Texas Fishing Forum

Gafftop anyone?

Posted By: Csilva

Gafftop anyone? - 08/21/13 09:19 AM

Caught four of em in the surf all about 4 to 6 pounds how should i cook em, also anyone eaten mullet before i know they are not that big but heard o people eating them and saying they were pretty good because all they eat is algae.
Posted By: cocodrie

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 08/21/13 01:59 PM

if you choose to eat those slimy gafftop then the first thing i would do is fillet and cut out the red blood line. slice in strips and fry it up like any other fish.

mullet???? no way.
Posted By: scott01

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 08/21/13 02:29 PM

I think that mullet you're hearing about is a different species than the mullet most use for bait here. Gaftop are good if you fillet and cut the red meat out as mentioned above.
Posted By: udamdan

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 08/25/13 11:53 AM

Saltwater catfish tend to taste ‘cleaner’ than most freshwater catfish, due to greater movement of water in coastal areas. Flavor is subtler as well. Nice for frying of course, but used effectively in preserved applications (smoking and curing) as well. Pretty decent used with butter sauces as well.
Posted By: bill oxner

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 08/25/13 02:36 PM

Too much slime for me to keep. I've been tempted a couple of times when the trout were slow, but released them after second thought.

It's my understanding that mullet east of the Mississippi river taste cleaner than our mullet. I've had them a couple of times in the Alabama coast restaurants. They were okay, but not great.
Posted By: pafree

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 08/25/13 10:56 PM

we have found that bleeding them helps. we cut the tail off and hang them up and let them bleed out. filet them and put the filets in ice water. fried is better than baked or grilled but i never like freshwater catfish baked or grilled.
Posted By: cypher_orange

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 09/14/13 10:16 PM

Mullet roe was one of the only things I saw that guy on travel channel that eats all the wacky stuff (Zimmern...or something like that)turn a little green after eating. This is a guy that eats goat testes and maggot infested cheese.
Posted By: texcajun

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 09/17/13 01:42 PM

I tried mullet in Jacksonville, FL at a resturant that supposedly was famous for knowing how to cook 'em. Absolutely terrible fish. You couldn't pay me to try 'em again.
Posted By: Jamoke

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 10/20/13 11:42 PM

Originally Posted By: Csilva
Caught four of em in the surf all about 4 to 6 pounds how should i cook em, also anyone eaten mullet before i know they are not that big but heard o people eating them and saying they were pretty good because all they eat is algae.


I thought there are safety restrictions on numerous fish in the gulf because of toxins in the meat. Isn't Gaftopp one of them. I have caught Gafftop on cut bait numerous times, so they will eat anything. never ate one. Gafftop Consumption advisory
Posted By: greenen

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 10/23/13 05:50 PM

Fresh Appalachicola mullet hard to beat fried IMO.
Posted By: pmeheran

Re: Gafftop anyone? - 11/08/13 04:49 PM

The gafftops being catfish should be skinned and the strip of red meat is usually cut away. Baked or fried sounds good.

When I took Icthyology fish the professor told us the reason mullet are not usually eaten in Texas was because the calcareous bottom grows a strong tasting algae, which in turn makes the mullet have strong taste. This of course has to do with the mullet in the bays mostly. This is not the case elsewhere, mullet is very popular around Mississippi and Florida, and of course in other countries. Oh, since when is a two foot mullet not large enough to eat?
© 2024 Texas Fishing Forum