# Eating hardheads!!!



## coastalmayham (Jan 14, 2011)

Do people really eat hardheads? I just gotta ask why?


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## LaMoscaCharters (Nov 8, 2010)

yes they do. in fact, i just just saw a guy at the arroy who had a NICE stringer full of kitties. 
if you really look at it, just about every fish in the bay is eatible. some may be more palatable than others, but eatable none the less. fry up that fresh bloody fillet of a hardhead kitty kat, add some coleslaw, hush puppies, lots of lemon, and some fries and you wont know the difference!! 

Well maybe you will, but i bet anyone would eat it if there wasn't much else to eat. BTW, yes, i have eaten it before when i was a kid. my dad made some just to try it. it's not a fresh flounder or trout fillet, but it rather o.k.isssshhhhhhhh.


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

put some hot sauce on it


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## saltwater_therapy (Oct 14, 2005)

there is an article on eating them in the spring issue of gulf coast fisherman.


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## ccolley68 (Mar 26, 2011)

If there are people who eat carp, then yes, there are people who eat hardheads. Carp are easy to catch, if you find them you can catch a lot, and they can get a lot of meat off one. Hardheads are easy to catch, you can catch a lot, and to some people, a catfich is a catfich is a catfish. I dont eat them, but I dont eat catfish at all, but there are plenty of people who do. I had never eaten black drum until last year, and I gotta say, that was a dang fine eating fish. I always viewed them as trash fish.


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

*Don't knock it till you've tried it!*

Ate fried hardhead catfish one time and it was surprisingly tasty...better than farm-raised in my opinion. Have eaten gafftop several times...now there's you a tasty catfish!


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## uttcut (Jan 6, 2010)

I have a friend that will try anything once...even fried up a ladyfish once...he said not to ever try that, to learn from his mistake


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## nixstix (Sep 8, 2005)

*Don't judge it-til you've tried it!*

About twenty years ago, two older gentleman I fished with were keeping them and filleting them as soon as they got in the boat. Well, it wasn't my boat and they told me that we were eating them for dinner that night- I was very reluctant but surprised at how good the fillets tasted. Then about two months ago, I did the same for my young boys to just prove a point and they ate'em like they were trout. The fillets are thin, so I fried'em up crispy! Boy did I catch a ribbin' at work about it when I told my "purist" fishing buds.


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## Charlie2 (Aug 21, 2004)

*Eating Hardheads*

There's a trick to cleaning hardheads. You can peel the heads, guts and skin off them like taking off a sock and clean a bunch in a short while. Deep fry them with hushpuppies, baked beans, potato salad and cole slaw and you can't keep up with the demand if you happen to be the cooker.

I make a sauce from catsup, hot sauce, horseradish and a touch of lemon juice which caps off the whole meal. You can't eat just one.

One 'howsomeever': Don't ever throw a cast net over a school of them. I did it by mistake and took them to some friends who ate them, to pick out. They showed me the trick. I still don't throw cast nets over hardheads. C2


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## coastalmayham (Jan 14, 2011)

I guess I just may have to try a fillet or 2.


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## BATWING (May 9, 2008)

hardhead..... eeewwwwwwww


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

I tried them when I was a kid. I thought they tasted similar to a catfish. To each is own. I have never done it since.


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## Ontherocks (Dec 29, 2010)

I've never tried it, but if I was hungry enough I'd try 'em fried.


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## cody p (Aug 25, 2010)

I had some at a fish fry I didnt know tell the guy told me tastes just like a blue cat to me. I will not keep one but there is an abundance of them.


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## SpeckReds (Sep 10, 2005)

I tried hardhead catfish once when I was younger. Did not like it. It was gritty.
Never tried it again.

I finally tried gaftop last summer. After 30yrs of bay fishing. My son talked me into keeping a couple.
I cut the red strip out of the fillet and the rest was a nice looking fillet. Fried it up and was pleasantly surprised.


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## ReelWork (May 21, 2004)

I've eaten Gaftop and as far catfish meat is concerned, it was fantastic. Don't see why a hard head would be all that much different. Just can't see me doing it though.. Hate them bastages!


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## paymerick (May 19, 2010)

Someone told me live hardhead make good yellowcat bait... I had heard from a few people that little channel catfish do (though illegal), but that's the first and last time I heard hardhead do...


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

I've blackened a few large ones over a campfire on the beach. I just called them "surf run sea cats" just so I wouldn't feel bad eating them. The ones from the surf where actually pretty tasty blackened.. I'd definately do it again if the opportunity presented itself. Much better than a can of beanie wennies..

Totally different texture than a gaftop. Much flakier, more like a freshwater catfish.


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## paymerick (May 19, 2010)

Would you suggest eating smaller or bigger ones? My friend pulled a monster hardhead out of the ICW last year but it smelled like it'd just spent a few weeks in a hobo's pants...


