Help with Sergeant Baker

[rockfisherman]

Hi Raiders

Whilst away fishing a couple of weekends ago, our plastics got smashed by some decent sized Sargent Baker, around the 60cm mark, we had enough fish and weren't curious enough to keep one.

I'm thinking I could get some awesome fillets off them, but I'm not 100% sure on the quality of the meat and if its a very bony fish, so any information would be helpful, thanks.

Fishingphase

[boattart]

The meat isn't bad but they are very bony. I do know a few people over ther years that use them for fish stock or soup and they tell me they are quite nice. I would suggest if you got a bigger one and used to tail sections for the flesh and the rest for stock it would come out well.

[rockfisherman]

So really, it's an acquired taste thing..

Cheers, thanks

Fishingphase

[Day's Fishin]

The old sargent baker is not that bad to eat if you BBQ the fillets. You have to get quite a big one as they are sure full of bones. I would say, in my opinion, that they are on par with fish like tailor!

Regards Jeff

[rockfisherman]

The old sargent baker is not that bad to eat if you BBQ the fillets. You have to get quite a big one as they are sure full of bones. I would say, in my opinion, that they are on par with fish like tailor!

Regards Jeff

Cheers, thanks for the comparison

Fishingphase

[barnzey]

Sargent baker are like a cross between red rock cod and a flathead both in the way they look and the texture/taste of their flesh. Fine white flesh, relatively firm and non-oily. Well worth eating, easy to take the fillets off due to small backbone vertebrae and low profile ribs. People mention that they're boney, this is due to a second lateral line containing relatively fine pin bones. These are easy to remove, just trace out with your fingers before cutting out carefully. The flesh is a good substitute for flathead and latchet in recipes.

The frames do make good soups and are well worth keeping. I would not say the flesh is at all similar to tailor. Tailor is not as white, firm, has a greater oil content and is more 'fishy'/strongly flavoured than the baker.

It is well worth keeping the larger specimens, much easier to fillet and remove the pin bones.

One of the most underrated fish in the sea in my opinion.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Barnzey

[rockfisherman]

Sargent baker are like a cross between red rock cod and a flathead both in the way they look and the texture/taste of their flesh. Fine white flesh, relatively firm and non-oily. Well worth eating, easy to take the fillets off due to small backbone vertebrae and low profile ribs. People mention that they're boney, this is due to a second lateral line containing relatively fine pin bones. These are easy to remove, just trace out with your fingers before cutting out carefully. The flesh is a good substitute for flathead and latchet in recipes.

The frames do make good soups and are well worth keeping. I would not say the flesh is at all similar to tailor. Tailor is not as white, firm, has a greater oil content and is more 'fishy'/strongly flavoured than the baker.

It is well worth keeping the larger specimens, much easier to fillet and remove the pin bones.

One of the most underrated fish in the sea in my opinion.

Well that's good news.

Fishingphase

[shak4g63]

Sargent baker are like a cross between red rock cod and a flathead both in the way they look and the texture/taste of their flesh. Fine white flesh, relatively firm and non-oily. Well worth eating, easy to take the fillets off due to small backbone vertebrae and low profile ribs. People mention that they're boney, this is due to a second lateral line containing relatively fine pin bones. These are easy to remove, just trace out with your fingers before cutting out carefully. The flesh is a good substitute for flathead and latchet in recipes.

The frames do make good soups and are well worth keeping. I would not say the flesh is at all similar to tailor. Tailor is not as white, firm, has a greater oil content and is more 'fishy'/strongly flavoured than the baker.

It is well worth keeping the larger specimens, much easier to fillet and remove the pin bones.

One of the most underrated fish in the sea in my opinion.

+1

Tight lines,

Shakeel

[Day's Fishin]

Sargent baker are like a cross between red rock cod and a flathead both in the way they look and the texture/taste of their flesh. Fine white flesh, relatively firm and non-oily. Well worth eating, easy to take the fillets off due to small backbone vertebrae and low profile ribs. People mention that they're boney, this is due to a second lateral line containing relatively fine pin bones. These are easy to remove, just trace out with your fingers before cutting out carefully. The flesh is a good substitute for flathead and latchet in recipes.

The frames do make good soups and are well worth keeping. I would not say the flesh is at all similar to tailor. Tailor is not as white, firm, has a greater oil content and is more 'fishy'/strongly flavoured than the baker.

It is well worth keeping the larger specimens, much easier to fillet and remove the pin bones.

One of the most underrated fish in the sea in my opinion.

I said they were on par with tailor (eating quality, in my opinion) not the same flesh as tailor! Regards Jeff

[Benzeenees]

We've caught a few monster Sargeant Bakers recently. Some have even grabbed lures about 6m off the bottom. Next time we get a big one I'll try taking a couple of fillets off him and report back.

[rockfisherman]

We've caught a few monster Sargeant Bakers recently. Some have even grabbed lures about 6m off the bottom. Next time we get a big one I'll try taking a couple of fillets off him and report back.

Is it just me or is big Sargent baker thing only recent, can't remember catching so many, so big!

Fishingphase

[jdanger]

Bit of a late post but I'll back up what Barnzey said RE: similarity to flathead.

Brought home a Sgt from a recent charter experience, cooked whole in foil on the BBQ with chilli, lime, ginger, garlic, coriander and roasted pine nuts.

The lower lateral bones were a bit annoying but if you have decent size fish it's easy enough to pull the flesh off.

Very white, flaky meat. Would eat again.

[Parto]

My mates dog loves them.. Eats them whole ..no worries with the bones

[rockfisherman]

My mates dog loves them.. Eats them whole ..no worries with the bones

My mates dog, who has now passed, bobby the white German Shepard used to like munching on kingy heads.

Fishingphase

[Devil Ray]

I have caught and thrown back more sgt baker than i have had hot dinners, i really need to try these things for myself before listening to others

[dufmack97]

Caught a bunch of them one day, the smell was terrible when we got home despite being on ice. Chucked them as we were only guessing they were good to eat, time to give them another shot I guess. Dunno why they smelt so bad.

[benm]

You could wear a new badge?

http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=71678&hl=sargent

By the way, I think it's spelt sergeant baker. If you do a google search on that you will get a few recipees.

[mrsswordfisherman]

You could wear a new badge?

http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=71678&hl=sargent

By the way, I think it's spelt sergeant baker. If you do a google search on that you will get a few recipees.

Thank you that spelling error has been corrected