Filet advice.

[perchpounder97]

So I'm looking for a little advice on filleting. Most of all I'm looking for the setup you guys use. What technique do you use to secure the fish to filet it? I'm having a problem filleting fish lately for some reason but I think it's because of the meat being frozen. The first batch of fish were all frozen and the second were frozen then thawed which made the meat mushy which was hard to work with. Also what kind of knife do you use? I have a 7" Bubba Blade that I plan on using for larger fish, a Rapala electric that I have the most luck with and a Rapala plastic handle knife that I think has lost the ability to hold an edge....anyone have luck with the Bubba Blade? I got it for Christmas and tried it but it seems pretty dull so I'm looking for some advice on sharpening it. Any tips you guys can think of let me know. Thanks.

[Wolverick]

I use a 2x10 over my laundry tubs. For panfish I use a Rapala fillet knife (wood handle). I like frozen fish to thaw a little and have never had them go mushy because of it. Ice caught fish are the best eating fish there are, IMO. What kind of fish did you have?

[perchpounder97]

Perch. What do you use to sharpen your knife?

[wishingiwasfishing]

I use a rapala electric knife. The only thing i don't like about it is the cord isn't very long.  when ice fishing I splash water into a bucket and the fish seem to stay closer to alive that way.  they still sometimes freeze on way home. I then put water on them and set them aside for a while.  Frozen fish to me don't clean very well but if too warm like you said they get all mushy.  I have times I struggle cleaning the fish.  When down on my game I will start at the tail and do it backwards for a few fish.  Not sure why but seems to work well.  I have never liked cleaning fish without a electric knife but the 7 inch rapala wooden handle cant be beat.

[Van_Cleaver]

I have a scrap of 1/4 in plexiglass about 18X20''. Put that to the left of my sink, lay out some newspaper on the floor, and a shopping bag for scraps. (paper with plastic over) A disposable plastic glove on my left hand and my Wusthof Grand Prix (7in flexible fillet) in my right; ready to slice and dice. BTW, lest you think I'm rolling in dough I talked my wife into giving me the knife for Christmas a  couple seasons ago.

[Tinker]

Hold the fish with my left hand  , right hand holds the knife and if it gets wet or slimed for some reason I wash and dry, don't hold a knife with a wet or slimey hand.  I have been using a little rapala 4" fillet knife lately for most anything, perch, smaller trout and any ling.  A walleye or larger trout that I am going to fillet by taking the ribs from the spine I use a buck 6 or 7".  The little knife I use on the smaller fish or the fish that I am going to leave the ribs attached to the spine and not mess with guts, ling are all cleaned in this manner as are any small smoker salmon and most of the trout.  I have went to useing a piece of cardboard for my cutting board, if cleaning a lot of fish may need to use a second piece once it gets slimed real good but when I'm done I fold it and stuff it in the shop wood stove, clean up is almost done, in the summer it goes in the dumpster.  Never had muc luck cleaning a frozen fish, try not to let them get that way but if do put them in the sink for a while and maybe even add cold water to speed the thaw.

[Crappielover89]

a big cutting board from walmart and a clamp from a cheep fillet board screwed to it.

[4ssss]

For bluegills I use a 4" Rapala (wooden handle ) knife and a 6" Rapala (wooden handle) to skin them. For perch I also use a serrated edged knife to make the 1st cut thru the skin because they dull the knifes so fast. To sharpen I use the little red ceramic "V" that came with the knives, and the tips get alot of attention. Though my knifes are sharp, you dont want them too sharp to skin as they have a tendency to cut thru the skin. Left hand holds the fish, and the right hand the knife, and don't EVER get the right hand slimey, it's your drinking hand.

(RIP Ronnie/ Thank you for teaching me)

[Tinker]

and don't EVER get the right hand slimey, it's your drinking hand.

Got that right, comes so natural to me I forgot to mention it

[jopes]

I have gone toward keeping fish on a stringer while out fishing, this keeps alot of the slime off of them and keeps them from freezing.

I use the MR Twister electric knife.

[captain54]

I have a 2 foot 2x8 (wood) board on the basement sink,left hand  holds pannies under the gill,right hand Mr. Twister,cut gill to tail,but don'tcut through the tail,cut fillet off skin,flip fish and do the other side.Fish carcass w/ two skins still attach go into a 5 gallon bucket.Then cut out ribs and add to 5 gallon bucket. Two fillets go in to a small 2 gallon bucket of cold water. I wash fillets a couple of times in cold water,them use ziplock Qt bags,add water burp air out of bag and freeze. All waste goes into my garden.

[unklechuckles19]

For smaller panfish like perch and bluegills, I like a shorter fillet knife, say 6".  When I start jigging lake trout and catching some smallmouth bass in the summer I step up to a 7" or 8" knife. 

I learned by holding the fish in different positions with my left hand and cutting with my right.  I could never get used to using any of the boards with clips on them. 

[fish-kabob]

what i use for filleting the fish is a 1x10 or a cheap cutting board with a nail in it just pounded in so with the head cut off.  then sharpen the nail for holding the fish with a file. must be about 1-1/2 inches long out side the board. i use a long rapala like 7 or  8 inch for crappie perch big ones. and for bigger fish i use a 12 inch cemitor blade from vitorinixs or the swiss army knife company. any ways for gills crappie perch they all fillet the same stick the head on the nail.  one slice behind the gill plate then along the back bone and out the tail. then remove the rib cage and stick it on the nail tail first then slice on the far side of the nail flexing the blade in a sawing motion  down to the wood hard enough to put a bow in the knife. i de-thaw the fish a tad soaking in cold water if you use warm water it wreck the meat, "a cupped" fish will not fillet totaly frozen you will still have skin on the meat  at the edges if not done right. sharpening i use the ceramic that come with the rapalas.  but for a bubba blade there not as thin as the rapala's or swiss knifes so i am thinking it will not sharpen the same ... biggger fish are almost the same just depends on what you doing. fillet with the one slice behind the gill plate then. like salmon remove the ribs and  pluck out the pin bones with pliers. pike you got to fillet out the "Y" bone. pike a rapla works good ware your not doing detailed work on a slamon so a bubba blade may work...    any ways wish you the best pp hope this helps......

[perchpounder97]

Ya I think I am going to save my bubba blade for salmon.......it's a really big knife. All the videos with it are for sea fish so its definitely aimed for larger species.

[Borion2]

[ Invalid YouTube link ]http://

This video gives a good overview of the filleting technique for panfish.

[deadsmelthead]

I Filet fish like i play golf,  grip and rip...

[Jig it Good]

I use a rapala filet knife wood handle and a wood cutting board with a clamp. Try cutting through the fish but leaving the last piece of tail intact, and flip the filet over to separate it. I found that to be easier than trying to hold the filet by hand.

[fatleroy]

try filletting fish on brown butcher paper

[fish-kabob]

Ya I think I am going to save my bubba blade for salmon.......it's a really big knife. All the videos with it are for sea fish so its definitely aimed for larger species.

ya i figure you knew most of it that why i did not go in to great detail lol's those bubba blades are more a deer prossers dream and a fishermens night mare. lol's but would be good for cutting bait lol's  any ways wish you the best pp and good luck to you...

[perchpounder97]

Haha ya I'll definitely find a use and thanks.