Electric Fillet Knife...recommendations???

[markjsolomon]

Hey guys

I am wondering about getting an electric fillet knife and they range in prices and I am guessing quality....


Any advice on them?  Or are they all like a saws-all

[graybeard1]

I've always had good luck with the Mister Twister brand. Only one I've ever owned.

[TeamTwoSticks]

i have 2 of the mister twister knives.  I got the second one at walmart for only $11, still in package waiting for the spring walleye run.

[Lightman]

It really depends what you catch/regularly cut. I live in Cleveland on Lake Erie and we catch 500+ walleyes per season, averaging 25" and around 5 lbs but commonly going up to 10lbs, and cut probably cut a thousand or so perch.. Knives like the rapala - forget it, you will toast one in half a season(mine literally had smoke and a bad smell coming out of it). Mr twisters will usually last one season and quit. American Angler previously made a model called the mt3, which had an all metal transmission. These are the only knives our group of fishermen has found to hold up to the abuse of big walters. They were more expensive at $65, but a few weeks ago I found one on clearance for $22 at a walmart in Fl!  Keep an eye out. Not sure what AA is coming out with to replace it, perhaps they already have one.  If you're just cutting panfish, most will be fine although the rapala/berkley one is total junk.  If getting mr twister get the pirahna salwater version. Hope this helps, we go through our knives, haha...

[jjc155]

my current mister twister is going on 4 years and prob has cleaned acouple of thousand fish. everything from perch and gills to big eyes.

J-

[Lightman]

Not trying to knock other brands by the way, just sharing our experience. It's the cutting of 15-30 big eyes each time out that wears out the knives... it seems most knives can handle the other fish well. I know most of the erie guys around here guys 1 season out of most knives.

[gooseblaster49707]

i have cleaned thousands of pounds of fish with electric fillet knives.  maybe, into the ton or higher range.   commercially and for personal-neighborhood use.     i was a field tester for 5 years for Mr. Twister.  got my knives drop shipped from them by the dozen.  they asked for the old ones back and estimated poundage/hours of use per knife. 
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IMO honest opinion, they can't be beat.
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a couple of quick tips for any electric fillet knife.
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#1 black tape or rubber band down the trigger. when you plug it in, the knife comes on.   unplug= knife off. the switch(trigger) is the weak link on any electric knife. the contacts give out from the constant start/stop.
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#2 don't let the knife overheat.   don't horse it thru big bones like a chain saw.   take your time on the big fish and let the knife do it's thing.
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#3 get a bunch of small fish that you would normally throw back. perch, bluegill, crappie, etc.    when you can fillet them with ease, not cutting thru the backbone and making a total hack job, you're good to go.  if you mess one up, try to ''salvage'' it.     if you can't, no big deal, it's a 5'' perch or gill.   
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we used to net and fillet suckers by the 3/4 ton truck level with the wheelwells.  they were cleaned, ground and frozen for the neighborhood.   made into patties, fishloaf, canned, etc.   at times the sides were left skin on and ribs attached.   they were smoked then deboned. the smoked meat was either frozen or canned for future use.    many fillets were pickled or frozen for future fish frys or pickling.
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i use and strongly recommend a Rapala brand fillet glove, the grey ones found everywhere.  i have one in a ziplock baggie in my freezer.    you can never get the fish stink out of the glove so it is kept frozen.   a good shot of bleach on the glove keeps it sanitary.   i use the glove on my left hand (i'm right handed) for gripping the fish and also use it for butchering deer.
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if you are doing alot of fish or deer or whatever, get some latex or the blue mechanics gloves for both hands. rinse the powder off them before use.   never a shock from a shorted out knife and no more blood under the fingernails.
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sorry for being long winded but, thought it was worth the typing.

[slamer58]

I use an american angler and it does a great job......no complaints. My buddy uses a rapala and it seems less ballsy and it get real warm after 20 fish (gills and crappie)  but I have only heard good things about the  mister twister brand .

[ice dawg]

I have an American Angler here also. My son has a Mister Twister and likes it.

[Junior88]

I have both the rechargeable and the electric rapala brand fillet knives. The rechargeable worked great for a couple years. The knives were very sharp and made quick work of a few hundred fish. But once the batteries would no longer take a charge , they are pretty expensive to replace in my opinion. Now the electric fillet knife I received as a gift a month ago has the same sharp knives,however it seems that the motor runs allot slower than the rechargeable. I have dressed a few dozen perch and crappie with it and it does a good job it just needs to run a little quicker.

[Lightman]

Just to clarify, I was only really plugging the american angler mt3...the rest of the knives are all the same...I find one of the weak points is absolutely the transmission- the stopping and starting and the 'horsing' through the bones of big fish just toast them - except the mt3 with the metal trans.. Hopefully they have a new model soon.  We have 'horsed' and pushed the mt3's through big walleye bones for years - it doesn't bog down and two of them have been doing 300-600 walleyes/season for ten years now.  That said, the advice given by gooseblaster is good - if you have a 'regular' knife, don't try to push/force through the bones. I have a mr twister pirahna, it definitely cuts FASTER than the mt3, although I'm not sure on longevity yet.

[fin-n-feather]

A vote for Mister Twister!  Fin

[pfscott]

I have the Berkly Deluxe Combo, and like it just fine.