# Smoking Catfish



## duckybud

Has anyone tried smoking small catfich whole?  Does it work well.  I have 3 whole fish that are about 1/2 lb dressed, would like to try smoking them because they are not enough to heat up the grease, and the smoker is going every weekend.

duckybud


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## venture

I never tried that.  Catfish are a delicate fish.

Having said that, I've always said that if you can cook it, I can smoke it.

Do it and post it up for us!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## duckybud

Thanks Venture, Going to do it this weekend, plan on salt, pepper, and lemon pepper.  Will post up results, good or bad.


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## SmokinAl

It sure sounds good. We love catfish, but never smoked them.


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## cowgirl

I smoke catfish but it's usually not whole... just the filets...  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/75486/quail-catfish-and-wild-rice-smoke

I like to brine them first..


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## venture

I didn't take the time to check out Jeanies thread.  It would just make me hungry.

Lets see how yours go?  If you don't like them, and even if you do?  You will never go wrong with one of her great recipes.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## meateater

I worked in a machine shop about 25 years ago and we would smoke bullheads out back in the shack. We would gut and hang them and they were pretty good from what I remember. We kept them whole but gutted to keep some natural oil on them.


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## duckybud

Thanks to all.  Its 4:00 Sat. morning here and am planing todays smoke, put a 4 lb beef eye of round roast in Lawry's Herb & Garlic marinade in food saver vacume on Thur. evening, 3 1/2 lb of store bought corm beef dry rubbed for pastromi, and 3 littlte channel cats in brine.  Will get the smoker fired up with the next hour, and the beer will be flowing within the next 3 hours.  Sat. around here are always pretty close to this, unless I take a day off to make sausage, as it should be.  Work your azz off all week so you can work with meat and smoke all weekend, LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Will post up when finnished.

ducky


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## duckybud

Fish came out great, brined for 4 hours, patted dry, liberally coated with sea salt, black pepper, and lemon pepper.  Smoked at 185 for 2 1/2 hrs, they came out great; moist, flaked well.  Sorry no q-view on these, they vanished as they came off the smoker.  Hope to post up pics of roast beef and pastrami later today they are still cooling in the fridge.

Ducky


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## Bearcarver

Sounds great Ducky!

Would have liked to see some Qview on these.

Did you skin them?

I would think that thick rubbery skin on catfish would block a lot of smoke, but smoke could get in through the body cavity.

We used to skin ours immediately after catching, and stick 'em right in the bucket of water.

They'd swim around all day, without their skins.

My Dad & I had a system:

Catch 'em----Grab inside the mouth with a rag----cut all the way around, just behind the head----grab skin with pliers, and strip it right off----Drop it in the bucket----catch the next one.

Sure would have liked to see some Catfish Qview,

Bear


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## duckybud

Bear,

would love to show you some Q-view, but as I stated above, i got carried away with eating to even think about pics.  I skinned and cut off the rib section because they were so small.  It was just an experiment, but will do again, as soon as I can get back to the river and catch some more.  I promise q-view on the next batch.

To all,

Tried to get pics of roast beef and pastrami but something is wrong with camera, cannot get to focus.  They both came out great.  Pulled beef at 145 it and rapped in double foil and a towel for 2 hrs then into fridge over night, sliced today and was nice and rare as we like it.  The pastrami was cooked to 160 then rested the same way, sliced today, great, just a little too much pepper flavor but it will make great sammys this week.

ducky


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## Bearcarver

Thanks Ducky!

That sounds like a deal to me!

Can't wait!

Bear


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## duckybud

Here you go Bear,

Got to the river and caught 35 nice channels.  Got them cleaned and cut into fillets, then soaked in clean water for 24 hrs to get the blood out.  Mixed up simple brine of, 1 cup kosher salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tbl pepper corns, 1 tsp cayenne.  Put the fillets in brine for 8 hrs, patted dry and let them air dry for 1 hr, while I got the smoker fired and warmed up.  Put a full rack of fillets on at 170 for 2 hrs. Flipped them for another hr  

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Off the grill to cool a little







As you can tell from this pic, the thin ends of some came out a little dry, but nothing wrong with fish jerky.  The brine gave a nice flavor of salt, sweet and a slight pepper flavor to the fish.  I am very happy with the end results, son-in-law said they weren't as good as fried, but I disagree.  Ended up eating 5 fillets while they were cooling, along with beer, made a great lunch.

