Was on the river fishing on Wednesday using nightcrawlers for walleyes. Caught one walleye too small to keep, several smallmouth, and five catfish. Never kept any of them. Someone told me I should have kept a couple cats and smoked them. That they are really good smoked. Anybody tried smoking them?

Nope but they are great fried.

I haven't smoked catfish. I do grill them and they are good grilled.

Keith

Also deep fried. Smaller ones are better tasting to me but I could eat catfish everyday

Yes it’s good smoked

Still find it funny people in the north don't know what to do with "whiskered walleye".

Fillet em out, then cross cut fillets into small chunks about the size of one big fat thumb or two fingers wide. Easy button is to use blue bag Louisiana fish fry mix, kicked up a bit with garlic salt or seasoned salt.........then wet the fish pieces in a bowl of cheap beer.......then roll in the cornmeal / fish fry mix. If you want a super crunchy coating, give em a double tap.......run them thru the beer and fish mix a 2nd time. Then let them sit in the coating mix for 20 to 30 min........then into hot peanut oil. That will be fit to eat.

Smoked a lot of them. A wet fish meat that like to cut into three chunks when I smoke. This let's some of it dry out a little compared to smoking whole

I always had a problem keeping them lit! (barump-bump)

Same here. Like Hay Day says, a good breading and hot peanut oil makes for some good eating.

I don't know if there are flathead in MN, but if you can ever get a hold of some flathead belly meat, it is really fine eating.

Fried catfish and corn on the cob been a favorite meal of mine most of my life. And I've been a Yankee all my life.

My freezer has not been low enough on perch and walleye in the last 25 years to have to resort to eating catfish. Thank the good Lord!

Fried catfish fried corn on the cob and some good coleslaw and oh French fries are a big thing down here’.

x2

Thats what I used to think then I learned how to cook it right and truth be told it will eat as good as any pan fish or pike.

Perch and walleye are great stuff without a doubt but give catfish a try sometime. My wife doesn't like fish much at all but she will eat catfish any time we can get it.

There are many species of catfish, and I don’t know which you caught, that you may not have tried before. There is a world of difference in taste of a Mudcat, compared to an Opelousas. If someone considers all catfish in the same class and tasting the same, that’s like saying dog and beef taste alike, because they’re both red meat.