Cleaning techniques and knives

[FXjohn]

I tried searching for cleaning techniques, knives type debates and didn't see any.
Sometimes when the fish are small, I will clean them "old fashioned style" just scale, dehead and fin, degut Vs filleting. You do get more meat, and I don't mind pulling out the skeleton. When I freeze though, I just use fillets. Do you use electric knives, and do you de-skin?

[brokeinNYS]

Hey John tips on the cleaning.
I fillet everything except smelt.  Experience has proven using a sharp fillet knife does a cleaner faster job in obtaining the end results then anything else tried.
Years ago I scaled and do like the taste of the skin plus meat but - it's too messy in my opinion.
Tried the electric knife and gave up on that after a short time due to the small bones left in the meat and the extra time involved in removing them.
I love eating slab blue gills so 8 to 10 inch fish are my average.  Never tried the electric on larger fish like steelhead etc.
I use a fish board to cut the fillets out - it raises the fish high enough to keep my knife parallel to the surface I cutting on.  Incidently I use a small chest freezer covered with newspaper - don't have to bend over - most desktop heights are too low for  me.
I save and freeze or bury, which ever I can do with the fish remains in my garden.  My garden has rows about two feet wide and I bury about four to six inches under the dirt cover.  Fish remains are about the best plant fertilizer available and I treat them like gold.

[AD]

I have used my fillet knife (an old timer) to filet just about every edible species there is in fresh water, and some in salt water.   
     I have seen people use an electric, but personally I will not touch one of the things.     Experience and tons of cleaned fish have taught me that a good sharp fillet knife is almost as fast, and better then electric.     You tend to waste more with an electric then regular.     
     Ive cleaned a lot of fish, anything from 78 pounds to 6 inch gills, and I still stick to a good filet knife.   
      What I look for in a filet knife is,   a good piece of metal for a blade,    has to be flexible, but will also hold a good sharp edge for a while.      I once did 200+ Tilapia without sharpening my knife.     Ive settled on an Old Timer, have had it for 4 or 5 years now and clean fish year round with it.   
      I head and gut smaller trout, and head gut and skin bullhead, anything else no matter what size I tend to fllet, easier to freeze cook and eat that way.    All filets I pull the skin off of also.     
      A good idea is to get a good hard surface (a cutting board) to put the fish on,   some people like the fish board with the clip on the end, I tend to use just a regular one.     

Trout:
this

to this:


bullhead:
this

to this




perch and most other species:
this:

to this: (crappy job done on that perch by me)


to this:

[camo_fish]

  grubs in your perch, weird stuff. 

[bigdave1018]

i clean my fish basicly the same way but i fillet the few bullheads i catch. if i see any grubs on perch[ around the gills and or tails ], i release them. theres just something about grubby fillets that makes me not eat them now or anytime yuckkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!

[AD]

Didnt eat those perch, they ended up just getting tossed out, too grubby.   Jsut that was the only picture I had that I could use for a fileting example.

[Hood]

Good old fillet knife....keep it razor sharp...the best way to get the most meat is just keep practicing.

[4x4elk]

The best fillet knife I have ever owned is the cutco "fishermans solution" I have had mine 5 years now and it has been sharpend once and yes it has filleted well over 300 fish...Really I have no way to prove that but I know myself that, this knife is worth the cash

[4cator]

300 fish? , oh, you were cleaning someone elses fish I take it. 

 

[Auger]

Aside for a few pike for pickling, I usually only ever keep panfish.  For crappies and perch I use an electric fillet knife.  You can run the knife right down the fillet and then lift the head, flip the fillet on to the skin side, and continue cutting between the meat and the skin.  You end up filleting and skinning in one smooth motion as you get better at it.  Then just cut out the ribs.  The guy who showed me this technique could finish both sides in well under a minute.  I'm not quite as fast as him, but I'm getting there.  With gills, the ribs get more in the way and mess thins up, so I use the the good old hand powered fillet knife.  It takes a little longer, but I get more meat.

[4x4elk]

Yes 4cator you know i can't catch a fish to save my ars! but hey bring me your guppies and I'll try to fillet'em Mr soaks  going out tomorrow are you??

[IceReaver]

The technique that I employ requires both an electric knife and a standard fillet knife.  You start with the electric, cutting straight down just behind the fin located directly behind the head.  When your blade reaches the backbone, you turn the electric horizontal and cut the entire length of the fish.  When you reach the tail, you flip the fillet and continue cutting horizontal, now removing the fillet from the skin and scales.  When you're done, you have a fillet with just the rib bones that you can easily see and feel.  At this point you take the standard knife and cut them out, flip the rib section over and back-cut.  The back-cut begins with a straight cut down at the top of the rib cage, then you ride the knife down the ribs and you have two boneless pieces of meat.  It sounds complicated, but it's much easier when demonstrated and it requires less muscle and finesse to remove a completely boneless fillet.

Note, this technique does not work on bony fish such as pike, pickerel, etc.

[billybono]

i guess im lucky...thats the first time ive ever seen a grubby perch


                                                         billybono

[4x4elk]

OK I am going to try this electric fillet knife craze I bought a 12 volt browning does any one have one of these? How well does it work??

[sledneck]

4x4, I got one for Christmas and haven't used it yet, hopefully soon... Looks to me like you would still want to use a regular fillet knife for the rib bones and Y bones.

[4x4elk]

Ya i agree that the old knife won't be to far away from the board!! Maybe if I am lucky a professional like 4cator will educate me

[Wicked_1]

I use the electric knife as well, just as described.  I didn't go out and by an electric filet knife though.  I use the same electric knife I carve the Thanksgiving turkey with and it works just fine.  From start to finish in about 3-5 minutes for 10 panfish.

[oldfox]

The best fillet knife I have ever owned is the cutco "fishermans solution" I have had mine 5 years now and it has been sharpend once and yes it has filleted well over 300 fish...Really I have no way to prove that but I know myself that, this knife is worth the cash

I'll agree with you there 4x4...I picked one up on ebay, and its the best filleting knife I have ever used!!....the sdjustable blade, sheath and sharpening system was a great idea ...

[4x4elk]

I got my electric yesterday and my fishing is over for the week work sucks every seven days!! the father-in-law had his over the weekend and if this browning works half as good, I am already hooked but that old cutco won't be far away