fish size and taste

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tri3forme
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fish size and taste

Post by tri3forme »

Buying a yak this weekend as my son and I plan on venturing into our new hobby with bay fishing:-) I noticed on the board that some fish become less tasty as they get bigger (didn't know that). Where can I find some sort of guideline as to what fish are good for the dinner table and which need to be released depending on type and size? Thanks!
Snookfish
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Re: fish size and taste

Post by Snookfish »

I know of no hard and fast rule as to which fish are the best at what sizes. I think its a matter of personal preference. Anything in the slot limits have always been good for me. Any of the redfish or black drum over the slot I have always released due to them being the breeders and especially the black drum tend to get worms in the meat. Won't hurt you but it's unsightly to bite into. I only eat redfish and flounder. Trout I'm not a huge fan of to eat so I almost always throw them back unless my fishing partner wants some.
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Angler Runk
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Re: fish size and taste

Post by Angler Runk »

One fact that I have noticed is the way the fish tastes correlates to what the fish is eating. You can google the species that you are after, (I only really catch trout,flounder, and reds) and do some research on what stage of life (which tells you the length they are at) that species is eating. This is my personal opinion, but I think smaller trout (15-21") taste alot better than a larger trout and to me it is because the trout at that stage mainly eat shrimp, while the larger trout mainly eat bait fish like mullet,menhaden,etc. Any fish that eat mainly shrimp as their diet will taste better, redfish are mainly crustacean eaters, so they eat shrimp and crabs mainly while also eating baitfish occasionally. I have not met any fisherman that will throw back a legal flounder, I think all fisherman love flounder no matter the legal size.
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Big Kahuna
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Re: fish size and taste

Post by Big Kahuna »

Bleed them and put on ice. When you prep or fillet the fish. You will see a blood line in the middle of the fillet. That blood will have the fishy taste. Also I soak my fish in 7 up and it gives it a sweet lemon taste. I usually soak for 30mins to an hour. As for bleeding the fish cut the gills and let it bleed out then throw on ice. Don't bleed and leave on a stringer especially in the summer meat can go bad. I have jept redfish to 33" with a tag and have had no problems. Hope this helps.
RoosterTX
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Re: fish size and taste

Post by RoosterTX »

Larger redfish & drum have much thicker meat, closer to the consistency of chicken than fish. I personally don't care for it and only keep smaller fish for eating.
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karstopo
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Re: fish size and taste

Post by karstopo »

If I could order the best sized fish for the table when I go fishing, I'd choose reds from 20-24", trout from 16-20" , flounder over 16". If you get a larger croaker, they are great. I like Spanish mackerel too, but mostly when my neighbor makes sashimi out of them. Most of the fish you will catch are good to eat and the internet is a wonderful resource to look up how to prepare each type.

Fish tend to accumulate various toxins as they age and the concentrations of those toxins rise as the fish get bigger.
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TroutSupport.com
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Re: fish size and taste

Post by TroutSupport.com »

My main table fair has become Black Drum... the smaller ones are awesome.
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Laked0g
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Re: fish size and taste

Post by Laked0g »

Please let me weigh in on my experiences. I used to fish Fresh water catfish on Lake Travis, The rule on the boat was we keep no fish under 10 Lbs. Our daily bag was in the range of 25-45lbs. what I found is don't use water to clean the fish, it is an acquired skill to clean the fish with out using water. Fresh fish has a better taste than once frozen, also on white meat fish, gently remove and dark red or bloody looking meat, this harbors the muddy or gamey taste in the fish when cooked. Also I found that when the filet is more than an inch thick, filet into about 1/2" or just slightly thicker fish meat that is over an inch thick, tends to take too long to cook and it will also cook unevenly. Some of those hogs had really thick belly meat, which I would cook like a filet Mignon with Bacon. or just filet it out for baking.

We used to cook a lot of fish on the half shell, over a mesquite smoky fire. Now its red fish were after.
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