Electric fillet knife techniques

[Ferny]

So how do you electric knife guy's fillet your pannies?

I have used it a few times and ended up murdering the fillet and always go back to my Cutco fillet knife discouraged.

After seeing the old timers up at the lake clean a pile of pannies in minutes, I need more practice with my electric.

They cut the head off then fillet from the tail to the front. Then they cut out the ribs with a normal fillet knife and skin it with the electric. This takes less than a minute per fish.

How do you do it?

Thanks,

Ferny.

[ruster]

I only use the electric for walleyes, perch and northerns. I haven't found a good technique for the panfish, so I just use the regular 5" Rapala on them.

[CNCMike]

I start just behind the gills, work toward the tail. I stop just before cutting through the tail area, then flip the fish over so that fillet is still attached but skin side down. Then starting from the tail i place the knives against the skin, under the meat and pull the fish toward me, and a little upward. Once I make it to the large area all the skin comes off and the fillet falls off. Repeat for the other side. Then I use a regular fillet knife to remove the ribs.

Maybe a minute total per crappie.

[Kyle Sandberg]

I start right behind the gills and cut down till you hit the backbone. Turn the knife and cut along the spine. I personally like to take the fillet off all the way. Then I use a regular knife to cut out the ribs and skin.

Also, if you can get the knife to go flat across the fish from spine to ribs it makes it so much easier.

Hope this helps.

P.S. It takes a little getting used to it.

[heiman507]

I fillet similar to CNCMike. I stop before the tail and flip over to do the otherside. By doing this it allows a similar feeling cut on both sides.

[schweady]

2-3 walleyes: I use the old standby Rapala blade. Any more than that or a mess of crappies to get through: I grab the electric, no question.

[Iceseeker]

I use the electric on all fish. I also go behind the gills and remove the side, flip it, do the same and I now have 2 fillets. I use a fork to hold the fillet and remove the ribs with electric and then I remove the skin using the fork to hold the tail end of the fillet while I remove the skin.

The fork is makes it easier to hold the fillet than trying to use your finger tips all the time.

Iceseeker

[Coach1310]

First off, in my opinion the electric knife is one of the best inventions ever...but to answer your question. Crappies are much easier than sunnies(in my opinion). I start right behind the gills, but instead of cutting straight down, I angle toward the tail a tad while cutting down. In my experience this really helps to prevent cutting all the way through. I also like the tip of the blades to be in front of the handle a little while cutting toward the tail. I sometimes leave a litte skin atttached and flip at the tail so I have something to hold on to, but if you are cleaning with someone else I just cut them off and let someone else take the ribs out and the meat off the skin with a regular knife... this is a great way to teach someone to clean fish as well. Removing the ribs and taking the skin off the meat are pretty simple, but it allows a beginner to feel comfortable with a part of the cleaning process. Hopefully all of that makes sense.

[JigginIsLife]

i asked this in the other discussion about electric fillet knives but no one answered but does anyone know if there is a way to sharpen the blades an electric fillet knife

[Kyle Sandberg]

There are machines out there that can sharpen serrated knifes but by far the easiest way to do it is just buy another pair of blades. Wherever you origianlly got the knife you should be able to pick up another set.