So Many Varieties

[Quillback]

Oysters on the half shell sure are good, but man you can really rack up a bill for those things.  Kinda like sushi, you don't want to in hungry.  😀

[Terrierman]

2 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

Les I agree with not wanting to eat tilapia. Store bought farm raised tasted like dog food to me. I have had fresh tilapia and it was decent. I also feel that farm raised catfish is a no go as well. If I can help it I try not to buy tiger shrimp or any farm raised shrimp. 

Sorry about the oyster deal. We have been getting into getting flights of oysters from different locations and there is a marked difference in flavors. Definitely have some favorites and some that we would not order again.

Blue point is a fine oyster if you ask me.  Oyster farming is becoming a deal too.  But as far as I know, they're not artificially fed, just provided optimal substrate they can be harvested from when ready.

I will not knowingly eat tilapia.  If a menu doesn't specify what fish I'm getting, I ask.

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, Terrierman said:

Blue point is a fine oyster if you ask me.  Oyster farming is becoming a deal too.  But as far as I know, they're not artificially fed, just provided optimal substrate they can be harvested from when ready

Oyster and mussel aquaculture doesn't typically have the pellet feed, antibiotics, poor crowded conditions, poor water quality associated with fish farming practices, especially from international suppliers. Though they can get shut down in terms of harvest/sales, if there is a large influx of freshwater due to flooding. That water may bring in more pesticides, fecal coliform, sewage, etc. into the bays where the farms are located.

I like rope cultured mussels. They don't have sand 😉.

[Terrierman]

1 hour ago, Johnsfolly said:

Oyster and mussel aquaculture doesn't typically have the pellet feed, antibiotics, poor crowded conditions, poor water quality associated with fish farming practices, especially from international suppliers. Though they can get shut down in terms of harvest/sales, if there is a large influx of freshwater due to flooding. That water may bring in more pesticides, fecal coliform, sewage, etc. into the bays where the farms are located.

I like rope cultured mussels. They don't have sand 😉.

The same flooding problems affect everything.  We're working on it but it's expensive and not popular with most of the voting public.

[Al Agnew]

On 1/23/2023 at 4:54 PM, Terrierman said:

Your first three are all sunfish unless I've made a mistake.  AND I note the complete absence of any saltwater fish.  Whatsamatter you hey?

Not really a great fan of any saltwater fish...good but not great.  Halibut is about as good as any when you catch it yourself and take good care of it.

[Al Agnew]

On 1/23/2023 at 5:04 PM, tjm said:

Crappie are not sunfish. Although they look like they could be.

Actually they are members of the sunfish family, same as bass and bluegill.

[netboy]

Here are my favorite shellfish...

Fried softshell Blue Claw crab

Steamed Blue Claw crab

Lobster (coldwater or spiney)

Scallops

Oysters (Raw of Fried)

 

 

[netboy]

Oh my.

I forgot to mention another favorite....

Fresh Gulf Shrimp.

Back when we lived on the Gulf Coast of Texas in Kemah and then Corpus Christi we used to do a lot of offshore fishing. We would always take an extra case of beer in the cooler and then barter for shrimp with the anchored shrimp boats out there. They would drag their nets all night and then anchor up at dawn and start culling their catch. It was some crazy fishing with all the by catch being tossed overboard. Kingfish, Cobia, Mahi and of course lots of sharks boiling the water to get the bycatch. Later in the day most of the crew went to sleep and we would cruise around to find a thirsty deckhand on watch and then make a deal for the ice cold beer for what most often ended up as a cooler full of fresh jumbo shrimp. 

I do remember some summers back in the 70's before the US actively enforced the 200 mile limit for foreign fishing fleets. We found out there was a big Cuban shrimp fleet working the waters about 30 miles offshore of Freeport Texas. A friend told us they had plenty of beer, but what they really wanted was Houston Astro stuff. The Astros had gotten into the playoffs and they had a couple of Cuban players on the roster. Well, we bought a bunch of knockoff Astro hats and T shirts and headed out for some fishing. Fishing was great but ended up with no room for fish in the coolers... came back in with well over 100 pounds of fresh headed jumbo gulf shrimp. Made lots of trips after that one.