Yeah gotta say I kinda take back what I said when I said I don't mind these salt water catfish. Mena when I first got out her I legit did not understand why folks can't stand them , shoot I was over the moon because where I live folks fish so hard for everything catfish are a little scarce. As soon as someone find a pocket the whole town comes and does their best to catc everyone . So when I come out here and these things are legitimately everywhere and you can always catch one I was like this is awsome.... Yeah I said that probably 600 or of off these slimy lil turds ago... It's about impossible to use any type of natural bait around them , they're worse then bullheads when it comes to swallowing hooks ... Don't matter either what kind or how routinely have one that are barley half a pound swallow 8/0 circles , can make a snail blush with all the slime they leave everywhere, o and the best part is they all have a toxin in there fins that will continuously give you just the best constant pain for a good 4-8 hr and they do their best to stick you as soon as you try and grab em..had one do some dang circus tricks to back flip and land a sticker in my hand . And Lord help you if you cast net over a school....

Probably about 300 in this school that just pulled up and seems like when there around every else goes " O God here they are " and dip


I mean the gaf tops which are like the larger cousins of these hard heads aren't as bad but these lil turds ...yeah I kinda get the hate for em now


Anyhow random rant of the night over ..... Finna go make a samich

How big are they?

Do they taste good?

Keith

Wow ! Duly noted .

Most are less then a pound . Most hard heads are about the size of a small dink channel cat..and as far as taste.....I mean.... I've cooked one before and wish some butter and seasoning it tasted really good but as far as just the bare meat ....idk . Things eat legit anything edible so

I got stuck by one on my thumb a couple years ago, and lost (to this day) some feeling in that thumb.

Looked like they were crowding under a road kill ll bucket……..

Do you cut your hooks out?

If you ever get ‘horned’ rub that spot on the catfishes belly. Old fisherman tale, but does seem to help.

I've heard the slime on catfish skin neutralizes their sting too. It makes some sense that it would, because they do sting each other during breeding battles.

Keith

Just poked my head out and some of the bigger ones showed up

Works for all species of fish.

I remember reading a book years ago about a guy who moved down around Sanibel Island and started a fishing charter. He would do everything to avoid what he called Sailcats. One of the clients I think, maybe him, been so long ago, got "stung lol" and dang near died of it. They're nasty critters. I fished the Caloosahatchee once where it dumped into the Gulf, brackish waters. I hoped on one hand I didn't catch any Sailcats and on the other hoped I did. Just caught drum and they were delicious!

Bullheads ?

They are hardhead catfish.

Keith

They are hard on flies too

Not sure bout that

… Kieth is right … they’re hard heads … just like someone else I know lol

I think the book I read was 6 days on Sanibel? It's been so long ago I don't remember but it was a good read!

… imagine it had a lot of pictures