I like to smoke rockfish or hybrids and make Cullen Skink. You want a fish that has large flaky meat for smoking unless you are going to make a dip.
If you put plenty enough brown sugar in your brine, smoked rockfish can get to be like bacon. The kids call it fish bacon.
A tomato based chowder or stew would miss the grease. With bass or bream you'd mast the stew, then add the fish at the end so it doesn't cook to nothing. Catfish are good for that because the big ones can be a little chewy. They don't break down as fast.
