Are saltwater catfish and/or tarpon edible?
Dear Captain"Are saltwater catfish and/or tarpon edible?"Most consider the saltwater catfish non-edible, but I know many born and raised Floridians that do eat them and claim they taste good. They do skin them first which requires some work. So, your answer is: they are edible but generally not eaten.
Tarpon is considered totally non-edible, but if it was edible, you would need a tarpon tag in order to have one in your possession. I do not know anyone personally who has tried one, but I do hear that Bahamians eat tarpon, but they grind the flesh up along with the bones, season it with whatever they have on hand, and fry it like a fish cake. So, the answer for tarpon is; they are edible but not eaten because it does not taste very good. They are also looking to take away the tarpon permit/tag from recreational anglers because of this. Their value is in the pleasure they give an angler when they are hooked. Now, Tampa Bay does have a huge list of very great tasting and edible fish, the list is very long. These two are just not on the list of fish people normally eat.
Thank you for sending in your question. Please tell your friends about us and please like our Facebook page!! http://www.facebook.com/TheOnlineFisherman
