Where do you buy your fresh fish and what type is best?

[Chasdev]

My wife and I love fresh fish but for the last few years all the fresh offerings at my local grocery stores have been anything BUT fresh.
The stench of bad fish hits the nose within 20 feet of the seafood counter and when we can overcome the revulsion of the smell and get brave enough to look close at what's on offer the choices are dismal.
So, what type of wild caught fish fillets are you guys buying and enjoying, rather than having to return or suffer through eating bland or stinky fish?
Forgot to add that while I like salmon, my wife is allergic to any and all forms of same, fresh water or salt.
I've started looking at going fishing (again after 40 years of not) but the waters in Texas are contaminated with chems and heavy metals so it's quite a chore to find safe waters for angling.

 

[DanMcG]

We have local fish stores here where you can buy fresh, fried or broiled offerings. But I buy most of mine frozen at the grocery store.

 

[PPG1]

When it comes to fresh seafood I'm lucky to live in Myrtle Beach SC. I'm less than 10 miles to Murrells Inlet. Here you can get fresh fish daily from the boats especially shrimp. but I love the Trigger Fish and Hog Snapper. There is always Fresh Mahi Mahi
Tuna, Grouper. So when it comes to fresh sea food I'm pretty fortunate.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Old Naples fish mkt......local catch of just about everything in their case.

 

[ravenclan]

Hard to find fresh fish here in Oklahoma, Unless I go to the Korean market place. I mainly get frozen fish from the local store

 

[HalfSmoked]

Agree with the fact that if you live in a fishing area you can get plenty of fresh fish from local markets, Other than that you almost have to go the frozen route.

Warren

 

[Chasdev]

So, what's the least "fishy" tasting frozen fish?
We've tried more than a few and they are too fishy tasting.
The wife and I both grew up with fresh caught fish from local lakes and ponds and there's no comparison to the stuff at the store, raw or frozen IMHO.

 

[HalfSmoked]

True nothing beats fresh. However frozen Ocean Perch is a good choice very mild tasting.

Warren

 

[mcokevin]

I buy from a wholesaler that sells to a lot of the nice restaurants in the area. They have a retail counter that any old schmuck like me can walk in and buy from. Live in Orlando, so an hour drive from the Atlantic and an hour drive from the gulf. They process things in-house so what you're buying at the retail counter was likely alive that morning or the day before.

 

[rc4u]

cod is my choice. and our sams store has frozen thick cut shrink wrapped bags thare very good.. Member's Mark Pacific Cod Loins (3 lbs.) - Sam's Club (samsclub.com)

 

[PPG1]

If you never tried Trigger Fish your missing out. They are the sweetest tasting fish I have ever had.

 

[rc4u]

i do know the fish factory ships slice em all thin and its just a waste of fish, like at wallmart and lotsa stores.

 

[clifish]

We have a local guy that sets up a seafood truck, he goes out the the docks on the east end of LI, NY every morning and brings it back fresh. We like his tuna steaks and skate wings, unfortunately his tuna steaks are now $25lb a pound so.....

 

[Colin1230]

I've lived in Kansas all my life and fresh fish means farm raised catfish or lake caught crappy.

 

[Chasdev]

Perhaps the best saltwater fish we've had is Ling, but it was less than 12 hours out of the water.
That was 40 years ago and I'm sure that fish caught there now is on the polluted waters warning list.
I've been wanting to try the ocean perch as we loved bluegill, sunfish etc... from the old days.
I know it's not close to the same species but I like the name.
Farmed fish taste bad to me, I think the pellets they feed on impart a different flavor than minnows/shrimps/crabs/whatever that wild caught are raised eating.

 

[SmokinAl]

Down here in central Florida, crappie is king, but you have to catch it yourself. We eat a lot of tilapia, frozen from Walmart. It’s very mild & if cooked right very tender & juicy.
Al

 

[ravenclan]

Down here in central Florida, crappie is king, but you have to catch it yourself. We eat a lot of tilapia, frozen from Walmart. It’s very mild & if cooked right very tender & juicy.
Al

SmokinAl,

How do you cook the tilapia? I have tried different ways but have failed.

 

[zwiller]

I think grocery stores are the last place I'd buy "fresh" fish. I would imagine if you spent time researching you'd find a much better place to buy and that probably means a drive. I am spoiled and can get fresh a few places. For me 99% of the time that means perch or walleye from our bay. For ocean fish I can go to a market an hour away. Recently tried grouper in FL and we fell in love with it. Curious if I can get grouper at that market. Fresh caught fish properly frozen can nearly as good as fresh. Frozen perch here taste like the good ole days.

 

[SmokinAl]

SmokinAl,

How do you cook the tilapia? I have tried different ways but have failed.

We just coat it with EVOO, and dust it with Cajun seasoning. Then into a 325 degree oven, ( we use our air fryer), and it only takes a few minutes until it gets flaky. Then we squeeze some lemon juice on it, you can also put some melted butter on it. You have to watch it real close cause if you overcook it it will dry out. But if it does then just put some tarter sauce on it. It also makes some awesome sammies, tarter sauce & lettuce, maybe even a pickle on top.
Al

 

[gmc2003]

The closest we can get to fresh is freshly frozen. Unless you catch your own fresh water fish. I like lake trout and salmon the best. Cleaned, wrapped in foil with butter, and tossed right in the hot coals.

Chris