Froze the rest individually, and will vacuum pack tomorrow so grandma can taste them when she gets back from the birth of our first grand baby.

Don't be afraid to try new things, some come out very good.

ducky


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## africanmeat

They look  good


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## kyrivercatfish

Overlap the small ends of the catfish when you put them on the smoker. The ends will not overcook as much


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## Bearcarver

Ducky,

This is the first I saw your finished pics---They look great!!!

Thanks for bumping this, KyRiver!!!

Bear


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## marc bodi

Hi,

   Did you skin the fish?


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## Bearcarver

Marc Bodi said:


> Hi,
> 
> Did you skin the fish?


You have to skin catfish. Their skin is like a rubber suit.

We always removed the skin at the river & let them swim around in the bucket all day without their skins.

Then when we got home, we only had to cut off their heads & gut them.

Bear


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## kc5tpy

Deleted


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## kc5tpy

Deleted


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## firedog127

This is what I did. We just caught a good 6lb channel cat and a nice size croaker. I didn't have a fillet knive so I used a steak knive and since I ha. Some meat left on the spine I smoked that too!!  I have the big fillets on as we speak but the small channel and croaker got done quick as per the pic I attached. 













image.jpg



__ firedog127
__ Jun 20, 2013


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## firedog127

But to smoke while cats I would keep them in the colder spot of you're smoker for a good bit then finish on the high side. Depending on size of car and temps. But always use a thermometer!!  And make sure the flesh flakes off easy.


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## claudia pullman

skinning them while alive?? Sick! I am not squeamish but when someone is that cruel it makes me wonder whatelse they do to animals. What king of person is that cruel to any animal? I wonder what the Game Fish and Parks Department would say to that???? Like fish or any other animal don't have feelings. YOu are no better than the Chinese that skin dogs alive for those fur loving rich people that love their fur coats and don't care where they come from.


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## kc5tpy

Hello.  Welcome.  I see this is your first post.  Please take some time and swing over to Roll Call and introduce yourself so that we may give you a proper "Hello".  All info you can provide us with such as smoker type, location and so on will help us answer any questions you may have, and pictures help a bunch.  As for your response to he catfish smoke:  Most of these folks are hunters and fishermen.  The *VERY*  last thing they would do is cause suffering to any animal.  Although not described in the post because of squeamish folks the fish have their backbone broken quickly and instantly before any processing of the fish.  They are not BRAIN dead but like a paraplegic they feel nothing below the break in the spinal cord.  In many cases when butchering wild game of any kind it is preferred that the animal be allowed to "bleed" before processing the meat.  This process reduces the "gamey" taste in many animals.  For smaller fish it may not be necessary but for a catfish that may 20-30 lbs. it is a necessary process.  You said you were not squeamish so that is how wild game is processed.  The meat you eat from the grocery store is not treated much differently.  Hope this helps

Danny


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## Bearcarver

CP,

These are catfish---------Fish!  As in Fish!!!

Many Biologists say "Fish don't feel pain".

These aren't cats or dogs or horses or cows or deer, or rabbits, or even Rats!!

We also use live bait, which are small fish, and you stick the hook in places you wouldn't want to hear about unless you have used live bait for trolling or still fishing. It aint pretty----It's called Fishing!

What people do with fish has nothing to do with how they treat mammals, humans, birds, etc……..

Big mean cruel Bear

Sorry for the Hijack, guys!!


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## txfshrmn

Thank you for the info and pics . I plan on doing export of same


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## gordons

I caught a 4 pound channel on Tuesday. Skinned and gutted, removed head and fins. Rubbed with salmon rub and smoked on my Traeger at smoke setting for 3 hours, salted, peppered, and buttered and baked at 350 for hour and a half covered with foil Came out great. Mild and firm, not mushy.


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## Bearcarver

GORDONS said:


> I caught a 4 pound channel on Tuesday. Skinned and gutted, removed head and fins. Rubbed with salmon rub and smoked on my Traeger at smoke setting for 3 hours, salted, peppered, and buttered and baked at 350 for hour and a half covered with foil Came out great. Mild and firm, not mushy.


I normally prefer smaller Catfish, however that 4 pound Channel sounds Awesome!!

BTW: I see this was your first post. Please go to "Roll Call" and introduce yourself, so everyone can properly Welcome you !!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Mean Cruel Bear


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