Your top 5 favourite fish species to eat?

[Grimlock]

From the store: Sockeye salmon, halibut, monk fish tails, blue and yellowfin tuna

From the bay: Flounder, Croakers, Tog and Stripers (and the occasional blue)

From the ocean: Mahi, Bonito and Sea Bass (I haven't caught any tuna from my boat yet....some day).

[ha_banos]

Red mullet

Cod & haddock fish n chips

Lemon/Dover sole

Monkfish 

Sardines

I'll use this thread for inspiration! I'm not a huge fish eater. Had some amazing simple fish on the islands but no idea what they were. Also got to watch the costs as gets silly fast in touristy situations.

 

[bmac]

Patagonian tooth fish

[VeguerosMAN]

Mackerel 

[BoliDan]

17 hours ago, Nocoins said:

Pompano

Cobia

Bluefin

Branzino

Triggerfish

Triggerfish? Do you spearfish? I've never seen them on a menu only been chased while diving.

[Ford2112]

On 2/21/2025 at 3:17 PM, Tinny said:

Ling Cod

King Salmon (only wild caught)

Sablefish

white seabass

pacific halibut 

@Tinny those who have never had smoked black cod ( Sablefish) have no idea what they are missing! I had a miso black cod dish once. Outstanding!

[BG318]

Atlantic 

Lobster

Halibut 

Cod

Black Sea Bass

Pacific 

Live King Crab 

[BG318]

17 hours ago, Grimlock said:

From the store: Sockeye salmon, halibut, monk fish tails, blue and yellowfin tuna

From the bay: Flounder, Croakers, Tog and Stripers (and the occasional blue)

From the ocean: Mahi, Bonito and Sea Bass (I haven't caught any tuna from my boat yet....some day).

Tog - Tautaug/Blackfish. Always good!

[mbrody]

All self caught:

Bluefin Tuna

Yellowfin Tuna

Black Sea Bass

Fluke

Blackfish

Sourced from others or restaurant:

Chilean Seabass

Bronzino

Monkfish

[MickVanWinkle]

Assortments of sashimi (toro, salmon, mackerel…)

King Salmon (wild)

Sea Bass

Swordfish

Snapper

[Nocoins]

14 hours ago, BoliDan said:

Triggerfish? Do you spearfish? I've never seen them on a menu only been chased while diving.

Caught in the gulf on reefs using squid. I don’t think they are typically caught in enough numbers to show up in fish stores with any regularity and yes, they are very rarely on menus. 

[Kaptain Karl]

I only eat fish I catch (unless in Mexico haha) and these are all fish I’ve caught in the past 5 years. 

1. White Sea Bass. A Baja/California only species. Incredible dense white meat. 

2. King Salmon. 

3. Halibut 

4. Bluefin Tuna 

5. Yellowtail (hamachi) 

[chasy]

3 hours ago, Kaptain Karl said:

I only eat fish I catch (unless in Mexico haha) and these are all fish I’ve caught in the past 5 years. 

1. White Sea Bass. A Baja/California only species. Incredible dense white meat. 

2. King Salmon. 

3. Halibut 

4. Bluefin Tuna 

5. Yellowtail (hamachi) 

Great pics!

I'm headed to Mexico in a week and am spear fishing some. Unlike you, I hope to be eating fish that I catch in Mexico!

[Chibearsv]

@Kaptain Karl I was hoping you’d chime in. Hope all is well with you brother. 

[Ken Gargett]

On 2/22/2025 at 6:25 AM, Mike Mecklenburg said:

1) Lobster (from Maine)

2) Clams (from Cape Cod)

3) Scallops (from Cape Cod)

4) Shrimp (from Cape Cod)

i think that the definition of fish might have got a little warped here. 

[Ken Gargett]

heaps of great choices here. way more than just five. 

but first, staggered at the number of votes for trout. love catching them on fly - one of the greatest things one can ever do. but eating them? they are okay at best. i have had them all around the world, from friends to great restaurants. okay at best. i once asked one of my regular guides in NZ if he ever kept one to take home and eat (some areas allowed that). he looked at me in disgust. "why would anyone ever eat a trout when there are so many great fish to eat?" could not agree more. mind you, if i had tried to take a single whitebait from him in season, i reckon he would have shot me.

what i will say is that trout is way way better than cod. lord knows i have tried with cod. what on earth am i missing? i'll eat almost anything but cod ranks below cardboard. and again, i have tried so hard. i once spent several weeks in Spain and went to top restaurant after top restaurant asking for their best cod dish, just to see if i could find one i liked. never did. cod is the oceanic version of the emperor's new clothes.

on the plus side, pearl perch is just about unbeatable. snapper, red emperor, good barramundi, great tuna. many other options. i am a fan of coral trout (not part of that family) but i know some are not. 

one that is always extremely controversial - tailor. i have plenty of friends who won't touch the stuff. but i have always believed that provided it is grilled extremely fresh, it is as close to perfection as fish can be. need to bleed it immediately it is caught. exquisite, but leave it for half a day (in the fridge, of course) and then it is only fit for curries and stews - good in those but that is all. for our friends across the pond, this is what you guys call bluefish. but yours are much bigger than ours and we don't get the worms and parasites you can. i know that they serve them freshly grilled from the Bosphorus in Istanbul (they also have the much smaller versions, but not sure of the name) and they are loved over there.

always wondered if i was alone on this but i was watching one of our more popular fishing shows. the bloke was up river in the northern territory and had just caught a beautiful fresh barramundi and was cooking it with freshly caught mud crabs. he was saying that this was as good as it got. then he thought about it and said, well, only if you don't have a freshly caught and grilled tailor. i finally felt vindicated. but many still disagree. 

