We have been catching and eating cuda for 30+ years. Awhile back I wrote a letter to the editor at Sportfishing Magazine explaining that we regularly eat them in SC because the Ciguatera toxin actually comes from the small fish that eat the corral on tropical reefs. The Cudas, at the top of the food chain, accumulate high levels from eating all the smaller fish and the fish that eat them. However, as we all know, there is no corral in reefs in SC, sooo, no Ciguatera. The editors concurred with this idea. We filet them, skin them, cut out all blood line and fry em up in chunks. For me, it is the best tasting fish out there. As stated earlier, firm, white, flaky meat that freezes really well because there is not much oil in the meat. BTW, size doesn’t matter in this case for me. See the name of the Shamrock in my signature…
That being said, I will not eat them in Tropical waters no matter what the locals do.
Jay
Pheonix 29 Sportfish (Lagniappe)
Shamrock 20 Cuddy (Cuda Catcher)
Key West 1520 Explorer (Baby Boat)
We have been catching and eating cuda for 30+ years. Awhile back I wrote a letter to the editor at Sportfishing Magazine explaining that we regularly eat them in SC because the Ciguatera toxin actually comes from the small fish that eat the corral on tropical reefs. The Cudas, at the top of the food chain, accumulate high levels from eating all the smaller fish and the fish that eat them. However, as we all know, there is no corral in reefs in SC, sooo, no Ciguatera. The editors concurred with this idea. We filet them, skin them, cut out all blood line and fry em up in chunks. For me, it is the best tasting fish out there. As stated earlier, firm, white, flaky meat that freezes really well because there is not much oil in the meat. BTW, size doesn’t matter in this case for me. See the name of the Shamrock in my signature…
That being said, I will not eat them in Tropical waters no matter what the locals do.
Jay
Pheonix 29 Sportfish (Lagniappe)
Shamrock 20 Cuddy (Cuda Catcher)
Key West 1520 Explorer (Baby Boat)
We have been catching and eating cuda for 30+ years. Awhile back I wrote a letter to the editor at Sportfishing Magazine explaining that we regularly eat them in SC because the Ciguatera toxin actually comes from the small fish that eat the corral on tropical reefs. The Cudas, at the top of the food chain, accumulate high levels from eating all the smaller fish and the fish that eat them. However, as we all know, there is no corral in reefs in SC, sooo, no Ciguatera. The editors concurred with this idea. We filet them, skin them, cut out all blood line and fry em up in chunks. For me, it is the best tasting fish out there. As stated earlier, firm, white, flaky meat that freezes really well because there is not much oil in the meat. BTW, size doesn’t matter in this case for me. See the name of the Shamrock in my signature…
That being said, I will not eat them in Tropical waters no matter what the locals do.
Jay
Pheonix 29 Sportfish (Lagniappe)
Shamrock 20 Cuddy (Cuda Catcher)
Key West 1520 Explorer (Baby Boat)
No coral reefs?? Ever dive here? So how did the couple from GA get Cigutera from the one they caught on the thunderstar? Not worth it, but to each his own.Then again there are people that drink coffee made from Cat $^&*.
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NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
doin a bit of research on my own snapper/grouper can also be contaminated with ciguatera being predatory reef fish but never hear people complain about eating them and def eat them myself. granted ill agree snapper/grouper does taste better than cuda but why do people go ciguatera crazy over cuda but not snapper/grouper? not tryin to degrade anyone just wonderin why. on a side note i saved the head from a big one and plan on trying to clean the jaws. otta make an interesting mount!
doin a bit of research on my own snapper/grouper can also be contaminated with ciguatera being predatory reef fish but never hear people complain about eating them and def eat them myself. granted ill agree snapper/grouper does taste better than cuda but why do people go ciguatera crazy over cuda but not snapper/grouper? not tryin to degrade anyone just wonderin why. on a side note i saved the head from a big one and plan on trying to clean the jaws. otta make an interesting mount!
Cuda’s migrate/swim all over the place. Snappers typically move 20-30 miles. Ciguatera is typically a local event - one reef or area will have and outbreak. Cuda’s swim around and constantly eat fish of many species… they have better chance of picking up the bug.