Fillet or Scale PART 2

[LightningBG]

scaled fish are darn tasty. We always leave the tails on, cut the head off. But we fillet most often.

This was talked about a couple years ago, but those drum scalers actually work pretty well. My father in law has a custom built one that he received as a gift. works excellent. can throw 30-40 panfish in and turn it on. 8-10 min later they are all scaled.

[LegattoAD]

The way I was taught to scale and gut was far easier for me than filleting my catch, regardless of species. I just hate dealing with the bones after I fry them, so I fillet everything.

Now that I have more practice filleting, I get about the same amount of meat as I would gutting and have absolutely no bones. It takes me a little longer, but if I'm at the lake, I'm in no rush anyway.

Now, if ez-scaler makes something that would take the bones out too...

[minnbowhunter]

I generally fillet everything, but every once in a while the wife asks me to scale and gut a batch of panfish. I have to agree, they are pretty tasty, more work but worth it.

[SFC]

Scale and fillet panfish, everything else fillet and skinned.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Always fillet. We can't stand bones in fish so they have to be 100% boneless. One bone and i am done, GF is also. Used to scale when i was a kid and went with grandpa or my uncles but i couldn't even remember how to do it any more.

[jBohmer]

Bones Suck! I learned, and still today scale fish with a scaler that is far older than myself. I can gut and scale a fish in the fraction of the time it takes me to fillet a panny. I just do not enjoy scaled fish due to the fact the way that I cook them. It is a personal taste choice I understand. That being said, I could not imagine doing such a thing to 17"er eye.

Just so you old timers know, I am not in my twenties.

[BobT]

I personally can fillet a fish faster than I can scale one and scaling doesn't take much time either.

When I do scale I use a teaspoon and then scale them under water so the scales don't fly around.

Edit: Sorry, almost forgot the answer the original question. I think filleting is easier and I prefer boneless, especially with young children involved.

[ANYFISH2]

odds are I would still fillet everything even if i where easier and cleaner with a new tool. Although a whole sunfish is the best tasting, especially the crispy tail fin!

[mixxedbagg]

Boneless fillets are more versatile...I sometimes pull fillets out of the freezer and cube them up for pickling or soup, neither of which would work as well with a whole scaled fish.

Also, while picking around the bones is only a minor annoyance for me, my wife and son won't have any of that. If I didn't fillet, they probably wouldn't eat fish.

[reinhard1]

i think for the most part, eating fish by just gutting and scaleing is a generational thing. i cant remember eating fillets while young but now its probably the most popular. good luck.

[huntnfish]

I would still fillet. If scaling was less messy I would maybe look into that but I already catch some grief from the misses about the few scales from filleting.

[popriveter]

I had never thought to try scaling and frying panfish whole before this thread. I grew up eating everything but trout filleted. This thread made me curious. I tried scaling 3 sunnies and 2 perch from my last catch.

My conclusion:

The perch were so much more difficult to scale that they weren't worth it, but the sunfish were easy to scale and tasted amazing! I will definitely begin scaling more often.

I'll still mostly fillet so I can share meals with my daughter and wife, but I'll be keeping a few special ones for myself.

Here's my question, are crappies a good candidate for scaling? If they are as tough as perch, I'd rather stick with sunfish. Anyone with experience willing to give me some guidance?

[Itsa Pole Bender]

I just scaled some crappie last week. Very easy. I have been looking for a good electric scaler for a while now because I love perch (my family's favorite for eating). And as you said...Perch are much more difficult to scale. Crappies and Sun fish are much easier than Perch.

[sunniewally]

sunfish and crappies are easy to scale. i use a spoon and fill a deeper pie pan and fill it with water and scale them, then i fillet them so no bones. pretty hard to beat fried pan fish in frying magic or your favorite coating

[LightningBG]

what about some type of a wire brush on a drill or dremel type tool

like this:

[Fowlmouth]

I always fillet my fish. But when I give a mess of fish to my grandma she likes if I scale them for her.

[popriveter]

Thanks for weighing in on the crappie issue. I was very impressed with the scaled fish I tried. Can't wait to do another batch. First, I have to finish eating up all those fillets in my fridge.

[jBohmer]

what about some type of a wire brush on a drill or dremel type tool

like this:

What are you scaling Lightning? A carp?