Bluefish.....

[snapperbluefish101]

I don't like to post reports or regular posts as much but, always like posting about gators. I was able to catch some gators this week from shore in Raritan Bay and Shark River. I love eating them. I am still curious how they rank out of ten for good eating oily fish. I personally put them at the same rank as striped bass, as they are so delicious if bled, put in/on ice, and have saltwater added to the cooler to make a slurry. I give them 9 out of 10, as they have the PCB and Mercury advisory to them if eaten too much as there only set back, and that can be of concern because I don't necessarily know what a serving of gator bluefish is supposed to be nor how often a year a person should eat adult bluefish.

Anyway, want to know you thoughts about blues again. Like to learn about what people views and opinions are on fish as table fare....

[SaltLife1980]

I love to catch em! But not so much eat them.. Catch and release only for me

[snapperbluefish101]

I love to catch em! But not so much eat them.. Catch and release only for me

I would push you to give them a second try lol. If you know for sure you don't like 'em I understand that, haha! But man, olive oil, lemon pepper, lemon juice, broiled for 20min at 400 deg, so freaking good! Haha...!

[Pennsy Guy]

For me it's:
Cocktails-- pan fried or baked/broiled.
Tailers-- cut out dark meat, cube remaining meat, egg wash, bread crumbs, pan fry in oil, turning to brown all sides or deep fryer.
Choppers, slammers & gators-- cut ALL dark meat out, marinate 24 hrs & smoke.

From the Fisherman weekly:
Snapper <10"
Cocktail 10-16"
Tailers <5#
Choppers up to 10/12#
Slammers up to 16#
Gorillas/alligators 18#>

I worked with a guy who took all that I gave him--his 3 boys loved 'em. Said they ate 'em like animals-with their hands off the dinner plate...I know some do like them.

[Delawareriver]

I give them a -2. Just not an oily fish fan even tho it has been several years since I tried them. My freezer is typically stuffed full of striper, fluke, blackfish, snakeheads, walleye, catfish, redfish, sheepshead, perch etc so I dont mind playing catch and release on them

[AndyS]

Get a smoker !!!! Those oily fish (and others) are great smoked !!!

[june181901]

I like them in fish tacos!

[bunker dunker]

snapper blues headed,gutted & scaled. batter or egg and bread crumbs fried.
let cool for 15-20 minutes then dip in duct sauce or honey mustard.only blues I will eat.

[snapperbluefish101]

For me it's:
Cocktails-- pan fried or baked/broiled.
Tailers-- cut out dark meat, cube remaining meat, egg wash, bread crumbs, pan fry in oil, turning to brown all sides or deep fryer.
Choppers, slammers & gators-- cut ALL dark meat out, marinate 24 hrs & smoke.

From the Fisherman weekly:
Snapper <10"
Cocktail 10-16"
Tailers <5#
Choppers up to 10/12#
Slammers up to 16#
Gorillas/alligators 18#>

I worked with a guy who took all that I gave him--his 3 boys loved 'em. Said they ate 'em like animals-with their hands off the dinner plate...I know some do like them.

I like your assessment! If the gator is bled though, the dark meat is delicious too in my opinion, even though it's not good to eat haha health wise....

[Chrisper4694]

i say this every time haha, if you don't want the mess you don't have to bleed them. put them in the cooler like you would a striper and fillet them later. they key is to poach them. marinate them at home if you want in whatever you want. if you set a pot of water, cooking wine, (optional onions, herbs, lemon juice whatever) drop them in for like 4-6 minutes depending on the thickness, the super strong oily fish taste will be gone and it will just taste like good fish. from there you can do anything with it, top a salad, make fish patties, soup, whatever

[NJ219bands]

The best part of big blues to eat is the cheeks. Smoked bluefish tastes better than smoked striper.

[Flukemeister1]

Bleed and ice the fish. Fillet and leave the skin and scales on. Cut out the ribs. Coat the meat with Worchester Sauce, juice from a fresh lime and then a thin coating of Mayo. Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning on the Mayo then place skin side down on the charcoal grill. Cover with foil and cook for about 6-10 minutes. Slip the spatula between the skin and meat and lift it onto your plate. You won't throw many back after you try this recipe. Works great on a 3 to seven pound fish.

[Charlie B]

We all have different taste buds. But for me if they are bled and iced down immediately and the red meat removed they can be pretty good. Cooking method makes a difference too. One way I like to make them is to marinate them in white wine, olive oil, onions, salt, and pepper for maybe a half hour to an hour. Then pat them good and dry and brush them with melted butter and Old Bay and broil till just lightly brown on each side. Don't over cook them. Then serve along side stewed tomatoes. That's what I do to the bigger ones. The small snappers I just head, gut, and scale them. Then just roll in seasoned flour and fry...Charlie

[Duffman]

I don't like to post reports or regular posts as much .

Why?



That being said, I'll keep the 3-4lbers, bled and slushed. Cubed and battered then deep fried. Dip in horseradish sauce with a Belvedere and lemonade!

[rwp2101]

Why?



That being said, I'll keep the 3-4lbers, bled and slushed. Cubed and battered then deep fried. Dip in horseradish sauce with a Belvedere and lemonade!

I am definitely trying this!

[jigmup]

Love the blackened bluefish with smoked a second place

[snapperbluefish101]

Why?



That being said, I'll keep the 3-4lbers, bled and slushed. Cubed and battered then deep fried. Dip in horseradish sauce with a Belvedere and lemonade!

Oh, because sometimes I feel some of the reports I post are just the same thing over and over again. I feel it's better to post something different, report wise, if I gonna post something.

The way you cook the blues sounds great... Haven't beer battered bluefish before...

[Harpoon]

Bled in iced cooler ASAP

Poached/seasoned and used as fish cake meat. Much cheaper than store bought crab! If seasoned correctly no one will know the difference between a crab and bluefish cake

[reason162]

Bleeding is a must, as is removing the bloodline. Clean, fresh fillets from blues up to 4lbs are excellent with high/direct heat methods: grilled, broiled, pan seared. Keep your cooking time short and the temp high. Definitely do NOT expose to fresh water; use ice cold saltwater to rinse your fillets, and wrap in paper towels to soak up moisture.

As with any oily fish, acid is your friend.

Small blues are also excellent raw/ceviche. As for the gators...there probably isn't a better smoking fish that swim our waters.