How to

[Moon~Shaun]

Also with cats, I cut off any yellow or discolored flesh. I soak just a bit in ice water ,rinse and freeze.

I completely agree, while soaking add a lot of salt it helps, I freeze them in water filled bags so they get no freezer burn. Bass pro shops hot and spicy mix will cover some of that taste too!!!

[Moon~Shaun]

I completely agree, while soaking add a lot of salt it helps, I freeze them in water filled bags so they get no freezer burn. Bass pro shops hot and spicy mix will cover some of that taste too!!!

I forgot to mention after you fillet them slice a little in-between the meat and skin and use pliers or channel locks to grab skin and pull off.

[findingem]

Here is a nice video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edsJOuwcRKg

[Tyme2fish]

How to skin a cat? I don't. When I fillet a side of the catfish, I don't cut all the way thru the tail. The fillet is cut from the body of the fish but is still attached because I don't slice all the way to the end of the tail.

Flip the fillet off the fish and then start from the tail and "fillet" the skin off. I hope that makes sense.

That's the same method I use on any fish.

I watched the video posted by findingem and that seems like way too much work for me. Yeah, he does get a little more meat with his method, but I can clean 7 cats in the time it takes him to clean one.

[kygorski]

Thank all of you! now all I have to do is catch some. Reminds me of the "tiger stew" receipe, first: catch one tiger.

[crappiepappy]

The strong "muddy" or "fishy" taste is generally coming from the "red" meat along the outer sides of the filet. Cut that red portion off, remove any "yellow meat" (fat), and your catfish will taste much better. (note: removal of the yellow fat is recommended in order to avoid ingesting as much heavy metals contamination, which is concentrated in the fat of the fish).

Restaurant Catfish filets can come from pond raised/food pellet fed fish ... so their taste is not usually as strong as one that comes from your local waters. Removal of the "red meat" area of the fish, is your best option to try & duplicate that taste.

... pappy

[MagikSmallie]

....OR you could just try and catch Crappie and Walleye and not have to deal with fishy taste and have to cover it up with cajun spices as they are much better tasting fish!

[kygorski]

I prefer gills and red ear, but I dont like fooling around all day with dinks.In a perfect world, it would be yellow perch, bext tasting fresh water fish there is.

[Kfed5]

I been fishing since i was four years old, and i just started filleting my catch last year. I have went from getting pliers and pulling the skin off my fillets and putting my knife at a angle and cutting the meat right off. The best advice is to just practice. At first it was hard, but now its a breeze and there is no meat on the skin. So i think the easiest way is to angle your blade and cut. Just keep catching fish and filleting them and the ease will come.

As for the fishy taste, soak them in milk or saltwater like the others said. But after you skin the fillets spraying them with a hose works really well to get it out. And cut all of the red/yellow or discolored fish. Or keep 2-5lbs to keep it mild.

[Kfed5]

And basically everything everyone said is correct. So take all this info and you should be good.

[rickhise]

flat heads win my vote, find someone on here to tell you, which ones are best, we have a guide here on the dock who schooled me, you have channel, blues mud, yellow, im sure others,
there is a Big difference, the belly fat of a flat head, properly dressed out an you have the perfect fish meat! get Beal to introduce you to Jim Scott

[kygorski]

Dont get me wrong guys, I'm not going to go out and hang limb lines, throw out noodles, and delieratly fish for "ole whiskers". Theones I'm talking about are the ones who grab my baits as I troll for fish. Those channels and flatheads put up quite a scrap, and the channel is a handsome fish.Those flatheads will crush a hotntot at times.