The common name, hardhead catfish, is derived from the presence of a hard, bony plate extending rearward toward the dorsal fin from a line between the catfish's eyes. One day I was sitting on the seawall next to my large scotch and soda with a line out baited with a chunk of mullet -- not really wanting to catch anything to interrupt my peaceful solitude. The hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis) is a species of sea catfish from the northwest Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and similar to the gafftopsail catfish (Bagre marinus).It is one of four species in the genus Ariopsis. Several years ago while sifting through questions that had been sent in by email I realized that there was one question that was asked over and over again and that’s people wanting to know what the best catfish bait is. … Posted on 11/23/2016 by Adminrive — 50 Comments ↓ In VLOG , we took the Hobie kayaks out for a two hour kayak fishing trip in between college football games and checked out the Simpson River in Pensacola, …. Any of y'all eat gafftop catfish? It is a blue-grey or dark brown in color and can be found in … If you were to mention to someone that you actually have eaten this bottom dwelling beast of the sea you would more often than not receive strange looks and … raw or cooked shrimp for catfish They were great. Sure we can target species based on the patterns we recognize, but depending on the tides, weather, season, and water condition, every venture is a coin toss. Looming red tides and concerns about decreased species p… Square chuncks of big mullet in deep channels with heavy current will bring out the big sail catfish. For those who do not know the species, gafftops have extra-long dorsal fins that look like a sail on a boat, hence the name gafftopsail. “Bud, they’re trash! They have pretty white meat that tastes similar to blue catfish, but you have to get past the slime. The bigger pieces had sort of a gamey taste. Its appearance is typical for a catfish except for the deeply forked tail and the venomous, serrated spines. Gafftopsail and Hardhead Catfish The jellyfish invasion cleared later in the week and I biked down the road to a hole-in-the-wall tackle shop to restock on bait. Gafftopsail Catfish, Bagre marinus. Its appearance is typical for a catfish except for the deeply forked tail and the venomous, serrated spines. There’s no guarantee what you’ll catch. The Gafftopsail catfish remains a fish of interest. The typical length of a mature gafftopsail catfish is about 17inches. The Saltwater Catfish is regarded by most as a trash fish that is nothing more than a bait stealing waste of space. When my son was about 7, 8 or 9 the jacks and catfish he caught made up one of the primary fertilizer ingredients in our vegetable garden. We would fill 96 qt. Gafftopsail Catfish Facts: What is a Gafftopsail Catfish? They also have long, stringy whiskers. Just gotta remember that reds were considered trash fish at one time. They are too slimy to skin out, so I use an electric fillet knife. Also, is it true that if you land on gafftop, that specks are close by? I recounted my earlier catfish and raft episode to the shop clerk, who, weathered by a lifetime of sun, didn’t hold back his opinion on the fish. It also has a little hump that looks somewhat like a wave. The Saltwater Catfish is regarded by most as a trash fish that is nothing more than a bait stealing waste of space. What is a Gafftopsail Catfish? Gafftopsail catfish is a common catch in the southeastern United States, although it is also caught as far north as New York. It also has a little hump that looks somewhat like a wave. TIA There are two primary types of saltwater catfish people typically catch, by the way: the hardhead, which is brownish to gray-green with four barbels on the chin, and the less common gafftopsail, which is more blue on the top and only has two barbels on the chin. Catfish, Gafftopsail. I did soak them in milk. Just finished cooking and eating some filets. It can actually pay and pay big to catch gafftops. If you were to mention to someone that you actually have eaten this bottom dwelling beast of the sea you would more often than not receive strange looks and … Catch and Cook: Can you EAT a Gafftopsail Catfish!!! They are attracted by the sound of struggling fish, like a popping cork creates. One of the most common questions is about the best catfish bait to use for catfishing. I always keep the big gafftops I catch. Best done on moonless nights. The delicious Gafftopsail catfish. The Gafftopsail Catfish are found from Mid-Atlantic to South America including the entire Gulf of Mexico.The Gafftopsail reach a size of 42 inches average weight 15lbs.They are found inshore to water 100 feet deep.These catfish incubate their eggs and young inside their mouths.They occur largely in water 15 feet to 75feet in depth in open water, bays,and sand flats in the summer. It’s called fishing not catching, after all. icechests with only about 10 or 12 of the big ones and a few we had to curl the tail to close the lid. Because even a small prick from a catfish can be extremely painful. The fish average 2.5 pounds, but can get as big as 15 pounds. The typical length of a mature gafftopsail catfish is about 17 in (43 cm). Aquarium fish photographed in the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Naples, Florida, January 2019. They come from piers, jetties, reefs, and the surf, but also bottom fishing or flats fishing. Several years ago while sifting through questions that had been sent in by email I realized that there was one question that was asked over and over again and that’s people wanting to know what the best catfish bait is.