Catfish fillets as strip bait?

[Murdoch]

Hi guys,

Has anyone used catfish fillets as strip baits?

It is rare for us to cast net large mullet so bigger flesh baits come at a cost from the shops. We have good access to catfish from a fresh water section of the river, and I was thinking of keeping a couple to make bait on the cheap.

Is this a good idea? Or do the fish think they taste as bad as most people do?

Cheers

[-spiro-]

mate i've tried them in crab pots with very little succsess

[HeadBanger]

I've heard that catfish baits work well on the bull sharks, but haven't yet tried it myself.

Cheers,
Kaidon

[Spiderpig]

i have used them for crabpot bait with GREAT success, i would rate them up with reef fish frames and I have equal access to both.

[finga]

Bugger the bait. Eat them.
Skin the buggers, dip them in milk, rolled them in flour and straight into the melted butter in the frypan

Don't knock them until you try them. Especially those caught in deep, clear water.

[mouse71]

cut the fillet's off, fresh, still with plenty of blood in them, drop the bait down into a big hole, hang on
probably caught more jewies on this than on live squid, great jewie and fingermark bait

[Murdoch]

Cheers fellas,

Will give it a go.

Spiro, have used them in crab pots before, and done pretty well.

Finga, haven't tried one yet, but they come from a pretty dirty dammed section of the river. Will try one fillet when we get some for bait, and try to be open minded.

Mouse71, we are only in kayaks, so taking big live catfish, and trying to fillet on the water is a pretty risky activity. We will fillet them at home, and probably salt a few, and keep a few unsalted to see how they go. Good to hear you have had success with them.

Murdoch

[BrAdAsS]

+1 for Bullshark bait!

[Nicko_Cairns]

Bugger the bait. Eat them.
Skin the buggers, dip them in milk, rolled them in flour and straight into the melted butter in the frypan

Don't knock them until you try them. Especially those caught in deep, clear water.

yep, bleed them asap tho... highly underated as a tablefish, some ppl in NT call them powertails so that their friends don't know what they're eating..then tell them it's catfish afterwards... even better NEVER eat them, let them go so I can catch them, thanks.

[onerabbit]

Are we talking freshwater catties or fork tail?

If freshies, them i am with Finga, you wont get much better,

if they are forktails............cut away..........and let us know how you go.

Muzz

[finga]

Are we talking freshwater catties or fork tail?

If freshies, them i am with Finga, you wont get much better,

if they are forktails............cut away..........and let us know how you go.

Muzz

Both are great.
Try them. You'll like them.

[tunaticer]

I grew up eating both fork tail and eel tail catties.....good firm white flesh with a nice flavour.
Two secrets with them though, wet towel them when you catch them to remove all the slime first then cut thier throats. Whack the fillets off and skin them and they are good tucker.

Mind you these days i just release them unharmed as I only take the target fish for the day for one feed and that is all.

[URAGANGI]

Murdock go with Finga's sugestion chew on a few, they're realy not bad eating for what they are. True point is the cleaner the water the better the flavour. Bleed them Asap skin them and cook them very basic like.... All I do is pan fry the fillets in butter with good old salt and pepper....Nice.

The yanks go nuts over there caties. check out youtube for big flathead (that's what they call them).

I've found them to be top crab bait. Mouse71 has me keen on the idea for jew bait....The whole thing makes good sence. Bradass is On, if you like too roll a few bull sharks , forky fillets is always on their menue.

[Murdoch]

They are freshwater forktail catfish.
Caught in a barraged section of the river which only has fresh water, but they match the description and picture of Forktail Catfish in my fish ID book.

Hopefully will get a few this weekend, and taste a couple, then use a couple as bait.

Cheers for the recipes.

[the gecko]

watch for the 3 spikes. cut em off with tinsnips or pliers before you fillet. serious pain.............