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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Perch => Topic started by: BillP on Mar 04, 2006, 06:20 PM

Title: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: BillP on Mar 04, 2006, 06:20 PM
Can anyone tell me the best way to filet a perch. Im trying but I can do it I am ruining all the perch I caught trying to filet them.
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: seaweed01 on Mar 04, 2006, 11:02 PM
Find someone that has done it before and have them show you how to do it.
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: hali-man on Mar 05, 2006, 03:25 AM
This is how I tried to describe it last night:
Perch (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=35756.0)
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: Jim111 on Mar 07, 2006, 06:43 AM
An electric fillet knife really helps and yes, you'll ruin some until you've practiced enough to get the hang of it.  -Jim
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: Waubay Fisher on Mar 07, 2006, 06:51 PM
I fillet mine just like a walleye, which sounds a lot like hali's method for cleaning perch, only I don't use the scissors and fillet all the way through the end of the fillet, just down to the very last little bit of meat where the fillet ends, leave the skin just barely hanging on, fold the fillet over, and zip it down under the fillet b/w the skin.  It does seem to help for pannies to run the top of your knife at an angle (so to speak) pushing more forward, then once you get far enough ahead, move the bottom portion of your knife more forward, kind of like a see-saw approach... Then buzz out the rib cage and the little bit of bones that run in the middle of your fillets (v-cut) and you should be good to go.  Might be harder to fillet smaller perch.  The smallest I've ever cleaned has been about 9"...  I exclusively use an electric fillet knife for all fish i eat... and I don't think I waste any meat at all... very minimal in my opinion.

Good luck!!!

Here's how mine come out:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c349/WFisher21/Dec%2027th-31st%2005/PC310078-1.jpg)

PS - In my opinion it takes awhile to get good at filleting fish, especially new species that you never have filleted or haven't done very often.  I had a HECK of a time w/ crappie until after some practice...
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: fiesty on Mar 09, 2006, 07:19 PM
practice, practice, practice...
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: jimski2 on Mar 10, 2006, 06:00 AM
While visiting a Canadian fish Processor, I saw the women clean headless scaled perch at a rate of 12 to 15 a minute. A mechanical scaler cleaned off the scales, another person cut the heads off and pass the fish to the filet line. Interesting was the cutters were rated on a "yield" score. The fish were weighed before and after cutting to determine the efficiency of the process and cutters. Most of the fish were 8 to 10 inches in length, as these fish being younger had less contaminants in them and were healthier to eat, tastier and by taking the smaller fish, the larger breeders were left to maintain the fishery. Also the taking the smaller fish increased the growth rate for for the survivors. Removal of perch from the lakes biomass increased the walleye fishery as the larger perch didn't feed on the walleye fry as heavily as an uncontrolled perch biomass would. You will not fish out a perch population, only make it better by controlling the number of perch out there. If it gets bad, people will give up the effort to catch them.
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: seaweed01 on Mar 10, 2006, 08:10 PM

Fish more, catch more and then you will get more practice.
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: jimmygunns on Jan 03, 2007, 10:24 PM
Practice w/ an electric.  Just don't go through the backbone like I do sometimes!  It's fast & easy!
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: IceRover on Jan 04, 2007, 05:45 AM
Practice w/ an electric.  Just don't go through the backbone like I do sometimes!  It's fast & easy!
I use a electric and also sometimes go through the backbone. I don't know if you have ever tried it, but if you do,[go through the backbone], spin the fish around immediately and take the fillet from the tail toward the head. Gets you right back on track quickly and you still get a nice fillet. Hope this helps if you don't already do it. ID
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: ice dawg on Jan 04, 2007, 12:36 PM
You will not fish out a perch population, only make it better by controlling the number of perch out there. If it gets bad, people will give up the effort to catch them.

Here in South Dakota, one of our biggest problems is perch lakes being fished down to nothing in the winter. Our lakes aren't that big here and on one lake in particular 1,000 to 1,200 shacks on the ice is average.  When a lake gets hot, it gets fished out unless another lake gets hot and the fishermen leave and go to the new lake. In order to preserve the perch fishing, our daily limit has gone from 50 to 25 and now it is 10 and the lakes still get fished out. Too many people come here for our perch fishing. ??? :%$#!:
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: bigdave1018 on Jan 04, 2007, 02:31 PM
i agree that electric is the way to go unless the perch are full of milt and/or eggs. then you get the guts and the spawning crap mixed in with the fillets,yuck!!!!!!!!!! yeah we all rinse them after but id rather not get any on the meat ever. tight lines, sharp knives and cold beer, big dave out
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: perch-man on Jan 04, 2007, 03:18 PM
This is how I tried to describe it last night:
Perch (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=35756.0)
You got it riht on the pin!
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: Mooter on Jan 04, 2007, 03:21 PM
you've got to break a few eggs to make a omelet
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: CrappieGuy on Jan 04, 2007, 03:46 PM
Filleting any fish is easier if they are slightly frozen, you don't want them like a board, but you want them somewhat stiff.  You have to have a good shape knife and I also sharpen it several times while I'm cleaning.  I prefer a non electric, guess I'm old school.  I Fillet all of my fish using the same principal, very similar to what Waubay Fisher does.
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: snap-on on Jan 04, 2007, 04:06 PM
i filet my perch like this.. first i cut the top fins off then i cut the tail off then i cut the bottom fins off then cut the head off. i then make a cut down the belly then take all the guts out. then just rip the skin off by hand.  then your all done and ready to eat. Just prepare them like any other fish and throw it into the fry pan couple of minutes on each side or intill ready. Then just grap ahold of the back bone and pull and the ribs and every thing should come right out. There you go all ready to eat with not one bone in it and you didn't waste any meat at all!!
 
