I was told fish eggs can stick to birds legs. Most likely flood water released them. My mother has told of rain storms dropping small fish in fields before too.Quote:
Originally Posted by john h
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I was told fish eggs can stick to birds legs. Most likely flood water released them. My mother has told of rain storms dropping small fish in fields before too.Quote:
Originally Posted by john h
How tasty are those Oscars?:confused:They are an alien speices of fish in the US. Looks like they would require you to kill them but fishing shows I've watched released them.:confused:
Oscars are edible. The fish down in Alligator Alley canals are not usually kept due to high concentrations of mercury in those canals. I have not eaten any so I don't know what they taste like. I don't think I would call the exotics including Oscars "panfish" unless you know of any bream that have teeth. LOL They are just exotics or non-native fish. See link below for info on them:
Florida Non-Native Fish
Oscar
I am an aquarist form awaaay back. I was at our church fish fry the other year asking the fella about the fish he was feeding us and he said they were Oscar, Mayan, and Red Devil . i couldn't believe it. They were some of the tastiest freshwater fish I'd ever eaten. They do a yearly trip to Florida just to catch them. No limits sicne they're invasive exotics!
I've been wanting to go down and yak fish for 'em myelf and fill a few coolers to bring back for my freezer.
What locations are you catching them? Only southern Florida? I've been researching the web for it and the Florida pages mainly list Miami area.
o0o0o0ohhh! What do they taste like?
That is correct. They are only in south Florida. They cannot survive above Lake Okeechobee as the water gets too cold for them to survive especially during the fall and winter months. I have caught both Oscars and Mayans. I can catch some Mayans just above Lake Okeechobee in the river from time to time during hot weather as they venture up the river a little ways but they can't stay there or survive as the cold will eventually kill them off. But there are no exotics usually up here where I live. I usually go down to Alligator Alley in Ft. Lauderdale when I want to specifically fish for the exotics. Peacock Bass may be there but I haven't caught any on Alligator Alley yet. I have heard that the Peacock Bass are more easterly toward Miami Metro Dade.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bowfin
Chicken? kidding.Quote:
Originally Posted by Supracerxtreme
They taste real clean and almost sweet. Like a very mild perch. In my opinion, the Red Devils were the best. They have a reddish orange flesh, so you know a Red Devil filet right off.
Good eating for sure.
Anyone for a trip to Florida? i'll have to look at Alligator alley.
Is there a large concentration of Oscar and mayan there?
I Have Always Heard That Herron's Got Eggs Stuck On Their Legs While Wading And Flew To Different Water And Transported The Eggs That Way. That May Be A Tale Also.
SteveGibson, How do the gators react to the kayaks? I don't think my nerves could stand a gator bumping the bottom of my yak while I'm trying to fish.
So how are the Florida ER's? They speak English there?
I have not caught any Mayan Cichlids at Alligator Alley but I'm sure that there are some. There are a LOT of Oscars though in addition to bream (mostly Bluegill) and Largemouth Bass.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bowfin
I can't speak for Steve on yaks but I go there in a canoe and the gators don't mess with us. There can be a gator every 20 feet along the banks but they take off when you come along. Never had one bump the canoe but my fishbud's canoe has a little kicker on it (square stern has a transom) and the prop can bump one occasionally. I would only be worried about the gators if they don't seem to be afraid of me (might mean they are being fed).