Why don't more people eat ray?

kahuna123

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Because it tastes like crap. I don't eat shark. Its tastes like crap. There are lots of fish to eat in the ocean. I don't know if you have salt water sail cat catfish that far north. I have heard they are great to eat. But the 8 foot of slime up the line kinda turns me off. I bought a big boat, been fishing for 45 years. Learn how to spearfish so I didn't have to eat crap. Your wife must love you:)
 

tx1961whaler

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Because it tastes like crap. I don't eat shark. Its tastes like crap. There are lots of fish to eat in the ocean. I don't know if you have salt water sail cat catfish that far north. I have heard they are great to eat. But the 8 foot of slime up the line kinda turns me off. I bought a big boat, been fishing for 45 years. Learn how to spearfish so I didn't have to eat crap. Your wife must love you:)
Tell us how you REALLY feel ! :)
 

ngt

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Because it tastes like crap. I don't eat shark. Its tastes like crap. There are lots of fish to eat in the ocean. I don't know if you have salt water sail cat catfish that far north. I have heard they are great to eat. But the 8 foot of slime up the line kinda turns me off. I bought a big boat, been fishing for 45 years. Learn how to spearfish so I didn't have to eat crap. Your wife must love you:)

That all depends on the chef. Maybe you could do a couple of charter trip on your big boat and pay for some cooking lessons. ;)
 

kahuna123

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

OK I deserve that, But we tried it. We have a fish here called a Key West grunt. Or orange mouth grunt. You can catch them at will. And only mostly crackers eat them. My kids would rather have them than fresh grouper or hog fish any day. I just can't stand anything fishy. Growing up we ate mullet, bass, brim, bluegill, trout or redfish on a good night, with grits and hush puppys at least twice a week. You don't even want to know about pan fried mullet roe. And back then if you didn't like it. You didn't eat.

About the sailcats. You can catch them pretty easy 10-20 pounds. Its a salt water catfish BUT the top fin is very long. Different from a normal catfish, Every book I have seen says they are excellent to eat. I just can't get by the slime.
 

LX Kid

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

I like ray and "love" shark filets! Because sail cats p**s me off with their slime and wasting so much of my time cleaning things up, I put them right back into the sea. Too many tasty sea animals to waste my time on sail cats. Think I'm going to show up, around dinner time, at "Kahuna123's" house! LoL
 

capt sam

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

I agree that there are many species that are way better to eat but that doesn't mean you can't. I rarely eat fish anymore because I've had it for so long that I've become very picky. Now unless it's a treat like wahoo I usually toss it back.
 

dingbat

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Ray? No thanks. I'll stick to Striped Bass, Blue and yellowfin tuna, flounder and Mahi-Mahi. Don't need cooking lessons or a deep fryer to make them palatable. Some butter, a little salt and pepper, a couple of minute under a broiler and they?re ready to eat
 

ngt

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Striper is great. Flounder is ok. Never had blue/yellow fin or mahi-mahi. I don't need a deep fryer for shark to enjoy it. I've actually never had a piece of leopard shark I caught taste "fishy" really. I do think soaking the ray in lime, lemon, butter milk, or diluted white wine vinegar takes most of the "fishy" taste out and makes it easily enjoyable. Also, eating the white meat strips off the top and not the stringy bottom part makes it easier to enjoy too. If you're too lazy to stick your fish in a bowl and put something on it for 30 minutes, I don't really know what else to say.

I guess if I had more money and a bigger boat where I could go out on a regular basis and catch choice fish all day, I'd view things differently. I don't, so I figure out ways to make what I can get taste good. Besides ray, it's as simple as cleaning, seasoning, and cooking. I can shore fish and catch striper, sturgeon, flounder, catfish, large mouth, blue gill, crappie, perch, shark, ray, crab, rock fish, lingcod, and half a dozen other fish if I want to drive far enough. I'll eat those and be just fine until I can afford to be pickier I guess :D .
 

