Advice on filleting fish

[Big T @ E.C.]

When you are filleting smaller fish to eat, like 'gills, crappies, or small bass, is it better to cut around the rib bones while your making the long cut, or cut thru them, and remove them after you've seperated the fillet? I've been cutting around them, but, it seems to take alot of time.. Thanks tr

[bob46]

People who use electric knives do, I always cut at the head go down the back, stick the knife all the way through the fish, then stand the fish up and go down the rib cage it goes fast with a sharp knife.If you keep your fish on ice and do it the next day grab the meat and it pulls off of the rib cage.
Bob

[mhall]

Get you a decent electric knife they are fairly cheap. Cut straight through the rib cage to the spine and take it off leaving the end by the tail attached, then take it off the hide and flip and do it again. Then stack those up and cut the rib cage out as a final step. You will get fast like this, I can fly now. I cut 44 fish, catfish, bluegill, crappie in one hour and 10 minutes recently by myself and that was clean up, fish in the freezer and everything.

[mhall]

Bob gave you a good tip. Chilling the fish on ice overnight makes it so much easier.

[Panfish Man]

Get you a decent electric knife they are fairly cheap. Cut straight through the rib cage to the spine and take it off leaving the end by the tail attached, then take it off the hide and flip and do it again. Then stack those up and cut the rib cage out as a final step. You will get fast like this, I can fly now. I cut 44 fish, catfish, bluegill, crappie in one hour and 10 minutes recently by myself and that was clean up, fish in the freezer and everything.

This is the only way

[Big T @ E.C.]

Thanks guy's, i've been using 2 old rapala's knives, one with wood handles, one black plastic. I guess i've had the 10-15 yrs. I guess i'll be looking for an electric one.... Tr

[eddie_m]

I agree with previous responses, BUT... I waste less meat cutting around the ribcage than when I cut through the ribs. But, it SO much faster with an electric knife going straight through the rib cage.

[Panfish Man]

You do lose a little meat when your going the electric route. But the time saved, and the small amount lost, its worth it. And if I have to dig out the knife, I've either got a mess of gills or crappie, so there will be plenty. Wish some of you guys lived around me, the ol' lady won't stop harping about all the crappie taking over the freezer.

[Kfed5]

i start above the rib cage and avoid it. Doesnt take me much time at all to fillet one, and it works for me pretty good.

[sglass]

I had the old school knives that would cut a frogs pube hair and switched to an electric knife after I used it the 1st time. Sooooo much easier to use and you can buy them with a larger long blade and a small blade. I cut up everything from gills to cats with it and it takes half the time. As stated above if you can chill the fish overnight it is 10000 times easier to clean but the downside is the fish get a slimecoat on them from the icy water so they are more slippery. I wear a glove on the hand I am cutting with to avoid the knife from slipping if I get slime on my hand.

Shawn

[RayP]

Since you already have the Rapala knives you can give this technique a try:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_GGc...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM5Ak...eature=related

[MsgMills]

With one of them old filet knives, I can filet and skin a catfish just like a crappie, gill or bass..Hold that skin down at the edge by the tail and that knife will slice that meat right off that skin...yum yum yum....