The new fad of catfishing

[Ranger99]

So I guess that a good many weren't successful at
being a "tournament bass pro " and have turned to
catfish and rough fish,  formerly known as "trash fish "
New catfishermen and gar and carp fishermen now
scoff at and chastise those like myself who have
been catching and keeping the former "trash fish ",
and are unhappy because we don't catch and release.

The biggest hypocrisy I've seen is these new cat fishermen
that traded in their bass pro boats for a center
console/bay boat, and have expensive rod holders
with expensive rod/reels arrayed across the stern
mostly half a dozen at the time.
Then they get the a$$ at me and my friends for
running trotlines and juglines.
What's the difference besides money spent
and prestige  ?

[Dee]

They'd really like me when they see me run out 20 or 30 bright yellow jug lines, in my super simple wide bottom flatbottom boat with a tiller handle 20 hp mercury.
And there ain't a chance in hell of me throwing anything eaten size back. Me and mister whiskers have been battling for 70 years. I was catfishing at a very early age.

[Ranger99]

Yeah
I was running trotlines with my pawpaw
before I hit double digit age.
Nobody cared 10 cents for a catfish of
any kind, or especially not a gar or carp
or buffalo. You could probably build a
border wall with the carp and gar we've
put arrows through and snagged with
a gang of big treble hooks.
The only people interested was the
black people in those gubmint projects
near the Trinity. They'd give you a
dollar, dollar and a quarter for a fair
sized carp if it wasn't stiff yet

[GTS225]

Seems to me, that if they're gonna go after "trash fish", they should concentrate heavily on that Asian carp that's trying to be so invasive.  Fish the crap out of them in the hopes to eliminate them from the planet.

Just my opine.....Roger

[gypsyman]

 Been fishing Lake Erie since I was a kid in the 60's. Many a catfish went in my smoker. And the other trash fish here, is called a sheephead, or fresh water drum. Get a couple of those at 4-6 lbs., filet them out, boil the meat in salt water, cool them down and make some shrimp sauce. We call it poor man's shrimp.

[Dee]

I aint eating a carp,or a drum, but I know some folks down south that would. 

[Bob Riebe]

Been fishing Lake Erie since I was a kid in the 60's. Many a catfish went in my smoker. And the other trash fish here, is called a sheephead, or fresh water drum. Get a couple of those at 4-6 lbs., filet them out, boil the meat in salt water, cool them down and make some shrimp sauce. We call it poor man's shrimp.

In Minnesota, the gents who catch and eat freshwater drum say it is similar to Cod.

[gypsyman]

Been fishing Lake Erie since I was a kid in the 60's. Many a catfish went in my smoker. And the other trash fish here, is called a sheephead, or fresh water drum. Get a couple of those at 4-6 lbs., filet them out, boil the meat in salt water, cool them down and make some shrimp sauce. We call it poor man's shrimp.

In Minnesota, the gents who catch and eat freshwater drum say it is similar to Cod.

  Yea, pretty close. Maybe it was the way it was cooked, but I will never keep or eat a bass. The Bass Islands are 15 east of where we fish for perch or walleye. They do get in on the reefs and around the islands, but I wouldn't waste the time or gas to go there. Might pick one up drifting across a reef  trying for 'eye, but gets thrown back immediately.

[Dee]

Black bass, small mouth bass, large mouth bass, no thanks. I've fileted them as a youngster and too many times were full of worms. PLUS, I've never cared for the taste.

[SwampThing762]

Red drum is popular in Florida. Good eating fish.

[Dixie-Dude]

I don't mind eating river catfish.  Pond raised sometimes tastes muddy.  Commercial catfish aren't bad.  I can only eat catfish battered and fried.  Anything else seems to taste awful.  Have never eaten carp or drum fish.  I do like bream, crappie, and bass.  All mild tasting.  Also like red snapper from the ocean, as well as trigger fish and other ocean fish.  I also like salmon and trout. 

[Dee]

I don't mind eating river catfish.  Pond raised sometimes tastes muddy.  Commercial catfish aren't bad.  I can only eat catfish battered and fried.  Anything else seems to taste awful.  Have never eaten carp or drum fish.  I do like bream, crappie, and bass.  All mild tasting.  Also like red snapper from the ocean, as well as trigger fish and other ocean fish.  I also like salmon and trout.

Crappie are good, perch are perfect.

[AtlLaw]

Crappie are good, perch are perfect.

About the only fresh water fish I actually enjoy are Crappie (#2) and Walleye (#1) Catfish are a distant third even though I used to love the "All you can eat" fried catfish places back in the day.  That was before the Asian imported catfish took over.

Also ate a lot of yellow perch when I was a kid. And aren't Walleyes a relative of, or a species of, perch?  If they are that may explain why I like then so much!