filleting fish

[yellowsubmarine]

Practice, practice, practice. Actually I just got good at cleaning them this past year or so myself. This summer I bought one of those Rapala/Shorelunch kits at GM for about $10.00 and it included a book on fish cleaning, smoking, etc. It's one of the better ones I've seen because it gave several different methods for each type of fish, based on body and bones, etc. I think these are still pretty available.

[pj4]

i have found having someone who knows how to show you while you try your own stimulates the memory into rembering ( hands on training) do you have a library near? bookmobiel? internet search? almost and cleaning shack will have people that would be happy to show you how they do it

[Guest]

pipesmoker,

Welcome to Fishing Minnesota!

Filleting fish can take practice and a sharp knife. I learned at a young age from my mom and today I can filet a limit of crappies in no time at all. You should be able to find books on fileting fish.

If you are in the Metro Area sometime and want to go fishing let me know. We can catch some fish to take home and I can show you how to filet them. Would be glad to help.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[Jarrod32]

Yellowsub is right. It takes a lot of practice. I hacked up a lot of fish over the past several years, but now I am (I like to think, anyway) pretty good at it.

My suggestion would be that you make sure your tools are good. A high-quality, sharp knife makes a difference. Make sure you have a comfortable 'cleaning station' as well. If your cutting table is too high or too low, it makes a big difference.

Just my two cents.

[traveler]

You might want to look into an electric knife. I consider myself pretty good with a filet knife, but last winter a friend useing an electric put me to shame on a batch of red lake crappies. I'm sold, although on walleyes it's not that much of an advantage.

[feverpetal]

The most important thing is to have an extremely sharp knife. On small panfish or trout, it won't matter, but hacking through bones and scales requires razor-like edges. Also, ALWAYS cut away from you. Unless you don't like your fingers/wrists. A bright light is also a must, preferrably one you can move around. They are also nice to use for checking for those little white parasites in the flesh.

fp

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"Cast riiiiight....there."

[Brother Bro]

I agree with traveler.. I have a electric fillet knife and can clean lots of panfish in a short time.... but practice, practice, practice....will make perfect fillets...

Brother Bro

[Northlander]

I fillet a lot of fish. I recently got a electric knife and love it. Once you get the hang of it they are way easier to use than a reg. fillet knife. Actually I find I get less waste too. Mine can hook up to my battery on truck or boat or in my cig. lighter and clean fish all day. Has a 20ft. cord. All I would change is a cordless rechargable would be nice. They make them but they are usually heavier and expensive. Whats everyones fav. electric fillet knife? Mines a Fishermans or Anglers choice.

[Boar]

I have a Mr. Twister brand and like it alot. I dont get out alot and dont catch enough to stay in practice, but the electric knife works great and have less waste also, I started with a household ele. knife till the wife burned a hole in it with her death stare, then opted for one meant for fillting fish which has the proper tip for the rib cage. They work great. Later Boar

[Guest]

I am also a big fan of using a electric fillet knife. Since I too fillet a lot of fish. It becomes much faster and easier than using a regular fillet knife. I use it for all kinds of fish from Pike down to panfish. It works great! I think the one I use is a Angler. The only bad part was after using it for cleaning about 60 sunnies once, it got really hot to a point were you couldnt hold it(I used for over a hour straight b/c I was appointed to clean fish ).
A electric is what I learned to clean fish on and now thats what I use 99% of the time (except on Y-bones). At first I learned to fillet sunfish b/c if I screwed up it wasnt the end of the world unlike if I screwed up on a 18" walleye.

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Fish ON!

[pipesmoker]

Caught a lot of crappie, northern, and a few walleye last year but ALWAYS screwed up filleting them. The wife said I better come home with a meal this year. Are there any books, videos, etc that show proper ways to fillet my fish? Any words of advise from here??
Thanks,
Steve

[Jarrod32]

Yeah, the electric knife is sweet, especially for Northerns...though you do need a good sharp 'regular' knife for some of the 'detail' work (trim out the rib cage, y-bone the northerns, etc.). It is also nice for those times you have a buttload of panfish to clean. I've found that the battery on the Vexilar is enough to power the knife...

