I have a ton of Sheepshead fillets from my trip to POC and trapped the Crawfish from the creek in East Texas on the place I hog hunt. No idea if it mattered on taste, Crawfish were kept in a washtub and fed watercress for a few days before they were removed to a second tub to purg. They come from really clean running water so no mud taste at all. Crawfish done in a simple zatarans crab boil. Note to self, boil them outside next time. My wife is on the Keto diet so I adapted a way to cook the fish for her. I made a dip of beaten egg and heavy cream. After dipping the fillets I rolled them in Pork Skin Crumbles then pan fried in Coconut Oil. Then sprinkled with some generic NOLA Cajun seasoning. I think my idea turned out really good. Tasted awesome. The wife and I enjoyed dinner outside by the fire with the dogs while listening to toads singing. And of course a little Buffalo Trace to ease the burn on the lips. That corn really soaks up the hot stuff from the boil.




Sweet Blaze still kickin at 15 years old.

Dayum that looks good

Yowzer

One great meal !

Can't believe that I threw sheepshead back. Would.

I once watched a video about filleting them. I also threw puppy drum back until I tried one.

Looks great

I usually clean my own fish, but was a guest on someone else's boat who normally paid guys at the ramp to do it so I did too. I noticed they filleted them from the tail forward and then along the back. Never cutting into the rib cage. Then 2nd guy filleted the skin off each fillet and trimmed out the dark meat. I always did mine opposite in the more traditional way with an electric knife and yes it was a mess dealing with the bones. Really good firm white meat btw, no bones in the fillets, and not fishy at all. I have ate a lot of sheepshead. I used to go to Port A with my Dad when I was young to catch them anchored off the end of the jetties in Feb during the spawn. Limits were more liberal back then too.

I did redfish that way. Left the ribs on and puled them lose by bending the tail over the head. For specks and snapper I cut the ribs the way you mentioned. Here is a gig speck that I left the scales on.

Nice!

Hmm I always threw them back too. Maybe I shouldn't. How bony are they? Limits, are there limits on sheepshead? There wasn't when I was a kid but then I can remember when there were no limits on specks too and then it was 12" but something like 40 fish.