Tail about a buffalo carp

Always heard they were good if treated properly. Well I caught a 10lb er or so and said I am going to try to smoke this. Gutted and cut off head. Watched a few utube videos and they said cut off fins and scale so I did. They also said to brine and gave a basic brine recipe. Which I followed somewhat and soaked fish for 24hrs. Got it on the smoker at about 180 for 6-7 hrs turned up the heat to 230 for another hour. Checked with thermometer 155 so cranked up heat just to make sure for about 20 minutes took off let cool and deboned fish. Wow this is flakey lite fish meat really good taste think about several ways to use it fish cakes, fish spread just good as it is. Suprised for sure. Not alot of product from 1 fish but to have several and do them at one time would be good for sure.Attachment 366691Attachment 366692Attachment 366693

That looks fantastic!! I bet that would make some amazing fish cakes for sure. Or eat it just like that


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It looks good.

When I was a kid we use to fish below the spillway on Black River for white bass, would catch buffalo quite a bit, fun to catch but we always threw them back. A guy saw us throwing them back and asked if we would give to him for his smokehouse so we did, he brought us some one day and I was surprised how good it was. Nice job smoking them, that looks good. :ThumbsUp

I was raised on Buffalo, Crappie, bass and bream. I always loved the buffalo.

Is it fishy tasting or mild? Reason for asking is the Son and I shoot some 20-30 pounders while bow fishing and we just throw them away. Might have to smoke some of the bigger ones.

:ThumbsUp I figgered it would work.

Good talking to you. Working on the TM.

Hogster it is very mild. I would do it again in a minute. It would be better to have several cause once you debone it and leave the red meat out there is not a lot of product from one fish. The wife and I like it just as it is she is going to make me a fish spread to put on crackers. I also think it would be great in a chowder.

The ribs out of large buffalo are a delicacy. We always battered and fried them. The whole fish is good, just too many bones to fool with.

I'm 63 and have ate,enjoyed rough fish all my life.
Usually fry bufallo or grass carp up to 6-7 lbs range and smoke the ones from 6-7 to about 15 lbs.Have smoked and ate larger but they are harder to smoke descently so normally will not keep the huge ones either caught or shot with a bow.
To either fry or smoke you can remove the scales going under them from the rear of the fish with your fillet knife tip pointed towards the head.You cut the scales away from the skin in one continuous piece.
If you are going to fry next you fillet each side just like any other fish.With a good and sharp fillet knife you have to score each fillet to cut the bones internal to the meat so when you fry it the bones cook and is then edible.
To score
Point the tip of the knife down above the top of the fillet.Lower the rear of the blade while pushing down and forward.You will hear and feel the bones being cut.Move the blade over 3/16 to 1/4" and make another score.Continue until you have one piece with multiple scores about 2" wide.Cut completely through the skin to separate from the rest of the unscored fillet.Resume scoring for another couple inches and completely cut through the skin again.Continue doing the same until you have scored all the fillets you have.
To cook
350-375 oil in your fryer.Insure you have separated all scored sections and put in your breading or cornmeal in each section.Put in the fryer and fry until
It floats.Pull away from the skin and eat about like a potato chip.
To smoke
Cut off scales as described above.Fillet like any other fish.Cut into pieces about 4-5" wide.Soak overnight in a brine(water,salt,any flavoring you chose)
And place in the smoker skin side down first 2-3 hours,flip over once and smoke another 1-2 hours til done.It will flake when done.After smoking the meat shrinks and you will see the end of the bones you pull out to eat.
Even with crappie,bream,flathead,sauger/walleye and others in the freezer I do not throw back either Buffalo or grass carp as they are delicious when properly prepared.

A carp is a carp and a buffalo is
a buffalo.There is no such thing as a "buffalo carp".

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Well I have to disagree cause where I come from a buffalo is a great big critter. And a carp is yellow meat and a buffalo carp is white meat.

Until 15-20 years ago in Missouri in the carp species (before the invasion of the asians) we had the common carp and the black carp.Since the asian invasion we now also have the grass,silver,and the bighead in the population.
The buffalo species we have had all along are the bigmouth,black,and the smallmouth.
Size of the fish does not have anything to do with anything as they all start as an egg.Most of the above species are able to grow into the 40-50 pound range and up.

I have little desire to argue with you .If you want to refer to some kind of fish as a mix of two different species that is your business.
All the species of buffalo and the grass carp are first rate eating.The majority of the rest make real good fertilizer.

All of the suckers we have are also first rate eating and yes,we do have a fish properly refered to as a carpsucker.

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Originally Posted by Snagged again

Until 15-20 years ago in Missouri in the carp species (before the invasion of the asians) we had the common carp and the black carp.Since the asian invasion we now also have the grass,silver,and the bighead in the population.
The buffalo species we have had all along are the bigmouth,black,and the smallmouth.
Size of the fish does not have anything to do with anything as they all start as an egg.Most of the above species are able to grow into the 40-50 pound range and up.

I have little desire to argue with you .If you want to refer to some kind of fish as a mix of two different species that is your business.
All the species of buffalo and the grass carp are first rate eating.The majority of the rest make real good fertilizer.

All of the suckers we have are also first rate eating and yes,we do have a fish properly refered to as a carpsucker.

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My brother n law gave me some buffalo fish ribs. Fried em up. Delish


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That looks great. I'd definitely be in on that. A guy that fishes with me a bunch kept a drum and blackened it. It was pretty tasty.

If you don't mind, I'd like to see your brine recipe.

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Originally Posted by FurFlyin

That looks great. I'd definitely be in on that. A guy that fishes with me a bunch kept a drum and blackened it. It was pretty tasty.

If you don't mind, I'd like to see your brine recipe.

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My brine is usually a bit different everytime I make it.Usually use a small plastic bucket with a gallon to a gallon and a half of water.About 4-5 tablespoons of salt ,2-3 tablespoons vinegar,2-3 tablespoons brown sugar,and another couple tablespoons of Old Bay or whatever sounds good at the time.Volume of brine and ingredients depend on how much you are going to smoke.Let it soak overnight and get the smoker good and hot.Put your fish in and start smoking.It's not done until it will flake with a fork and moisture will make the fish shrink so you can then see the end of the bones out of the edge of your fish.The bones remind me of a dead bare naked cedar tree because a trunk will branch to two ,then two to four,four to eight and so on.Grab the end of the biggest bone and pull it out of your fish.Do that with all the bones you see.You'll get rid of the bones and can pin your ears back and enjoy your fish.
I would bet you will be smoking some more
with a little more experience each time.

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Furflyin,
I am betting you already know it is the smoke from the smoker that imparts a real big part of the flavor.I smoke with charcoal and like to use hickory,apple,mesquite,and other woods in my smoker.I cut /split the wood into small pieces and dry ahead of time.Then when smoking put the wood in a bucket of water a few hours ahead of time.Add damp wood pieces on top of the charcoal to really get the smoke a rolling.
I'm betting you already do about the same.
Enjoy your smoked fish.


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Yes I smoke stuff pretty regularly.

if you like pecan smoke, try putting some whole unshelled pecans on your fire. Way more pecan smoke taste than pecan wood. Stands to reason I guess.

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Originally Posted by FurFlyin

Yes I smoke stuff pretty regularly.

if you like pecan smoke, try putting some whole unshelled pecans on your fire. Way more pecan smoke taste than pecan wood. Stands to reason I guess.

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I have a few pecans in the back pasture...smoke the wood regular.Never have tries pecans themself.Thanks fer the tip.Will try it.


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I just don't know what to say, so I will just eat my boiled peanuts and drink moose head beer and sit under a hackberry tree