Cabezon spines

I am heading to Hobuck beach sunday and monday and have never caught a cabezon but there is a chance i might hook one. I have read about the poisonous spines. How should i handle these, are they pretty good to eat. Any other info?  I will post pics of the trip when i get back. Should be lots of fun... If the surf is not too rough. I know conehead and jigmaster have fished there successfully.  I am hoping i have pics of lings, salmon and rockfish thanks, doug

Handle them like you would a rockfish and you'll be fine - although I'd be less worried about the spines on a cabbie than on a rockfish.  The roe is the particularly toxic part.  They are slime factories, and they tend to puke up whatever happens to be in their stomachs when you bring them to the surface.

Great eating, but a little finesse is needed in taking them apart.  I've started to remove the head and collar/pectoral fins with the guts and gills, which makes taking the fillets off cleaner and easier.  They have a strong set of lateral line bones.

They're fun to catch - they feel enormous when you are hauling them up, since they spread their pectoral fins/wings out, and produce considerable drag.

Cabezons have poisonous eggs, but I've never heard about anyone being concerned that they have poisonous spines.  I'm not even sure they have poisonous spines.   BTW, most rockfish on the other hand do have poisonous spines.  They probably won't kill you, but they can hurt like a bee sting if you get stuck by one.

Get yourself a lip gripper of some sort and you'll be fine.  I'm a fan of the cheap plastic ones called "the Fish Grip", $13 and they float.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0012971013780a

Thanks guys, that helps a lot. I do have the plastic orange lip grippers and like them. this is probably the trip i have looked most forward to.  My brother is coming up from so/cal  and will use my wifes kayak. Should be a great time. thanks again, doug

  BTW, most rockfish on the other hand do have poisonous spines.  They probably won't kill you, but they can hurt like a bee sting if you get stuck by one.

Get yourself a lip gripper of some sort and you'll be fine.  I'm a fan of the cheap plastic ones called "the Fish Grip", $13 and they float.

I will attest to this fact.  At the ORC10 I threw back a small black which did a somersault and landed spines down on my wetsuit booty.  The spines penetrated 5mil of neoprene and left me limping for 3 days. 

-Spot- 

Great eating, but a little finesse is needed in taking them apart.  I've started to remove the head and collar/pectoral fins with the guts and gills, which makes taking the fillets off cleaner and easier.  They have a strong set of lateral line bones.

I forgot to ask you when we were cleaning the fish...what method do you use to remove the head of the cabezon?  They are solid bone. 

As a side note...I got stung by a small sculpin last year and the flesh on my finger went necrotic.  Very painful.  I don't think Cabs have poisonous spines, but watch out for the little guys!

I open them up, remove the guts, gills.  Cut behind the pectoral fin, slide the knife along the collar up to the base of the skull (just like all of the other fish that I fillet, same basic cut).  I get knife in all the way down to the spine, all the way around.  That way it's just cartilage holding the head on. Now just snap the head up, then down (until you hear/feel the snap), twist, and voilà, you have a head and a fish in two pieces. The cheek and collar meat is pretty tasty.

The

Good to know.  Might just keep my next cab and give it a shot!

You can thank the USMC for teaching me how to remove a sentry with a knife, and me extrapolating it to fish.

You can thank the USMC for teaching me how to remove a sentry with a knife, and me extrapolating it to fish.

I carry this knife fishing:


(I'm ex Army though - I just like the durability of that knife)

good thing we don't have any pirates in our water, they would be in deep s*$t

We had some fried cab from Depoe Bay last weekend. Very tasty!  I did get a Black Rockfish spine in the knuckle of my little finger. I swelled up a bit, but was fine the next day.

Wonder if those topical applied sting medications would help to reduce the pain of rockfish pokes?

Oh, and watching Madoc perform surgery on his fish was cool.  A little cut here, a little cut there, zip, zap, bing, bang.....you have a fish ready to take to another level. 

Cabezon spines are reported to be toxic.  Whether or not that's toxic to humans is an entirely different question.  I did get pricked by one yesterday with no ill effects.  I also took 3 spines from a black rock to the palm of my hand during the ORC.  I had a bit of minor discomfort for about 20 minutes and thats it.

Lee - Kabar, no?

  I also took 3 spines from a black rock to the palm of my hand during the ORC.  I had a bit of minor discomfort for about 20 minutes and thats it.

That happens to me regularly with the same affect.  Just for giggles, poke yourself in the top of the foot with one.    Totally different game.