Question for ya about spot

[Willie]

I just noticed this thread in the fishing section on how to clean a spot and other pan fish by Brokebeach.... http://carolinaskiffowner.com/showthread.php?t=8645

I have read other post referring to eating spot... up here in NJ one can catch spot most of the summer in the surf... In fact most of the time we get upset with them because they become a pest fish.... that is unless we keep them for live lining for the striped bass...... anyway it never crossed my mind to keep them for eating.... Do you cook them up just like any other pan fish.....

HOW ABOUT SOME RECEPES FOR THEM GUYS.... cause this summer they might not be thrown back into the surf but into the pan....*thumbsup*

[fishin jones]

Well my mom, grandmother, great grandmother should be the ones to post about this (those were some fishin ladies, dad on the other hand refuses to cook fish that he cannot fillet hence why my mom would do the cleaning)..but the way they always do it is super simple

1. Scale
2. Remove head/guts
3. coat in yellow cornmeal
4. pan fry in oil

When they come out looks just like a headless fried fish, got kinda used to after a while I guess...if they are cooked right you can pull the spine and bones right out, or just pick around them.

[corl]

If you have the time you can fillet them and have little morsels that you can fry up to be a great meal. Deep fried with or without coating ( egg followed by bread crumbs or just plain flour) I thought everybody ate them. In the Chesapeake they get good sized by the end of the summer = too big to live line for stripers (three to four bites per fillet). Those are the ones you want!!! Takes a bit of time to clean but worth it.

[CFISHN]

A Note about cleaning spot....

They have a black membrane in the abdominal cavity after it's gutted rub it with your thumb to remove it !

Craig

[REELTIME]

Man they must be good. I stopped at the pier last year to get some lunch when they were running.

300+ people fishing elbow to elbow, to tight for me. *020*

If i catch any this year they are going in the pan *thumbsup*

[Whatever]

A Pest Fish...:eek:....If you ever need some quick pest control let me know, I can bring a bus load full of the Carolinians that line up the entrance to our inlets and the waterways by the hundreds when the spots are in season....*laughing**laughing*

If you are talking about a fish fry the spot is the name of the game...*thumbsup*

[tpurvis]

Fish for them every fall starting in sept. through nov.
1. Knoch the scales off.
2. Wash , and remove membrane.
3. Get the frypan out, heat oil to 350-375 deg. put just enough oil in the frying pan to cover about half the fish. They are going to drop the temp. when you put them in.
4. Bread with a seasoning consisting of 1/2 yellow corn mill, 1/2 House Autery
sea food breader mix.
5. Slice big ol' sweet tater in potota chip size slice.
6. Cook spots approx. 5 mimutes to the side.
7. After fish are full cooked, Drop the the sweets pototas in. Cook till they float.
8. Add Hush Puppies, or plain old corn dodgers, cold slaw, and you got a meal.*Cheers*

[Whatever]

Fish for them every fall starting in sept. through nov.
1. Knoch the scales off.
2. Wash , and remove membrane.
3. Get the frypan out, heat oil to 350-375 deg. put just enough oil in the frying pan to cover about half the fish. They are going to drop the temp. when you put them in.
4. Bread with a seasoning consisting of 1/2 yellow corn mill, 1/2 House Autery
sea food breader mix.
5. Slice big ol' sweet tater in potota chip size slice.
6. Cook spots approx. 5 mimutes to the side.
7. After fish are full cooked, Drop the the sweets pototas in. Cook till they float.
8. Add Hush Puppies, or plain old corn dodgers, cold slaw, and you got a meal.*Cheers*


9. Nice Crispy Cold Corona to wash it all down...;D ;D *Cheers*

[Ric]

Just had some fried spot fillets for dinner last night that I caught last october. They get large enough in the fall to fillet. I don't worry about the rib bones, just go in behind the gills and cut the rib bones off allong the back bone as you slice off the fillet. I also leave the skin on, so I do scale frist. I just tell eaters to be aware of the breast bones. Not quite as good as fresh, but still tasty after being frozen for 3 months and nice to have in winter. IMHO anyway! I will be back out there catching this year in the fall again. They are fiesty fighters on light tackle and a lot of fun especially for kids to catch.

[Willie]

Thanks guys for the info..................Guess we have been tossing back some good eats..............not no more...

[justaddwater]

They are a great meal from the sea, no question. One thing I do that I didn't see above is when we clean them we gash the sides about every half inch before we put the flour/seafood breading on. That will help speed up the cooking time and then you just pick those sections off the back bone and eat. Dang good too. And don't for get the dark vien along the backbone from the inside. After you take out the ennards just rub along the backbone in the inside and rinse out that dark stuff. As good as it gets on the shore fishery.

[Dave]

I scale, leave skin on and fillet the big ones (yellow bellies) and field dress (like Broke explains in his thread) the smaller ones. I prefer to cut off the rib bones if I'm filleting.

Usually just shake in a bag with House Autry and pan or deep fry.

The little critters put up a surprising fight on light tackle, compared to most fish their shape and size, and so they're fun to catch as well as tasty to eat.

Dave

[tpurvis]

9. Nice Crispy Cold Corona to wash it all down...;D ;D *Cheers*

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!*Cheers*

[CFISHN]

Just for fun !
Try using a ultra light spinning rig on the lil rascals *thumbsup*
I use 4 pound test & just have a ball with it *yay*
I think the biggest on I ever caught in 35 years was not quite a pound *006*

*kickrock*