[Wables]

How do the electric knives work for skinning? I have never used one, but am considering buying one as I started perch fishing last year and cleaning them with a regular knife is slow.

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Wables

[Chris Haley]

Electric is the way to go!!!!! With just starting out, I would start with the electric. You may as well kill two birds with one stone. I used to be wiz with a fillet knife, it took some getting used to the electric. By starting out with the electric you'll be that much further ahead.

I've had guy's say they can clean fish with a knife as fast as an electric, all I've got to say to them is bring your paycheck and knife and come on.

The only thing I don't do with the electric is take the "Y" bones from a northern. You can't beat an electric for perch where their scales are so tough you are always touching up your regular knife.

[Northlander]

Electrics are a lot easier to skin with because the knife does all the work. Just dont try to move faster than the knife wants to cut. When filleting panfish they are sweat. Blades dont get dull and real fast once you practice a bit. With a limit of Perch and Crappie even my best reg. knifes got dull quickly. Not my electric. I have a whole summer of fish cleaning with it and it works just as good today as the day I bought it.

[Mueske]

When I was a dockboy on Winnie (Judd's, McArdle's) during the '70s I'd often spend hours cleaning sometimes hundreds of perch and walleye with two or three other guys. I always had two knives that needed sharpening daily. Having known that an electric knife, essentially the same as we carved the turkey with, would have saved me so much time makes me mad! Now that I know the secret I can't catch a perch to save my life. But I'll keep trying anyway. I'd just use a regular knife until I had a large number of panfish that are quick to dull a knife, then whip out the electric.

Kevin

[Guest]

Electric is a good way to go but I just bought a non electric set last year that has a long filet short filet and a saradded bone blade and they all interchange on the handle. I thought it was a joke when I bought it for 7 bucks but turned out to be very effiecent and holds a good edge.
A good knife sharpener is a must also I dont recomend the electric sharpeners the v shaped white stick that you just drag the knife through is the best and unless you know how to sharpen a knife to the correct angle it may do more harm to the knife than help.
my actual all time favorite is one of my moms old boning knives that she got from a butcher very very sharp ask your local butcher if he has any worn out boning knives. I usually take mine to my butcher and he steel hones them one good time each year for free.
stay dry
Tim

[marine_man]

I'm going to have to agree with everyone else... electric is the way to go. I used to fillet fish with a regular knife and wasn't too bad at it... but a friend bought a electric knife... I used it once and was hooked. Once you get used to it it's a lot faster than the regular knife... and a lot easier as you don't have to deal with a dull blade. Skinning works pretty good.... you loose a little more meat than you normally would with a regular knife because of the difference in blade thickness, but all in all it's worth it in my opinion.

By the way - I bought a Rapala electric knife and haven't had any problems with it. I really like how easy the trigger is to push... I used another brand where the trigger was a lot more difficult to push.

marine_man

[Maze1162]

I have learned many tricks and styles over the years but I have to say that the "No Bones About It" videos give you the best system for totally boneless fillets. There are 2 videos and they give great instruction on various fish and show how to do a regular fillet and a butterfly fillet. You'll even learn to do Pike boneless and fast! It's tricky with smaller fish but if I can do it, anyone can. The little gizmo they sell for panfish, the one that you put the fish into, close the top and run your knife through... it works great if you are in a hurry. Best of luck !!
Maze

[Swamp Scooter]

I got the no bones about it video a couple of years ago at the MPLS sports show and it is great! Boneless Northers all in one piece!! I got the chance to try a couple of Lakers this summer and it turned out beautifully. I recommend them highly. I was considering an electric knife just to cut through the scales and then using the reg. ones for the rest.

[Tofishem]

I've been using electric fillet knifes for over 20 yrs. Burned up at least 5 Mister Twister Knifes. Started with the old elec. bread cutting knife.They are the only way to go. Cleaning a panfish, walleye northern, catfish etc. is so easy. One thing is to buy the 9" Mister Twister blades. They bend easier than the standard 7" blades that come with the knife. Flexibilty is everything in elec. fillet knife cleaning. Also, when cleaning crappies make sure you remove the fat from the back. I just pulls right off.