Cleaning Catfish

[DARK30]

I'm looking forward this year to cleaning and eating a few small "cleanwater" Channels. I know of a few spots where I can catch some good eater size fish and I have always just filleted them just like say a walleye.

When I was a kid in Texas, I remember they would peel the skin, cut the head off, gut it, and release it in the deep fryer. Boy, thats good eating! I think I would prefer the fillets though...any comments?

WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Guest]

I have caught a few catfish before on the MN River in Chaska, but have never kept any because I don't know how to clean and cook them.
Do you have any good recipes?

The catfish fingers they have at Famous Daves are awesome. If you ever go there, I strongly reccommend trying them. If I could cook them like that I would eat them all the time.

[doubleUcubed]

Dark, I've seen them cleaned a few times after our tourney by some guy's from Iowa and Kansas. They pretty much just fillet them out, being sure to trim any and all tainted colored meat, they also "V" out the lateral line giving them two longer fillets per side of the fish.

I've also seen people cut the tails of the catfish off and let them bleed out until dead. Then these fish are fillet out in the same manner.

What they have done with the fillets later can vary. Some like to cube into 1" pieces, soak in milk for 1-2 hours, pat dry, roll in batter and crumbs and deep fry or pan fry. Others have taken the fillets and baked in the oven seasoned to taste.

We had some after the tourney last year and the guy's used one of those "turkey fryers" and they were excellent!

Maybe I can bring some up to Eliz. for you on opener, just in case you get skunked!! Just kidding!!

17 day's to opener!!

[Guest]

I am more and more inclined to fillet catfish these days. Once you get the feel of filleting a catfish, it is so easy and far less the mess.

You save just the best flesh to eat and at the same time reduce the chances of keeping the most likely flesh that contaminants will build up in, the fatty tissues.

I am still looking for a catfish filleting illustration to post for anglers, so far no luck. If anyone finds a good illustration with instructions please feel free to post it. I have a hard time trying to explain the catfish fillet process on a post so an illustration would be the real deal.

Thanks,

ED

[Guest]

Hay-Eh Dark30, the In-Fisherman has a mess of great catfish recipes on their web site.

Take a gander bud!

NUMMMY!

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[Guest]

I have kept a few from cleaner waters and just filet them.I just started behind the madtom.A little flour and cajun spice and it was real nice!

[catfish1]

As for filleting catfish. I'm 50+ and Have been doing catfish for a long time. as far as channels go. All I do is pull the skin off and fillet the flesh off the bone. Making sure that I get all the fatty flesh and mud lines off. Soak in salt water over night. Cook or freeze from there. And the flatheads I fillet the skin off and then fillet the flesh off the bone. Making sure all fatty and red meat is cut away. Cut into cubs or thin fillets. Soak in salt water over night. Cook or freeze from there. We use 1/2 corn meal 1/2 floor add salt and pepper and garlic powder to your personal taste. A couple years ago the old boy that has the bait shop in grante falls by the bridge. Told us a recipe. Smaller channels cleaned like a bullhead. Drop them in boiling water tell the meat starts to come less from the bone. Take out and let cool. debone the fish do not mash the meat. Just flake it apart mix eggs and crackers and a little milk salt and pepper. Make patties and fry. Makes a very good fish sandwich. Try it and you will enjoy.

Keep setting that Hook

catfish1

[Guest]

I'm with you Dark30, we still do it that way in Texas, some yellow corn meal,milk,and egg batter, with "Tony Chackere's origina seasoning", and some mustard spice, it will make your tounge slap you silly! but dont forget the hush puppies and fries, some good potato salad, and a tall cold mug of your favorite brew.(tea of course.......lol)

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Dahmon Stephens

[DARK30]

Hey Fishingintexas, welcome to the forum!

I still have friends down in Texas from when my dad was stationed there in San Angelo. I need to get down there sometime and check out the old
Concho River. It would be fun to see my old haunts again!

I'll be starting to fish them cats pretty soon and like I say...I'm looking forward to cooking some up. I remember one way they did it down there was to pour boiling water over the fish to get rid of the slime and then just clean it and cook it with the skin on. That would be for the small ones though.

WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[MMS3rd]

The best way I found to clean catfish is to go to the Bass Pro restaurant in Springfield, Mo, and go through the buffet!

mike

[BigWadeS]

Do catfish have a lot of bones, like a northern or not too bad? Just curious

[hanson]

Quote:

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Do catfish have a lot of bones, like a northern or not too bad? Just curious

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None! The only bones are the ribcage bones and I fillet around them anyway so you get a couple really tasty, boneless fillets when you clean a cat. Mmmmm!!

[BigWadeS]

Thanks for the information, I will be hopefully, catching and cleaning my first eaters this summer. I have caught plenty before buy have never eaten any, time to start

[mplspug]

It's been a while since I had channel cat, but I know I like it. We have a company picnic in July in Rockforn and I am hoping to fish for a couple of eaters out of the Crow. I don't remember much for bones.

[BigWadeS]

What's a good eater size? How many pounds or inches should it be or should it not be?

[mfreeman451]

Check out this link, it tells you everything, and has pictures. Go to walmart and get a pair of skinning pliers, they are in the fishing section, look at the picture.

Also, a lot of people cut off the fins with pliers or a knife before starting so they don't get stung.

http://members.aol.com/jackfish7/cleaning.html

http://members.aol.com/jackfish2/cleaning3.html

[DARK30]

Whoa! Blast from the past eh? This is an old thred man I think that was the last time I ate a catfish.

Anonymous.