Pufferfish makes a delicious catch

While casting a lure near an oyster bed, I noticed tiny taps rather than hard strikes. I thought they were coming from pint-sized culprits like pinfish until I started reeling in something rather heavy. It did not spin like an oyster shell or drag in the current like a piece of driftwood. It felt as though I was reeling in a plastic grocery bag or a water-filled balloon.

The water balloon turned out to be the best analogy because the fish was a northern puffer. Puffers are called pufferfish, blowfish, blow toad and sea squab, with the latter a reference to the fact that a cleaned and fried puffer looks like and has a texture remarkably similar to a chicken drumstick. Another name is swellfish, perhaps because of the way it swells up, or maybe because it is "swell" to eat. Nicknames are so much fun tofigure out. That is why scientific nomenclature was developed, giving the technical name to the species Sphoeroides maculates.

Correct identification is important because other puffer species have toxic body parts. Two Atlantic puffer species that have toxic organs and glandsand could be in local waters are the smooth puffer and southern puffer. Oriental chefs spend years learning how to properly prepare Pacific puffers that have extremely toxic tissues and those who eat fugu dishes are risking death to show off their bravado and the thickness of their wallets. Even touching the knife to the wrong tissues could pass the toxins to a diner.

Northern puffers, while odd-looking, are serious predators, a fact reinforced by their powerful jaws and stout teeth. I would not stick an index fingertip beyond those little lips to check out those pearly whites. However, their mouths are small, making an angler wonder why one would attack a 5-inch plastic lure. Often, a lure hooks the fish in the lip. However, this one had a treble hook in its fat little cheek.

The skin feels like course sandpaper and is strong as leather. When the pufferblows itself up into a tough, spiny ball, it deters most predatory fish. When deflated, the fish is small and rather innocuous. But, can you imagine what a large fish swallowing one whole would sense when the puffer suddenly inflated? Perhaps surprised enough to open wide and disgorge it, with the instantly deflating puffer swimming free. I have read that sharks, groupers and other large fish with strong jaws and teeth can pop an inflated puffer to eat and digest it.

When a northern puffer is pumped and resting in the palm of a hand, cleaning it may be the furthest thing from the angler's mind. Fortunately, the process is relatively easy.

Use a knife to cut through the backbone of the fish just behind the head. Then, while pressing the head of the fish against a cutting board, grab the dorsal fin with pliers and pull back toward the tail until the skin peels off. Cut off the tail and the head, leaving nothing the delicious white meat, ribs and backbone.

Roll it in seafood breader or a mixture of half-flour and half-cornmeal and add you own seasoning. Fry it in a skillet of hot oil. The dish you serve may not have the fanfare of fugu, but you won't have to worry about eating it.

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