possible and laid my knee against a very hot (from the sun) OD green aluminum gunnel. Heat is the big killer of the toxin. Gunnel was about as hot as I could stand. About 2 minutes and all discomfort was gone. Third was a light puncture at the base of my thumb, never could find filaments, but was starting to hurt. Laid thumb onto hood of dark red, baking in the sun Isuzu Trooper. Again pain was gone in 2 minutes. Any heat source will break down the protein. Only requires a few degrees above body temp. Don't need to inflict more damage from the heat. A friend stepped on a head and got a puncture in the bottom of the foot. We filled a bait bucket with hot water from an outboard's cooling water stream. 5 minute soak and he was fine. If you get stuck, be creative. Any heat source a few degreees above body temp will work. Sorry, pee IS body temp. I keep thinking about getting one of those chemical heat packs for my tackle box but always seem to forget it when I'm someplace that has them (ADD adult)....

Best to avoid getting stuck. I strictly use a "flipper" made from a piece of broom handle and a bummed stainless welding rod. I haven't had to handle a head in years. Last time I mislaid the flipper was also the last time I got stuck in the thumb. I made about 4 flippers so now there is on in the car, boat, tacklebox and back pocket!

If anyone has experience with rays, let me know. Not sure if the toxins are similar, kind of doubt it. If I ever get stuck by a ray I will surely try the hot foot approach. Couldn't hurt.

Sorry for rambling, slow day..

I have never been stuck by a hardhead either but I have heard that if you do, to rub some of the slime off of the catfish and rub it on your cut. It supposedly stops the pain right away.