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## 9121SS (Jun 28, 2009)

We did when I was a kid. LOL My Dad was Not going home empty handed.


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## Speckfish (Oct 14, 2004)

*Nasty*

I can believe anyone would catch, clean and fry up a mess on turd rustlers.


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## ReelWork (May 21, 2004)

Ya'll eat 'em up... For every one you eat, that's one less we have to worry about.


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## fastpitch (Oct 15, 2004)

Just because you can eat it, doesn't mean you should.


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## blueproline (Sep 25, 2007)

this is pitiful....hard heads? really? ive lived on the gulf my entire life and have never, not even once looked at cleaning a hard head. i have put a few in crab traps and had to dig em out cause the crabs wouldnt eat em......used em for ling baits, seemed to work pretty good.


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## tx.fishead (Jun 4, 2005)

Nope......draw the line at Sheepshead (quite tasty). Maybe we can talk more people into eating them POS might as well tell 'em 'Cuda taste as good as Hardhead......oh and you can eat a Chub too, a Chub Sub use the squirt as the sauce.LOL


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## jacobp80 (May 23, 2008)

I was at the boat ramp by the locks on the brazos and gave a black feller a 24 inch redfish on my way in. He said,"You give me fish I give you fish" then pulled out two little hard heads out of some hot grease. No batter and noth gutted. Strait caught and thrown in the grease. I turned him down and nobody believed the story until last week someone ran into a black feller at San Luis Pass who was doing the same thing.


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## SpeckReds (Sep 10, 2005)

I have seen Asian people at the piers keeping everything coming over the rail. All types of things you would not dare eat. Hardheads, mullet, needle fish, yellow tails, shad, glass minows, eels, pinfish, squid, etc. Everything they could catch with a hook or net. Everything going into a 5 gal. bucket with no ice.

I asked once about it and they said they Grind it all up. Heads, tails, guts and everything in between and make Fish Patties out of them. I smiled walked away and wanted to throw up.

Nothing wasted.


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## Gilbert (May 25, 2004)

jacobp80 said:


> I was at the boat ramp by the locks on the brazos and gave a black feller a 24 inch redfish on my way in. He said,"You give me fish I give you fish" then pulled out two little hard heads out of some hot grease. No batter and noth gutted. Strait caught and thrown in the grease. I turned him down and nobody believed the story until last week someone ran into a black feller at San Luis Pass who was doing the same thing.


that was probably mud minner. he post on this site from time to time. he's always fishing the brazos.


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## RedXRunner (Dec 21, 2009)

SpeckReds said:


> I have seen Asian people at the piers keeping everything coming over the rail. All types of things you would not dare eat. Hardheads, mullet, needle fish, yellow tails, shad, glass minows, eels, pinfish, squid, etc. Everything they could catch with a hook or net. Everything going into a 5 gal. bucket with no ice.
> 
> I asked once about it and they said they Grind it all up. Heads, tails, guts and everything in between and make Fish Patties out of them. I smiled walked away and wanted to throw up.
> 
> Nothing wasted.


I've seen this at piers too! to each their own. I've had weird foods in my life like iguana, cow tongue, frog legs...


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## LaMoscaCharters (Nov 8, 2010)

some say jack cravelle are disgusting to eat ( i happen to agree), however, a client i recently took loves to eat them oily bloody boogers. blahhhh,... Hardheads are much tastier.:smile: Kinda tastes like chicken........thats been dipped in a muddy sauce. Try it one day. :cheers:


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Ye Gods, before you know it the bag limit on hardheads will be two per day....


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## mud minner (Apr 12, 2009)

Gilbert said:


> that was probably mud minner. he post on this site from time to time. he's always fishing the brazos.


:biggrin:


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## Whoopin It Up! (Dec 20, 2010)

*Hardheads as Bait*

I have used hardheads as bait for Ling (cobia). When you catch a few hardheads, keep them for your run at Ling... I have caught Ling with 6" to 12" hardheads. This is a cheap bait because hardheads are so easy to catch!


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## mustfish (May 26, 2010)

The way I've been catching fish lately ,I may have to start eating Hardheads. I wouldn't know what it's like to catch a trout these days!


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## Bayscout22 (Aug 9, 2007)

I took a booze cruise on a river in Mexico once. They charged extra for the fresh catch of day dinner. It was mullet.


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

Certain kinds of mullet are quite good to eat, and we used to slow smoke 'em when down in Louisiana or Florida, along with our flounder fillets. Very good. 

I've had hardhead before and it wasn't much good, a bad muddy stink in it so me, maybe it was just these parts where I caught them in the back bay. Never again, sir.

Only thing fun about them hardheads is when you're at a bayside restaurant right on the water with some kids or grandkids, and let them chum up hundreds of 'em with french fries. Them little rascals were stealing fries off everyone's plate! :cheers:


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## wickedwader (Jun 30, 2010)

Hardheads are by far the best eating fish in the bay...no doubt about it.