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: Haywood on Jan 04, 2007, 04:31 PM
I hated the idea of using an electric knife, cause I always thought they would waste more meat.  Man was I wrong!!  I still use my filet knife to take the ribs out, but there is almost no meat left on the remains.  Not to mention the time you save.  Unless I am going rustic, my electric knife will always be used for cleaning fish! 
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: Waubay Fisher on Jan 04, 2007, 10:11 PM
Here in South Dakota, one of our biggest problems is perch lakes being fished down to nothing in the winter. Our lakes aren't that big here and on one lake in particular 1,000 to 1,200 shacks on the ice is average.  When a lake gets hot, it gets fished out unless another lake gets hot and the fishermen leave and go to the new lake. In order to preserve the perch fishing, our daily limit has gone from 50 to 25 and now it is 10 and the lakes still get fished out. Too many people come here for our perch fishing. ??? :%$#!:

When you're right, you're right.  By the way, did I say you're right yet?  ;D ;D
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: hali-man on Jan 08, 2007, 07:17 AM
In order to preserve the perch fishing, our daily limit has gone from 50 to 25 and now it is 10 and the lakes still get fished out. Too many people come here for our perch fishing.

WOW! A 10 fish limit on perch?
That is strict, but it beats not having any.
 8)
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: billditrite on Jan 08, 2007, 07:25 AM
fillet perch?  mostly i use my beak , but if its a big one i use my talons... :D

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v365/billditrite/100_0893.jpg)

no limit on perch in Maine...im surprised there isn't a bounty  ::)  hope you all get good safe ice soon!!
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: rob-s on Jan 08, 2007, 01:51 PM
how is it do you belive in maine perch
  has become  an unfavorable fish?
 
 
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: Waubay Fisher on Jan 08, 2007, 09:03 PM
WOW! A 10 fish limit on perch?
That is strict, but it beats not having any.
 8)

It is pretty strict hali, some may even consider it extremely strict.  But believe it or not, the meat freaks would have to fill their 5gallon pails full,  day after day after day, from one particular NE SD perch fishery.  Imagine a 50 fish limit, or even 25 limit/person for that matter, then imagine how many fish were harvested in a month period when hundreds of people would take their limit day after day... it gets pretty sad pretty quick when people take more than what they actually need to feed their family or a few friends even.  Sorry for hijacking the thread... just trying to help explain Ice Dawg's post a little bit...
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: krayfish on Mar 01, 2010, 06:17 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjTlFwQb7D0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjTlFwQb7D0) this is the way to do it.....priceless
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: jiggalo on Mar 03, 2010, 07:17 PM
Use an electric and fillet it like a walleye. Also check out yutube- there is a video called "how to clean a perch in 10 seconds" it's pretty cool and I've done it with the smaller ones. Sorry don't know the exact post on yutube.
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: krayfish on Mar 05, 2010, 10:42 PM
Use an electric and fillet it like a walleye. Also check out yutube- there is a video called "how to clean a perch in 10 seconds" it's pretty cool and I've done it with the smaller ones. Sorry don't know the exact post on yutube.


that is what i put on here right below you bud!!!! LOOK DOWN that is the link to it
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: jiggalo on Mar 10, 2010, 12:11 PM

that is what i put on here right below you bud!!!! LOOK DOWN that is the link to it
Sorry dude didn"t mean to ruffle any feathers. If you want the credit for posting it first you got it bud!!!
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: krayfish on Mar 22, 2010, 07:48 PM
Sorry dude didn"t mean to ruffle any feathers. If you want the credit for posting it first you got it bud!!!

i could careless about posting it first.i was just stating that it was right below you!!! my feathers are well groomed now  :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: Drewski121 on Mar 30, 2010, 07:04 PM
EAT THEM ALL DD ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: tonebea on Mar 31, 2010, 11:25 AM
Sorry dude didn"t mean to ruffle any feathers. If you want the credit for posting it first you got it bud!!!

And they're still not fillets when you still have rib bones.
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: mikeT973 on Mar 31, 2010, 01:10 PM


not sure if it works but i found this a while back
Title: Re: the best way to filet a perch!!
Post by: jopes on Oct 03, 2010, 06:26 PM
this is how I pretty much do it with a electric knife.  been cleaning all of my fish this way for years, bullheads, catfish, walleye, bass, perch, crappie, blue gills.