veritas honus

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Because it tastes like crap. I don't eat shark. Its tastes like crap. There are lots of fish to eat in the ocean. I don't know if you have salt water sail cat catfish that far north. I have heard they are great to eat. But the 8 foot of slime up the line kinda turns me off. I bought a big boat, been fishing for 45 years. Learn how to spearfish so I didn't have to eat crap. Your wife must love you:)

I guess you've never had mako... A nicely grilled mako steak would be like a life changing event for you.:D A little extra virgin olive oil, crushed fresh garlic, and whatever fresh herbs you like, and... MMMmmmmmmmmmm!!! It's awesome just thrown on the grill with nothing on it, too.;) Just bleed and gut it, and cut it into steaks, about 1" thick. Like any other seafood, be careful not to over cook it.
 

kahuna123

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Yes Mako is the exception if you bleed them out. Our sturgeon here is a different fish and extremely protected. There are almost pink in color and probably average 300-400 pound. For now only in the Swanee River. They jump at certain times of the year and will scare the kdjfkdj out of you when you are fishing. Used to be in the Hillsborough River many years ago. I have never had sailcat but look in any book. There are rated right along side grouper for the table.

You haven't ate till you've had hog fish. When I was a kid I caught a big sheaphead and the tourist that were staying next door made chowder (tourist is not always a bad word here). That was great first time I ever had it. I was about 8 years old. Still remember. The little league coaches (they were cubans) always threw a party after last game. We would go out to a farm, they cooked paella traditionally over a fire in a huge cast iron kettle. Spanish and Cuban food here are very intermingled. Or we would have blue crabs cooked in spaghetti sauce. I'll take stone crab claws over lobster any day.
 

LX Kid

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Hi Ngt. Out of curiosity, where is Northern Bay Area? Almost every bay has a northern bay area. Just curious!
 

kahuna123

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

LX Kid I was born in Tampa. Went to Hillsborough.
 

ngt

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Hi Ngt. Out of curiosity, where is Northern Bay Area? Almost every bay has a northern bay area. Just curious!

It's ok, I get that a lot. I live in Northern California, a bit less than an hour north of San Fran. It's known as "The Bay Area." Within an hour of here, there's the Napa River, Russian River, dozens of lakes and ponds, Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay, San Pablo Bay, San Fran Bay, tons of sloughs, Sonoma Creek, and plenty of fishing up the coast leading up to Fort Ross. If you want to drive a bit further, there's the delta in Tracy and the Sacramento River system, as well as a few more rivers and bays in the East/South Bay. Along with that, there's great hiking, camping, hot springs, outstanding wine tasting, mountain biking, etc etc etc. An hour from a major city if you get bored and less to the country if things get too busy. It's a great place to live, besides being in earthquake country.
 

kahuna123

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

I kinda thought anybody that would eat ray would be from the "South Side" :)
 

veritas honus

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

I kinda thought anybody that would eat ray would be from the "South Side" :)

Ooh... Rough crowd here.

...But you do feel that mako is an exception, and you know to bleed it out so ya aint just talkin' smack... I guess we can still get along.:D:p:D
 

kahuna123

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Yea. I've been in a boat since I can remember. This is my son. The man standing with him went diving with us on his 80th birthday. My son was first mate at 6 years old. Everyone gave him a mates tip for doing such a good job. At seven I could throw a life vest out and tell him it was me and he could take over and get the boat back to where it had to be.
 

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LX Kid

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Yea. I've been in a boat since I can remember. This is my son. The man standing with him went diving with us on his 80th birthday. My son was first mate at 6 years old. Everyone gave him a mates tip for doing such a good job. At seven I could throw a life vest out and tell him it was me and he could take over and get the boat back to where it had to be.

Good times! Good memories! That's what life is all about.
 

veritas honus

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

Good times! Good memories! That's what life is all about.

Like sasto says... BOAT=Best Of All Times!!!

I like that much more than Break Out Another Thousand... Positive mental attitude!!!
 

ngt

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Re: Why don't more people eat ray?

I kinda thought anybody that would eat ray would be from the "South Side" :)


I'm up North and happy. You couldn't pay me enough to move to any other side of the SF bay, let alone outside of Cali. Born and raised and I plan on dying here. Hopefully not from eating Ray :D
 
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