[westg]

6 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

heaps of great choices here. way more than just five. 

but first, staggered at the number of votes for trout. love catching them on fly - one of the greatest things one can ever do. but eating them? they are okay at best. i have had them all around the world, from friends to great restaurants. okay at best. i once asked one of my regular guides in NZ if he ever kept one to take home and eat (some areas allowed that). he looked at me in disgust. "why would anyone ever eat a trout when there are so many great fish to eat?" could not agree more. mind you, if i had tried to take a single whitebait from him in season, i reckon he would have shot me.

what i will say is that trout is way way better than cod. lord knows i have tried with cod. what on earth am i missing? i'll eat almost anything but cod ranks below cardboard. and again, i have tried so hard. i once spent several weeks in Spain and went to top restaurant after top restaurant asking for their best cod dish, just to see if i could find one i liked. never did. cod is the oceanic version of the emperor's new clothes.

on the plus side, pearl perch is just about unbeatable. snapper, red emperor, good barramundi, great tuna. many other options. i am a fan of coral trout (not part of that family) but i know some are not. 

one that is always extremely controversial - tailor. i have plenty of friends who won't touch the stuff. but i have always believed that provided it is grilled extremely fresh, it is as close to perfection as fish can be. need to bleed it immediately it is caught. exquisite, but leave it for half a day (in the fridge, of course) and then it is only fit for curries and stews - good in those but that is all. for our friends across the pond, this is what you guys call bluefish. but yours are much bigger than ours and we don't get the worms and parasites you can. i know that they serve them freshly grilled from the Bosphorus in Istanbul (they also have the much smaller versions, but not sure of the name) and they are loved over there.

always wondered if i was alone on this but i was watching one of our more popular fishing shows. the bloke was up river in the northern territory and had just caught a beautiful fresh barramundi and was cooking it with freshly caught mud crabs. he was saying that this was as good as it got. then he thought about it and said, well, only if you don't have a freshly caught and grilled tailor. i finally felt vindicated. but many still disagree. 

Pearl Perch are great Ken. And a very similar species to our Western Australian Dhu Fish. I have to say West Oz dhu is some what better. The next time you are in Margaret River let me know and we can organise some for you. Pearl perch grow to about a third of the size to the WA Dhu Fish. Both delicious!

[Ken Gargett]

2 hours ago, westg said:

Pearl Perch are great Ken. And a very similar species to our Western Australian Dhu Fish. I have to say West Oz dhu is some what better. The next time you are in Margaret River let me know and we can organise some for you. Pearl perch grow to about a third of the size to the WA Dhu Fish. Both delicious!

westie, happy to eat either and fabulous fish. with luck, i am in Marg River in November for the festival. not sure what my duties will be but will keep you guys posted if it comes off. 

one other fish, although perhaps not quite what was intended here, that i believe must be included. topnotch anchovies. 

[BoliDan]

6 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

heaps of great choices here. way more than just five. 

but first, staggered at the number of votes for trout. love catching them on fly - one of the greatest things one can ever do. but eating them? they are okay at best. i have had them all around the world, from friends to great restaurants. okay at best. i once asked one of my regular guides in NZ if he ever kept one to take home and eat (some areas allowed that). he looked at me in disgust. "why would anyone ever eat a trout when there are so many great fish to eat?" could not agree more. mind you, if i had tried to take a single whitebait from him in season, i reckon he would have shot me.

what i will say is that trout is way way better than cod. lord knows i have tried with cod. what on earth am i missing? i'll eat almost anything but cod ranks below cardboard. and again, i have tried so hard. i once spent several weeks in Spain and went to top restaurant after top restaurant asking for their best cod dish, just to see if i could find one i liked. never did. cod is the oceanic version of the emperor's new clothes.

on the plus side, pearl perch is just about unbeatable. snapper, red emperor, good barramundi, great tuna. many other options. i am a fan of coral trout (not part of that family) but i know some are not. 

one that is always extremely controversial - tailor. i have plenty of friends who won't touch the stuff. but i have always believed that provided it is grilled extremely fresh, it is as close to perfection as fish can be. need to bleed it immediately it is caught. exquisite, but leave it for half a day (in the fridge, of course) and then it is only fit for curries and stews - good in those but that is all. for our friends across the pond, this is what you guys call bluefish. but yours are much bigger than ours and we don't get the worms and parasites you can. i know that they serve them freshly grilled from the Bosphorus in Istanbul (they also have the much smaller versions, but not sure of the name) and they are loved over there.

always wondered if i was alone on this but i was watching one of our more popular fishing shows. the bloke was up river in the northern territory and had just caught a beautiful fresh barramundi and was cooking it with freshly caught mud crabs. he was saying that this was as good as it got. then he thought about it and said, well, only if you don't have a freshly caught and grilled tailor. i finally felt vindicated. but many still disagree. 

It's lots of fun seeing the difference in Atlantic vs Pacific preferences. I'm heading to New Orleans next week. I can't wait to try gator and gulf fish like redfish and gulf drum. I'm from New England, most of my catches were bluefish or stripped bass.