skin up or down

[loadmaster]

Getting ready to smoke some large tullies. The ones I use can be smoked whole but these are to big. Going to fillet them. Fillet before or after brine and what way skin up or down or any other hints for doing fillets. Worried about drying out the fish

[Walleyehooker]

Fillet them then brine them then smoke skin side down if on a rack.

[Walleyehooker]

If these fillets happen to be real thick you can also cut the fillets into smaller chunks. Still keep skin on and down.

[loadmaster]

Kind of what I thought. Does filleting them cut down on smoking time and do you coat the meat side with anything during smoking Thanks

[loadmaster]

Whats up with all the different safe cooking temps for fish. Just looked and found temps ranging from 130 to 165. I would thinking removing at 125 would be safe since they continue to cook a little longer.

[eyeguy 54]

I love tullies and smoke them a little on the dry side. I take them to 165 to 170. An hour at about 140 with hickory chips then I crank it to 190 till the get to about 155, then I put a little maple syrup on and bring them to 165 to 170. they are outstanding.

[Walleyehooker]

keeping the skin on does a few things. Holds the meat together and keeps in some moisture so you don't end up with jerky. You don't need a lot of heat to smoke fish as the salt brine helps cure it. But if you cool smoke it by the time it is done it is more like jerky and dry. Smoking with more heat the fish will flake and not mushy inside when done.