# Smoking catfish **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866 "2004-04-19T18:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lk1932](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@lk1932](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lk1932)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/1 "2004-04-19T18:49:30Z")
Can anybody give me instructions as to how to smoke catfish? How long to smoke and at what temp. Should the fish be brined or not? Skinned before smoking? Any other info will be appreaciated. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/2 "2004-04-19T19:06:28Z")
This is sooooooooo tempting. 😉 But try [this](http://www.barbecuen.com/recipes/catfish.htm) I never heard of different temperature settings on a smoker. But then my experience is limited to packing salmon into our “Little Chief” smoker with fresh cut alder chips…nummers. ---
**Author:** ![lk1932](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@lk1932](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lk1932)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/3 "2004-04-19T19:10:07Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > This is sooooooooo tempting. 😉 > > But try [this](http://www.barbecuen.com/recipes/catfish.htm) > > I never heard of different temperature settings on a smoker. But then my experience is limited to packing salmon into our “Little Chief” smoker with fresh cut alder chips…nummers. No problem with a gas smoker ---
**Author:** ![Lateralus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@Lateralus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lateralus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/4 "2004-04-19T20:48:12Z")
> [@lk1932](#): > > Can anybody give me instructions as to how to smoke catfish? How long to smoke and at what temp. Should the fish be brined or not? Skinned before smoking? Any other info will be appreaciated. Many old-school smokers will say that rolling papers are the only way to go, but I find that the best way to experience the fish is through a nice glass bong. Start by preparing the fish by skinning it and breaking up the meat into small pieces. Some purists do not skin their stuff, but the skin tends to burn too easily and leaves an unpleasant taste in the back of one’s throat. Pack your stuff into that there bowl and heat it over open flame, making sure to keep the flame steady to ensure even combustion. I recommend flavoring the water with a little lemon and garlic to highlight the subtle nuances of the fish. The kind of stuff you’re smoking is important too. If you’re going to be smoking some of that schwaggy ass shit from your local supermarket, you’ll need several hits to achieve full effects. However, if you go to your local seafoood market you can find some stuff that should have a biohazard label on it. Make sure you’re sitting down when you hit that shit too, the heavy duty stuff’ll knock you straight on your ass! ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/5 "2004-04-19T20:58:46Z")
A smoking catfish? How would it keep the pipe lit underwater? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/6 "2004-04-19T21:22:50Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > This is sooooooooo tempting. 😉 As I suspected, I’m glad I left it alone. **Lateralus** did a much better job than I would have. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/7 "2004-04-20T12:01:05Z")
I’m thinking of a scene in **The Beverly Hillbillies** , Granny, telling the cops, “I’m gonna smoke some crawdads, but first I need a little pot!” ---
**Author:** ![Starguard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Starguard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starguard)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/8 "2004-04-20T12:45:13Z")
> [@Lateralus](#): > > Many old-school smokers will say that rolling papers are the only way to go, but I find that the best way to experience the fish is through a nice glass bong. Start by preparing the fish by skinning it and breaking up the meat into small pieces. Some purists do not skin their stuff, but the skin tends to burn too easily and leaves an unpleasant taste in the back of one’s throat. Pack your stuff into that there bowl and heat it over open flame, making sure to keep the flame steady to ensure even combustion. I recommend flavoring the water with a little lemon and garlic to highlight the subtle nuances of the fish. > > The kind of stuff you’re smoking is important too. If you’re going to be smoking some of that schwaggy ass shit from your local supermarket, you’ll need several hits to achieve full effects. However, if you go to your local seafoood market you can find some stuff that should have a biohazard label on it. Make sure you’re sitting down when you hit that shit too, the heavy duty stuff’ll knock you straight on your ass! LOL 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/9 "2004-04-20T13:05:25Z")
> [@lk1932](#): > > Can anybody give me instructions as to how to smoke catfish? How long to smoke and at what temp. Should the fish be brined or not? Skinned before smoking? Any other info will be appreaciated. Smoke it for about three minutes (wrapped in very thin paper). It won’t taste very good. I suggest you smoke pot instead. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoking-catfish/240866/10 "2004-04-20T14:59:41Z")
As you work your way through your fish lid, the day will come when there’s no meat left on the catfish. At this point you can put the bones in some water and boil it to make a bone tea. Mix in some honey to make it marginally palatable and drink it only in close proximity to an open toilet.