[yarddog]

There is a local fish called “suckers”. They swim up even small creeks at certain times of the year. They are absolutely full of bones but Mother knew how to slice them then fry them to where there were none at all.

I don’t know if they dissolved, or something made the bones pop out or what but they are one of the tastiest fish there is.

[GranTorino]

Grandpa would grind up “suckers” and make patties to deep fry. The heat would soften the bones that were left.
If you filet them thin and fry them hot it probably makes the bones edible.

[Augie]

I love a good mess of sucker fish. It is one of the best-tasting fish that swims in fresh water. We catch them in our Ozark streams on hook and line or by gigging. Scrape the scales off, remove the filet, then score from the flesh side down to the skin about 1/4" apart. Batter and deep fry. The scoring chops up the fine bones and they get soft when cooked so no getting stuck in your craw when you eat them.

The asian carp are tasty, but they're a serious nuisance to prepare for cooking, so I usually just bury them in my victory garden. They make great fertilizer.

Missouri Dept of Conservation has some good tips on how to prepare rough fish here:

Cooking Fish

[gundog]

Sliced so the oil can get to them, they dissolve.