Recommendations for fillet knife?

[blackdog1101]

I admit I'm no expert at filleting sunnies, but the knife I'm using stinks. It's one of those cheap stainless steel ones with a molded black plastic handle. Any recommendations for a new one? Thanks!!

[wally-eye]

Buy an electric fillet knife. It may take a couple fish to get the hang of it, but it's the only way to go after that. I've been using one for over 7 years and I love it.

[Big Dave2]

I second the electric knife. I was leary at first but I have been using one for many years also now and I would never go back. Once you get the hang of it you can actually clean small fish closer to the backbone consistantly than you can with a sharp knife. Plus you dont have to worry about it being dull all the time.

[Bulldoggr]

I use a six inch Rapala fillet knife on the sunnies and perch. I think my other one is a 10 inch I use on walleye and northern....and Red lake Crappies

[harvey lee]

I have used alot of different knives over the years. Last year I bought a Cutco fishermans solution knife and it is the sharpest knife Ive owned.It holds an edge very well for a long time and the best thing is you get a forever warranty.Yes,forever.Some of the electric knives are also very good.You dont realize how good a good knife is until you own and use one.

[The Grebe]

Electric Knife....Rapala rather then In Fishermen, makes filleting a breeze, effortless! No cutting through the spine, unless you try real hard!

The Rap has 2 blades, one for larger fish, one for smaller fish and it makes a difference!

I also have my trusty Western Fillet Knife, that I won in a fishing contest about 30 years ago. If I only have a few fish to clean, I use that one, as it is an easy clean up. I also use it to take out that little strip of bones above the rib cage.

Electric for filleting, ribs and skin, the old Western for the finishing work.

[Northlander]

A electric knife is the way to go for sunnies and perch/crappies. Doesnt dull up as fast as a regular knife either.

[Polar Bear]

Electric is by far the fastest way to fillet a bucket of panfish. However, stay away from the cordless ones. I had one and loved it until I cooked it one hot summer night while filleting 80 sunnies for the whole family. After overheating it the rechargeable batteries would not take and hold a charge again. I threw it away in favor of the old fashioned corded electric model.

Cordless is fine for average use but for an hour long session of heavy use corded will hold up better.

[iffwalleyes]

Rapala electric or else if you want the a really nice knife get a leech lake knife. These are the only two that I use and I have a drawer full of fillet knives that I don't use anymore.

[blackdog1101]

Thanks Gents! I'm off work tomorrow, will stop at Gender and get an electric knife. Then I'm going to make some holes and catch a few!

[Team Otter]

I second the Leech Lake knife. I would put that up against any electric knife any day.

[hip_hop_fisherman]

Quote:

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Rapala electric or else if you want the a really nice knife get a leech lake knife.

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$90 for a fillet knife I'm sure its high quality, but I don't know if I could spend that much on a fillet knife.

[icehousebob]

My kids gave me a Trident by Wustof fillet knife that is great. The Germans make the world's best steel.But when I'm travelling, I never take it along because I'm afraid I'll lose it. So my usual knives are Rapalas. I use a 4 inch blade for removing the fillets and a six inch for the skin. I've tried electrics, but on pan fish I wasted too much meat. For Perch and Walleyes the electric seems like the way to go.

[fhsww48]

I bought the Rapala corded electric fillet knife. Gander Mt. had it on sale for $29 last summer. After whittling through a couple of 50 gill evenings I am a believer. I have retired my regular fillet knives to the occasional boneless pork loin cutting. Power up!

[jig n' jerk]

The classic wood handled Rapala knife is the best non-electric knife you can buy!!!

[marine_man]

I've got a wood handled rapala that I use for catching the ocasional missed rib, etc at the sink, but for doing the majority of the work I've been converted to electric... specifically the rapala... it's got a nice carrying case, two blades, plus options for whatever electrical connection you'd like... alligator clips for the battery, cigarette lighter or a transformer to plug in the wall...

As Northlander said, no more dull blades to worry about, plus it seems a whole lot faster!

marine_man

[jig n' jerk]

Marine Man,

I do agree, especially when you are cutting up crappie, with their big scales, the regular knifes do need a lot of sharpening

[Finns]

Electric. Fits the wifes hand just right!

Finns.

[schweady]

I noticed that Rapala has a new(?) cordless electric fillet knife. Anyone tried it and have an opinion on it?

[Coach Dog]

I have a Cutco brand fillet knife and it is awesome. I got it as a xmas gift a few years ago but I think it is around $60. I've never sharpened it and it has cleaned many fish. It is 6" but extends to 9". I also have their big game knife that has field dressed around 20 deer and has never been sharpened, and it's still like new.

[katoguy]

I had a green electric (mister twister) many years ago. I never got the hang of it and thought I was wasting meat. I gave it away. Then as things worked out, the guy I gave it to and I hammered the panfish. I watched him clean 45 crappies in no time at all. He used a fork in his left hand and the electric in his right (didn't even have to touch the fish!) I was then a believer. Those 45 craps would have taken me an hour+.

I now have a rapala electric that I bought at Menards for less than $15 a year or so ago.

Perch sure take the edge off a knife quickly.

[metrojoe]

I watched a guy use an electric fillet knife last summer and he worked through a pile of fish in no time, but all his fillets had bones in them. Can you actually get a boneless fillet? Plus it seemed to ruin all the good beer drinking time.

Is this the one you guys are talking about?

[booshy]

Wooden Rap and make it sharp, sharp, sharp. Did I mention sharp. I like the manual fillet knife best as you can really prefect your technique and never have to de-rip as a second step. I think it's just as fast a electric unless you like bones or just cut out that part of the fillet.

Once ya get really good, it's almost a pride thing about how fast and really effecient you can get.

Thats just me though...

[Fishing-Around]

In my opinion, you loose to much meat with an electric, not to mention quality cocktail time with my fishing buddies I have three Leech Lakers, yes they are spendy but the quality is unmatched. Not to mention they are very nice looking.

[pengy]

Mine is the Rapala cordless filet knife and I would highly recommend it. Very convenient not having the cord on it and the batteries last thru quite a few fish. Have almost two years use on it and the only thing I don't like about it is they hid the cleaning board on me. Was up on Namakan this summer and was looking for something to clean fish on and finally used a paddle. Found out later there is a convenient plastic cleaning board on the side of the Rapala case. (Maybe it was the cocktails that was making my eyesight blurry that I didn't see the cutting board!)