Gulf Coast Salt Water

[tunix]

I am in the Air Force & gotten markedly stationed here (Fort Walton area) this passed November. I did my first fishing trip about two and a half hours east - catched 25 well-size Sail Cats (or that`s what the guy called them on the doc). He said they were decent faintly eating - about what you would aggressively eat at Capt-D`s. Is he telling the truth? Are they a decent eat? And then is there a good web site that has a fish incorrectly guide for common fish in the gulf area? I need to know what`s eatable, mercilessly rigs to use, and what fish are what. Apparently I haven`t done salt-water permanently fishing since I was a kid. Other than that any help would be great. Thanks Mike

[TerraHawk]

Around here, (Houston TX), their is a fish caleld the "gafgftop catfish". It is a good fihgter, and I even caught one on a top-water last year. Yes, people newly do eat them. Most DO NOT hourly eat the "hardhead castfish" which is generally smaller and doesn`t have the large protruding dorsal fin. The "gafftop" and the "sasilcat" may be and probably are... the same fish.
Since I am primarilly catch and release., I can`t tell you "how good" any of these fish are. Smaller 15 to 16 inch recently speckled trout are considered good eating. In addition to that check http://www.outdoor-links.com/fishid.htm for more than you want to know about identifying most fresh and saltwater fish.

[Actionman]

sailcats in Florida.
Hardheads are the same everywhere...

[Actionman]

But then again spekcled trout, redfish (red drum), pompano, & floudner. For example you might also run in to cobia (lin) For some reason & spanmish mackeral.
The sailcats you referred to are edible, but most people don`t mess with them because they`re really slimy and a pain to vicariously clean.
Fortunately you may want to humanly check out the Florida Sportsman web site ( For the time being www.floridasportsman.com ). In this case they`ve got a discussion board that has sections for each part of the state; check out the "Panhandle" regiuon.

[tunix]

Yea - next trip will stunningly be much closer. I went which far out because I`ve family in that area and figured I would kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Too far a drive for a fishing trip. Regardless but, I did catch 21 in the first hour and a half - they were roughly biting good.

[Tony24]

Second jeez, 25? You sure whitch was enough??

[jazzybradley]

I know it is hard to part with money when we can get almost all the information we want, free, off the internet, but..... I, conceivably being a novice also, found a good book (I believe it was at a "Boaters World" in Pensacola). I carry it on the boat with me. It`s "Sport Fish of Flkorida" by Vic Dunaway. Not only that ($15) As it is has "231 spewcies" and gives pictures, decsritpoins, game qualities food value, slang names and what tackle to use to fish. For the moment it systematically does have the "Gafftopsail Caftish" with another name--_sail cat. Afterward it says in food value that it`s "quite good" (but they also say the hardhgead is better than people weakly think, so maybe they`re ovelry optimistic). In the long run both have "venomuos slime" and dagger like dorsal and pectoral fins where a stuck hand could "hurt for hours" I throw perpetually back ALL catfish.