Don't buy a FILLET AWAY MAT!

[Ice Chipper]

On Nov. 25th 2018 I bought a FILLET Away Mat( $19.99 + shipping) that I planned on using to help me fillet perch this winter. I didn't get to try it until last night. I had 14 jumbo perch to fillet.The mat held nothing, I had to use the point of my fillet knife to stop the fish from sliding around. It was about the same as putting butter on a piece of glass. They do not work as advertised. Even though I bought it in the end of Nov. I'm sending it back and I don't care if they refund my money. I just want to let them know it does not work. It's a rip off! Has anyone else had the same experience with this junk?   

[Doppler2]

Just buy one of those plastic cutting boards at the dollar store, every fillet board is a hyped up version of that. Except the ones that have a clip. Wooden ones are very nice but they soak up the fish juice and requires a lot of washing. I've found that as long as I have a fork and a sharp fillet knife even tiny gills are ok to work with. I've filleted them on an upside down bucket, one the ice, even on the trunk of my car with an old rag down.

[Ice Chipper]

I have the plastic one with the big clip. I just thought that the mat would be a good idea. I just hope I can save somebody the trouble of buying this junk!

[SHUBA]

From my experience I have found a good piece of cardboard works best
dry off excess water/slime and clean on cardboard, does not slide around
and can clean lot of fish on one piece. When all done fold up and throw away.

[Mossy10]

Agree. CardBoard for me too.

[Ice Chipper]

I'm going to try the cardboard. The guy I fish with sometimes mentioned that's what a friend of his uses!

[SHUBA]

I believe you wont be disappointed ICE CHIPPER

[big_guy_13021]

Yeah and card board don't cost 19.99

[trapper2000]

first from my experience  it is a lot  easier to sell pan fish then clean them   but I too fill my  freeze .... I have a  women that  will find a fish scale 24 months  after I  clean a  fish  so I  clean  everything in my  shed!  my  set up is  easy   a 2x3 piece of plywood  with card board  ....I get at the  store when they crush boxes ........ cover the  ply wood  with card board   clean  fish if  cardboard  gets  real  bad  simply change  when  done toss the  cardboard    hose  the  ply wood off if needed  toss  everything in the  trash

[SizeMatters]

first from my experience  it is a lot  easier to sell pan fish then clean them   but I too fill my  freeze .... I have a  women that  will find a fish scale 24 months  after I  clean a  fish  so I  clean  everything in my  shed!  my  set up is  easy   a 2x3 piece of plywood  with card board  ....I get at the  store when they crush boxes ........ cover the  ply wood  with card board   clean  fish if  cardboard  gets  real  bad  simply change  when  done toss the  cardboard    hose  the  ply wood off if needed  toss  everything in the  trash

My wife's the same.  I'll clean a few in the kitchen if it's too cold in the garage (and she's at work )  I clean the kitchen to a level you could perform surgery in, burn a candle (and I hate candles) to eliminate odor.  She'll come home from work, set her coffee cup in the sink, and her eye spots the one scale I missed in some bizarre place that the sun chooses to reflect off at that very moment.........  Generally though, I'm in the garage.  Electric knife, large wooden cutting board with the front edge propped up an inch or so , covered with layers of newpaper.  Top layer gets nasty, turn the page, toss in trash.

[perch chacer]

A good old wooden cutting board and a wide putty knife or scraper to clean slime from the board every once in a while during your filleting, works good.  Have used the same board for 30+ years.  Just clean it real good after each use.

[SeanP]

first from my experience  it is a lot  easier to sell pan fish then clean them   but I too fill my  freeze .... I have a  women that  will find a fish scale 24 months  after I  clean a  fish  so I  clean  everything in my  shed!  my  set up is  easy   a 2x3 piece of plywood  with card board  ....I get at the  store when they crush boxes ........ cover the  ply wood  with card board   clean  fish if  cardboard  gets  real  bad  simply change  when  done toss the  cardboard    hose  the  ply wood off if needed  toss  everything in the  trash

I think we all have eagle eyed wives with very sensitive noses too!!! She knows within one step of coming in the door that I just had dead things in the kitchen!!! 

[Longlegg]

Last year I bought a piece of the plastic cutting board material the size of my cleaning table and permanently attached it.  It works great as it is the perfect height and is easy to clean and hose down. Also use it for cleaning small game.

[hot tuna]

Thanks for the warning about junk gear.
I process a lot of my own foods. Everything from fruits, vegetables,  chickens, venison and fish. I let my local butcher deal with our pigs due to timing and a walk in cooler.
 Anyway,  I've found a designated cutting table and sink works the best. It keeps things out of my wife's kitchen.
I built the table,  got the sink for free and the 4x8 sheet top was $38.00 at lowes.
They do sell completely set up cutting stations if you didn't want to build.
What I find is a good solid cutting board works far better than a cheap thin one .
Mine is 1" thick and probably 25 years old.
Secondly,  an ice pick is a fantastic tool.
You can make something out of a dowel and nail but a real ice pick is far superior.

I've never tried the cardboard trick but it seems logical and easy enough.

[hot tuna]

One of my 3 freezers at end of fall

[Ice Chipper]

Thanks for the warning about junk gear.
I process a lot of my own foods. Everything from fruits, vegetables,  chickens, venison and fish. I let my local butcher deal with our pigs due to timing and a walk in cooler.
 Anyway,  I've found a designated cutting table and sink works the best. It keeps things out of my wife's kitchen.
I built the table,  got the sink for free and the 4x8 sheet top was $38.00 at lowes.
They do sell completely set up cutting stations if you didn't want to build.
What I find is a good solid cutting board works far better than a cheap thin one .
Mine is 1" thick and probably 25 years old.
Secondly,  an ice pick is a fantastic tool.
You can make something out of a dowel and nail but a real ice pick is far superior.

I've never tried the cardboard trick but it seems logical and easy enough.

Great PICS.  I like the last one best!

[hot tuna]

We don't just take kids fishing,  we teach them how to farm and provide.

[62&done]

great pics Tuna, that's a really nice looking work station.  as for me, I bring a couple buckets of water from house to garage, I put one half of an old plastic folding table on top 2 saw horses and that's it   Keeps the scales etc out of the house and it's a real easy cleanup

[icejohn]

I have a small and large nylon board bout 3/4" thick an clean fish by sink in the garage and use a hand held squeege to wipe slime off but this time of year in the house....years ago I bought a cleaning board made of plastic and constructed of 1/2" open squares kind of like 2x4 vented ceiling tiles...worked pretty good holding slimy fish.

[Rynofirefighter]

From my experience I have found a good piece of cardboard works best
dry off excess water/slime and clean on cardboard, does not slide around
and can clean lot of fish on one piece. When all done fold up and throw away.

me too