spanish are back
 

it's offical, the fishing season has started in north fl. water temp is up to 68, ling and pompano have started and spanish are in the bay. not the best table fair, butits good to pull in a fish after this winter..

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...6/DSCF0497.jpg

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...6/DSCF0498.jpg

Nice catch , In NY I get em fresh from Fulton Market. I will drizzle some EVOO on em then rub basil/crush garlic with pinch of sea salt and beer of choice ...

I'll take some spanish any day. Nice catch! A sign of things to come!

"I will drizzle some EVOO on em then rub basil/crush garlic with pinch of sea salt and beer of choice ... "

i will try that, the meat seems very mushy to me, i usually put them in the crab traps and try to convert them to stone crab claws.

Convert them. LOL! The spanish are a little strong but I eat mullet and other sea critters. Grilled is best IMO with the EVOO and garlic. No comparison to stone crab or blues IMO. The only problem with crabs is after an hour of eating you still feel like eating a ham sammich.

I personally like to eat the spanish macks. Soak em in saltwater overnight in the fridge to brine em, then I fry em using yellow corn meal in 400 degree vegetable oil for about 4-6 minutes and they come out great everytime. The wife is a picky fish eater and even she chomps right down on em. I've even gotten her to eat fried bluefish by doing it this way(after cutting the blood strip out of them first of course).

I like to put king mack in the traps. I have some frozen spanish to put in there this summer.

If you can convert spanish into claws that is a great trade :clap:

eat 'em, dont eat 'em...... i bet them things are stupid on a 4 pound spinner.

Nice spaniards Phat. Fried,grilled,cut up for the crab traps? I have visions of them brined,rigged and waiting their turn on a 50wide for the guy in the blue suit and pointy nose. Fish On!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

ctt, they are a blast on a light spinning rod, but these were caught by trolling with spoons. if we can find the school concentrated in one area, you can cut power and drift through and cast to them. some people like to fly fish for them, but conditions have to be right. i catch them later in the season sometimes when trout fishing with live bait on 10 lb power pro, closest i'll get to bonefishing.
bonita , i'll save some for mr grouper, too..