I suggest everyone throw back those nasty trout, redfish, black drum and flounder.


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## ronniewelsh (Feb 3, 2011)

I totally agree with wickedwader! Everyone should keep evey hardhead ever caught.We should start a hard head eating craze that way maybe we could wipem out!Ive always had a simple rule out on the water "If your cathchin hardheads your either in the wrong place or your doin something wrong"


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## pmgoffjr (Jul 30, 2009)

I've been hungry enough in the boat to scrape the mold off a three day old cheese sandwich...but never enough to even consider putting a fillet knife in a hard head.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

they are just a catfish, most catfish are good to eat. I can promise you that a hardhead is a lot cleaner then most "farm raised" catfish you eat.


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## valleyteacher (Mar 20, 2011)

Like oysters, not because they are ugly to the eye does it mean that they are bad eating. If you dont like them, dont eat them- no one will make you eat them. On the other hand, about them being "clean," I would ask: What do catfish eat that redfish dont? If ling make a meal of them, would you not eat ling then? If that was the case, who would eat shrimp? Not to mention rays or shark. 

My point is what some other 2coolers have mentioned here, to each his own. If someone wants to grind fish scales and all, that will not stop the rest of us from fishing. In fact, when I worked in Michigan for a blueberry company, they would do pretty much the same with jelly.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

valleyteacher said:


> On the other hand, about them being "clean," I would ask: What do catfish eat that redfish dont? If ling make a meal of them, would you not eat ling then? If that was the case, who would eat shrimp? Not to mention rays or shark.
> 
> .


think about blue crabs and crawfish. That is some nasty stuff, but I do not care. Got to laugh at people who would eat a crab but complain about a fish.


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## reeltimer (Feb 5, 2010)

wickedwader said:


> Hardheads are by far the best eating fish in the bay...no doubt about it.
> 
> I suggest everyone throw back those nasty trout, redfish, black drum and flounder.


Let the trend begin!:rotfl:


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

go get ya some


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## BACLIFF BERT (Nov 29, 2006)

Mudd Cats and Hard Heads, meh.


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## Fishin' Fool (Oct 30, 2005)

Years ago my BIL would always drink a few too many whenever he got around a fishing pole and saltwater. One night we turned in early and he was up all night catching fish and cooking them up. The next day we were cleaning up after his late night fish dinner and found out that he had caught, cleaned and eaten about eight hardheads. He claimed they were great, but in his condition he would have probably eaten his boat shoes and thought they were tasty. Do not know if ever tried them again but he does not drink anymore and seems to prefer redfish and flounder over hardheads these days.


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## moganman (Mar 30, 2006)

I haven't eaten them since I was a kid and its probably because I stopped using bait as a kid, so I don't catch them anymore. They weren't bad. The meat is white, just not my favorite fish to eat or clean. They can be tasty if you do it right.


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## Red Line (Jun 9, 2009)

*Good Stuff*



[email protected] said:


> Ate fried hardhead catfish one time and it was surprisingly tasty...better than farm-raised in my opinion. Have eaten gafftop several times...now there's you a tasty catfish!


I'm not a big fan of cleaning them, but they taste good. As a kid, my Dad would bring them home and we used to eat them all the time. Once you clean them and have some fillets, season them with some paprika, pepper, garlic power and lemon juice. Let them sit in the frig. for about 4 to 6 hours, dip them in mustard, then cornmeal and fry. They are 10 times better than those farm-raised fish.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

paymerick said:


> Someone told me live hardhead make good yellowcat bait... I had heard from a few people that little channel catfish do (though illegal), but that's the first and last time I heard hardhead do...


small hardheads are good bait for ling. I have no problem with eating hardhead if I have to but dealing with hardhead


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## capt. stealth (Jul 7, 2008)

Clip the fins off and gar will eat the s*** out of them! :texasflag


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

capt. stealth said:


> Clip the fins off and gar will eat the s*** out of them! :texasflag


Doncha need a pair of ***** for that?


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## goosekillr (Jul 11, 2007)

Taste like chicken!


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## Sow Trout (Jun 28, 2004)

I have eaten them smoked until pretty dry. They were good. Tasted like smoke.


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## blueproline (Sep 25, 2007)

enough enough enough....i make a mean hard head, gar, and jackfish ceviche .....


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## trodery (Sep 13, 2006)

Swells said:


> Doncha need a pair of ***** for that?


Back when I did offshore charters I once took a pair of ***** fishing... they were rather nice ladies! :rotfl:


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Hardhead is called GOM trout (GulfofMexico trout) or Boot Trout (due to their thick skin). Eat More Hardhead!


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## Sweet Baby Cletus (Jan 18, 2010)

Catfish from the Galveston Bay System are full of Dioxins and PCBs. Eating them is ill advised.


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## commtrd (Mar 18, 2006)

Gafftop are darned good eating too. Very slimy when caught but the meat is really good.


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