We are down in the Keys and my son keeps catching nice sized parrot fish right off our dock. Are parrot fish edible? Any good to eat? I had never seem them caught on a hook so this is a first for me.
Thanks
NOOOOOOOOO! They are coral eaters and most species are VERY toxic!
^^^^ what he said!
just have him jump in with a pole spear for some hogfish, 12" fork and 5/day last i heard. THAT’s what you should throw on the grill.
pulling anything else in? Ill be headed down there in 3 weeks and hoping to get my first blackfin or keeper cobia
I have a small boat so we are fishing near shore (4 - 5 miles) reefs and inshore. We’ve gotten a few mangrove snapper, a mutton and a few yellowtail. Had an exciting theft by a 4’ cuda. My oldest was reeling in a bluerunner and a cuda shot from under the boat and snatch it away. There is a big seafood company down here called Key Largo Fisheries that sells parrotfish in their market. Is this a different kind?
Your in the Keys with a boat and your posting on CF. I smell an intervention in your future Sir! Lol!
19’ Fiberskiff, 150 Bluewater Mercury. 14’ Gamefisher, 5hp Mercury.
I AM NOT ADDICTED TO CF! I can quit anytime.
I’m must be missing something.
I stayed at my best friend’s house in Hawaii for a little bit and his parents had parrot fish regular and it was good! White,firm, mild and flaky.
< Evil is simply the absence of God >
DF; Post a picture. Might be some different fish from what people are calling them around the world!
quote:
Originally posted by DFreedomI AM NOT ADDICTED TO CF! I can quit anytime.
See STEP 1 of the 12 STEP program!
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
is the boat running DF?
(**() didn’t know they were toxic I ate a parrot fish in the bahamas I shot last year. it was pretty good but pain to clean.
i thought first of ciguatera too (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciguatera), but it does seem that they’re classified as ornamental fishes in florida, so i don’t think they’re legal for recreational hook and line take unless i missed something.
y’all have fun, post a few pix once you’re back!
Barbawang is correct. Parrotfish are a protected species and are not legal to harvest with hook and line, at least in Monroe County. I’ve heard they are fine fish to eat though.
We have seen parrot fish for sale but, I think since there is some question as to legality of catching, we’ll just leave them alone. Boat is running, after finding a good mechanic that saved our vacation. Catching a ton of yellowtail and mutton snapper that are all just a bit too small. Caught a grouper (just under sized) and several species that I have no idea what they are. Saw a large nurse shark about 5 miles out on a really shallow shoal and several huge turtles. Every time we anchor and put out chum, there are hundreds of ballyhoo behind the boat. My oldest caught a dozen or so in a cast nest but we let them go. It is very different fishing/boating down here. The water is awesome.
If you’ve got a bunch of ballyhoo showing up, there will be cero mackerel around too. Whip out the 10 lb line with tiny bream hooks and bits of squid tentacle to catch some live ballyhoo and use a stinger rig of #2 treble hooks with 30 lb #3 wire. 6-8 inches between hooks and 6-8 inches from front hook to 10ft of 30lb flouro leader. Stick the hooks in the live ballyhoo and toss it back in the chum slick. The ceros will take care of the rest. Picked up two 7 and 8 lb fish and had two more hooks ups with this technique this afternoon in the backcountry. Flouro will be important as the ceros can get picky. I’ve also caught legal black and gag grouper, kings, barracuda, mutton and mangrove snapper, and hooked up to a sail fish soon this.
Isnt grouper closed right now?
also i would go with the sand/chum&oats mix over just putting out a bag of chum
Yes grouper is closed until may 1st. Still fun to catch though.
Parrot fish are edible. The blue ones have a ton of slime in their head and it is a pain to remove it. The slime is nasty when you cook the fish without removing it. The red or brown ones are great. I lived in Miami 35 years and ate my share of them. Delicious white meat. They are cousins to hogfish.
Ken
I see large 30+lb parrots (midnight parrotfish) in the Bahamas, but just can’t bring myself to stick one. I have also heard that they are good to eat.