Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Time to sell the fish....

What is a spotted cat? Flathead?

Used to shoot buffalo in the creek west of town with my recurve as a kid. Never ate one.

Pretty cool that your dad is still going at his age, a blessing for sure. Is he fishing trotlines, limb lines, jugs?

Yeah, spotted cat, op, and flathead are all the same fish.

Trotline, slat traps, and hoop nets. Raises the traps and nets by hand, too.

Always hated working the ER when folk showed up with a bone stuck in their throat. It was always buffalo.

Very cool to hear that your Dad is still out there banging around.

God Bless Him.

This guy knows what hes doing.

I grew up in NE Louisiana, pretty common back in those days for a bunch of men to get together and camp out near the MS river oxbows or old river channels and put out gill nets for buffalo.

All the effort and fun was for a Saturday night fish fry they would hold once a month or so. Small town where everyone knew each other and all were welcome to come eat. They all chipped in to cover supplies.

I miss those days and I miss eating buffalo (fish). On my next trip up, I will send you a PM. If your Dad is still selling fish, I would love the opportunity to buy some! Got a feeling I may drive up that way for the opener of
dove season which is not that far away.

That’s what I was thinking too.

Lots of folks eat/ate buffalo. but some folks have become snooty in a way. There isn't a thing wrong with buffalo.

And work to skin a catfish? never really thought so, they skin pretty easy, though friends have taken to an electric filet knife to do both sides and it works ok. Though I really think the taste of the fish on the bone is always better than boneless.

Have fish head soup on my list to make up here, got a bit of a recipe from some Russians I had as clients a while back, sounds like it would be really good with the salmon

From one fisherman to another, your Dad is awesome for doing that by himself at 93. Most folks don’t even live that long, much less continue the tough work commercial fishing brings with it. Just awesome.

Many years ago a black fellow I worked with shared some of his special old family recipe breaded, fried Buffalo that he'd brought for lunch that day. Well over 50 years later and I still remember how delicious it was and at least as good as any fish I've ever ate before or since.

Thanks for posting, Randy!

Way cool your dad does that, and seems to be a way of life for him.



I'd probably do a bit of that myself here, with my pond raised catfish. But.. the choices I have is to be USDA inspected to sell processed fish, or charge people to come catch their own. (I'm not doing either.)

For those that do not know, running nets and trot lines is a lot of work. Kudo's to your Dad for still being able to do that. Buffalo fish is still a much sought after fish here, and a good seller at the fish market. Never seen the bones cut out like in the video, but can skin one with my hands much to the surprise of most people. Lots of the river rats here never saw that done, but a man I worked with showed me back in the 1970's, how to do it. You cut the skin just below the collarbone, and get your fingers under the skin and just pop it off of on whole side. Very easy once you learn how. I was never good at fleecing them. miles

Randy! I know what a buffalo is. I was kinda smart assly asking why no Choupique? LOL!!!

( I already know the answer). 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bob, don't know how it is in other places, but I have never caught a bowfin in the White River. The old river lakes have plenty, and the bayou's running into the river, but I have never caught one in the river. miles

also yellow cat, same

@OP... First, my hat is off to your dad to still be hard at it at 93 years of age. Congrats. Second, like the security system. Finally, not surprised with the popularity of the buffalo. Like many kinds of game and fish meat, proper handling, preparation and cooking make all the difference. Sounds like your dad has his end of the deal well under control.

Again, congrats to your dad. And thanks for sharing...

Bob, I know you was just messing with me, but some of the other fellers might get confused. You gotta remember, they dont all speak 'southern'.....



Kid, it's probably just a local thing, but around here if you say you caught a 'yellow' cat, it means you caught a mud cat.


Thanks to all that wished Dad well. Just for the record, Dad is a WWII vet and was trained as an electrician in the Navy. After WWII he was commercial fishing on Bayou Mason and met another commercial fisherman, who turned out to be my Granddad. After he married Mom, he went back to doing electrical work in '50 (hard to make a living and raise a family just fishing) and retired in '90. He always said that when he retired, he was going to commercial fish and he has for the last 29 years. I'd hate to see the fish he has sold in the last 29 yrs., all in one pile!!!

Great pictures / story...Awesome Dad...Beautiful dog...:) !!!