Who's got a bigger puffer?

[tabasco]

while bottom fishing for sea bass i thought i had a nice one. Came up with this thing!!! Released unharmed, though we considered using it for a marker jug.

[knock down]

How did it fight? I have never caught one before , very cool lookin little critter thanks for the pic!

[austin ensor]

never seen one that big ive caught 1LB befor

[Deep C]

Hmmmm.... We get rabbit fish puffers down in the keys to like five or six pounds but that's a different species...Wonder if its the one they make Fugu out of? You know the stuff that it takes licensed chefs years to train to cut? And if they don't it will paralydze or kill you?

[HOLWACHAGOT]

Over the years I have caught a bunch of puffer fish. They are not the same species pictured above however. This fall I caught one (of the type pictured above) and was suprised because I had never seen one of this species. According to the January issue of SPORT FISHING magazine it is called a "smooth puffer". The viscera and skin are supposed to contain a very strong Toxin that can easily contaminate the flesh and be fatal...according to Ray Waldner. So far your puffer is larger tha the one I caught...so for now you are the King of puffers. Cool pic by the way. Here is the pic of the one I caught. He would not cooperate and puff.

3672
Holwachagot

[clt_capt]

Hmmmm.... We get rabbit fish puffers down in the keys to like five or six pounds but that's a different species...Wonder if its the one they make Fugu out of? You know the stuff that it takes licensed chefs years to train to cut? And if they don't it will paralydze or kill you?

FUGU (KINDA LIKE SAYING A DIRTY WORD) is Tiger Puffer.
Tetrodotoxin is a very potent neurotoxin and shuts down electrical signaling in nerves by binding to the pores of sodium channel proteins in nerve cell membranes. Tetrodotoxin is not affected by the heat of cooking[citation needed]. It does not cross the blood–brain barrier, leaving the victim fully conscious while paralyzing the remainder of the body

[flatbottom]

that fugu word is dangerous.

The ones I have caught had an orange to brown topside. I had heard as a little flat, that they were dangerous. But we nailed them to a 5" chop block, ran a knife around the body just behind the pecks. Then used a pair of pliers to rip the skin off. It tasted just like chicken breast. At one time in the Indian River Bay up here, you could catch them on the blue cardboard that stiffened the snelled hook pack. Pops would soak the cardboard in with the squid juice. We would have 6 at a time follow the hooked puffer to the boat. We tried to net them. Just hang the blue paper 24 inches below the water line and bingo bongo !!!!! fish on. Then the power plant went online and by by fish stocks.

Never caught one that puffed up that big before. He is a giant !

[SharkFighter]

I caught this one off the Tybee island Fishing Pier in GA fishing for ATB. He was bigger when I pulled him up but deflated as I did CPR (Catch Pose Release). I think he was 12-14 inches. For more strange looking fish you can always check out my website at www.sharkfighter.com and email me at the contact if you would like your name posted on my site with any strange catches you have.

[floridadeckie]

tom, was the fish from the trip I couldnt make? looks like some good weather. call me up when you guys are going again, truck's at 100% again

[Ed k]

they are the chicken of the sea, they've got 2 strips down the back like a boned out breast.