Blowfish?

[NickJ]

Has anyone ever tried their hand at catching blowfish? Where do you normally or where would you normally go to fish for and possibly catch blowfish? If anyone has ever caught one or a few or what have you...how do you prepare them and are the myths of them being deadly to humans (consumption) true?

 

[Esperahol]

I have tried the challenge of eating them (mostly 'cause I wasn't footing the bill), and I can honestly say it isn't worth the trouble in my honest opinion. I mean there is a lot of trouble to go through trying to get one, nevermind needing to have the right knife skills so as not to kill yourself.

 

[r. zimm]

We used to have a variety of puffer locally called "Toadfish" of "Toadies" which live in tidal areas and are fairly small. They have the same issue with careful cleaning or you can break the organ(s) that leak poison.

I never messed with them as you had to catch quite a few to make a meal and you needed someone to teach you how to clean them. I never heard of anyone getting sick or dieing from eating Toadies. I don't hear anything about them these days so I think they are harder to catch or not as plentiful.

 

[bigal3]

I have caught "blow fish" but not by design. When I have caught them I usually released them if they have not swallowed the hook otherwise they end up fish bait or chum. I have always been afraid of their "deadly poison" factor.

 

[Esperahol]

Generally speaking you've got the right idea, because all things considered getting your lungs paralyzed isn't a great trade-off for food. It is an even worse trade-off for puffer meat which like many "delicacies" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

[NickJ]

Generally speaking you've got the right idea, because all things considered getting your lungs paralyzed isn't a great trade-off for food. It is an even worse trade-off for puffer meat which like many "delicacies" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I know. I first became intrigued by Blowfish when I saw "Charlie's Angels" the movie, and saw Bill Murray eat a Blowfish in one scene. So I was thinking, hmmm....I wonder what Blowfish taste like. In that same movie, they also mention that 1 in 60 are fatal. But that's probably just reserved for the person eating them. For those catching and preparing them, the number is probably higher.

 

[Esperahol]

Even without that I can't see doing the prep work because I don't want to be responsible for someone kicking off. I mean it wouldn't be like I intended to hurt them, but it isn't something I really want to be known for.

 

[Arthnel]

I've heard of the danger relating to how poisonous these fish are without correct preparation techniques. I've never been attracted to even tasting them as a result. Catching them though seems to be easy in fishermen nets along with all the other good stuff. I've seem them a few times but they tend to get thrown back as I'm yet to see any local fishermen willing to take time out to cook em up.