brtc

I'm relatively new to fishing. went out to the jettys today and caught a Bonita, 2 Bluefish, and a few ladyfish. I'm just curious how these fish taste, here is a list. Bluefish, Bonita, Whiting, and any other fish i can catch with a gotcha plug and a white rubber lure? I really don't know what else can be caught this way. I'd really like to catch redfish, and specks. I hear alot about bonita not bein very good, but anything would help. Thanks.

osborne311

You will find few on here that will eat a ladyfish. They are bait. Most will not eat bonita and bluefish are suspect however I plan to try them after talking about them a bit on here this year.

Now, redfish, specks and whiting are all excellent. Good Luck

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albacized

^^^he's right that most people won't eat the bonita and bluefish are also very much in the 'aquired taste' catagory. But a big key (if you do want to try them) is to bleed them quickly - as in...when you first catch them.

The other thing about bluefish is that the smaller ones are better eating than larger ones...but I say this with some level of uncertainty because I now live in New England (but am a former floridian - although not from the Pensacola area) and 'big' to us here in the northeast is different (15-20 lb bluefish) than it is in the gulf of mexico...the flesh of fish at these sizes get especially dark, oily and 'fishy' flavored...Under 5 pounds, even this fair weather seafood fan (me:-D) finds it palatable.

Ladyfish??? Too bad it's not tarpon season right now in that area...LOL. I guess it's also good for sharks, although I don't really fish for them (I probably give it a shot if/when I visit). I don't think I know anyone who's ever ate ladyfish before...

Bonita (we call them 'albies' here) - pretty much just enjoy the ride they take you on, enjoy their beauty, then either release them or use them as bait

EODangler

I've met some people who love ladyfish cakes...I won't try them. Apparently they are so bony they grind them up and make fish cakes. No thanks.

osborne311

btw - you said you caught those fish at the jetties. Are you speaking of jetties in or around Pensacola or are you in Alabama?

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brtc

Actually, the destin pass jetties is where i caught those fish. is there anything i can catch there that's good to eat with top water baits? Thanks.

GruBZ

Yeah when the time comes you can actually use those luresugot to catch lemonfish. I've seen some people catch the lingcods of gotchas also. Soo.... u have a pretty good chance. Like i said u will just have to Waite for the right time

osborne311

After a good cold snap (like right now) try a smallish hook #2 or so (not 2/0) on a carolina rig in the surf with peeled and salted shrimp for whitting. You might even get lucky and get a slot redfish or pompano.

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FishAddict

Topwaters will work on trout in warmer weather, in the Destin area they are in bay/backwater areas not out front. I personally would not target cobia with Gotchas even though a few are caught with them every year. I think that is what Grubs is referring to, ling cod are found off of Alaska and West Coast.

albacized

Ah - the 'ling' thing...chalk that up as part of a long list of fish that have multiple confusing regional names. 'Ling' can refer (as regional names) to at least 3 species of caught at different places within the continental US.

1) Red Hake = we call them 'ling cod' in the northeast (also called 'mud hake')

2) True ling cod found in the Pacific Ocean (the one you were referring to)

3) (and what I believe is of more interest to this discussion) Ling = Cobia (also 'lemon fish')

Can be particularly confusing to someone like me (former FL resident, now living in MA)

Other species that share the same regional names here in the NE and down there in FL include 'whiting' - we call silver hake 'whiting' while you guys call southern kingfish 'whiting'...and that brings us to another one - 'kingfish'...you guys call king mackerel 'kingfish' and we have our own 'kingfish' - which is the northern variety of what you call 'whiting' (there are northern and southern whiting and they pretty much look identical).

Then there's the bonito/bonita/albies thing...extra confusing because down there, you pretty much get all false albacore and call them 'bonita'...here we get both false albacore and 'true' atlantic bonito...so we call them albie and bonito respectively (the latter, very much unlike the former is actually great eating)...A little south of you guys (southern Fl), some folks call snook 'linesiders'...although it's kind of fading out, that's the same thing old timers here in the NE use to call striped bass.

So I guess being a military brat and moving all over the country does have some value afterall (gaining this trivial bit of knowledge)...LOL:-D

Funny enough - when I'm down there visiting, I actually naturally start calling these fish by the proper regional name (except I'll still say 'albies' - which have gotten me a few strange looks down of the Juno Beach pier - just north or West Palm Beach...last June, I only finally started saying 'bonita' during my last two days there...LOL)...