Huh, ok...  Sounds like an interesting dish... 

Quote from: Clayman on September 08, 2021, 09:55:07 AM

I've caught a fair number of MFEs poke-poling Yaquina Bay's south jetty. They're not as abundant here as further south, but it's pretty easy to get a few on a low tide. There are some really big ones out there, 30 inchers.

The humorous part about poke-poling up here is it's foreign. Some old-timers had no idea WTF was going on when I was pulling up MFEs from under their feet with a piece of bamboo and a wire clothes hanger  .

That looks pretty fun, technique and species. Is there a season for poke poling?

You can do it year-round. Ideal conditions are a small swell and clear water so you can spot all the holes to "poke". The times I've done it are usually in the winter and spring when other local fisheries are in a lull.

Down in NorCal, I've heard of guys catching octopus and even wolf eels while poke-poling. I haven't pulled up either of those, but I've hooked a handful of hard-pulling "animals" that I couldn't pull out of their holes. Always left me wondering what the heck they were.

Quote from: RoxnDox on September 09, 2021, 09:55:23 AM

So if you catch one of those fish, what the heck do ya do with 'em?

They taste great! Flaky, white fillets. In addition to ceviche, they do well coated with panko and pan-fried. Filleting them can be a PITA at times, but it's not too bad.

I can't speak to MFEs but the wolf eel my wife caught was delicious! If I caught an MFE I would keep it for sure.