Thread: local lingo for fish ID

I expect your 40 would handle one. I've caught a number of big redfish from the beach with 400 reels and never got halfway down the spool---ten or twelve pound test. Just be patient.

I've seen a 40# +/- Big Ugly caught in the surf with a little 2000 class reel, guy played it well and after about 45 minutes landed it.
It was revived, released and swam off strong. They are fun to catch, not much fight but they pull like a locomotive in low gear.
Yes, they are known for being wormy when larger, but I've found Puppy Drum (juvenile Black drum with their stripes) with a worm or two.
Puppy drum are delicious anyway you cook them, but the larger they are the coarser the flesh gets.
But I know people that eat them, there are recipes for them, e.g. faux crabmeat.

Dagblasted, lockjawed lil'bastards - Speckled Trout
Flatties - Flounder
Shrimp stealing lil'#!@X?* - Pinfish

You wouldn't get spooled, they wouldn't swim that far. They will break your line, it's like pulling up a log. I've caught them on 3000 sized reels. When we get them in close we will "herd" them in. We'll get one person to wade out and push it shallower.

Originally Posted by AA

Big uglies have some of the nastiest meat in the Gulf and I eat almost everything. They are generally full of worms and just stink. Meat is very tough and has the texture of chicken. The little ones are delicious but I agree, let the big nasties go.

It is the only fish that I have tried that was absolutely inedible.

Originally Posted by ScottyBoy

How would one go about catching a big ugly?

Guys who fish for them during tournaments use 1/2 a blue crab for bait.

Originally Posted by CarlF

It is the only fish that I have tried that was absolutely inedible.

Same. I cleaned only one large one and it was chock full of worms. The little worm-free scrap I salvaged wasn't any good at all. Like others have mentioned the little ones are quite good though.

I thought of 2 more fish I'll never try to eat again -- hardhead and bermuda chub.