Smoking Fish with Charcoal Grill

Figured this was as good of a time as any to ask about smoking. Half the members here are probably smoking something right now! I’ve never smoked fish before.

I got a recipe from a friend for smoked teriyaki catfish fillets (he has never tried it either, but it sounds good). I want to make sure what I had planned was the correct way of doing this. *BK close your eyes*, I’ll probably use small flathead for this since I don’t care for the taste of channel cats when they are feeding on dead shad like right now.

So the teriyaki is an over-night marinade/brine.

3 cups teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbs vegi oil

3 green onions

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flake

1/2 tsp ginger

Now, for the smoking. I plan to use a charcoal grill/smoker.

1. What temp should I keep it at, I figured 200-220 and indirect heat.

2. What wood should I use? No source of free wood, have to buy chips/chunks

3. How long you think it will take? Wet smoke, not fish jerky

4. Should I leave the skin on and rib cage in-tact or fillet it all off?

Now, to avoid the crap about eating small flatheads.. down here we have an abundance of 5-6lb flats. They are everywhere. I would of course let anything bigger and smaller go. Please don’t get on me about keeping them.

With cats and bullheads you leave the skin on.That over night brine is not for smoking its for cooking.Try this instead.
1galon water
1 cup dark brown suger
1cup kosher salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
1tbls dry mustard
Mix all together and brine 24 to 48 hrs
Smoke with a fruit wood
Your temps are right in the ball park,start checking for done ness after about 3 hrs.

See, that is why I asked on this site.. you guys know EVERYTHING! THANK YOU!!!!

I don’t bring fish, I dry rub them. A good way is to mix equal parts of Morton’s tenderquick and brown sugar together along with ground black pepper to taste.

I rub this into both sides of the fish fillets, or inside and out of the whole fish. Lay the treated pieces in a plastic tupperware [a celery locker worker great for this]where they can lay flat. Chill for 24 hours, rinse and dry. Then smoke as per you thoughts above.

Use the fruitwood suggested. Hard Maple used along side of apple or cherry works great. Chokecherry is a great smoking wood.