Fillet Knife

[NateD]

No, I hold the stone horizontal in my left hand or on the table and the knife in my right hand.  I have the sharp blade facing toward me as I push the knife away and then I just rotate my hand and pull the knife toward me with the sharp blade facing away.

That is how I see people on the video stropping, but when sharpening they are always going the opposite way, I'm confused lol. I think I am just gonna get a cheap 2 sided stone and go at with some old knives.

[johnb340]

Lol, yeah it's one of those things that can be done a million ways and everybody say your doing it wrong.  I was taught this way back in the late 60's with my first jack knife and I guess I've done it this way so long I just never really thought about it.

[Kevin23]

It doesn't matter when honing, it does when sharpening though.

All of my steels have a guard on the handle so you don't catch your hand.. but I always wear a cut proof glove on my left hand when cleaning fish anyways so I don't slip and catch my finger on the gill plate, so I'm not worried about cutting myself. Never hit my hand either way though. I hold the steel in my left hand facing almost straight up, then run the knife real quick down both sides of the steel to get both sides of the blade. 4-5 passes is 4-5 seconds max and good for another 10 fish or so.

I have a full set of stones and know how to use them, but those are for pocket knives and fixing damaged edges.. Haven't touched my bubba blade to them in a couple years probably.. its been a long time.

[big_guy_13021]

I go to Walmart buy a few cheap $2 filett knives clean alot a fish with just one I sharpennit once chuck it break out another one😂😂

[IceFishFreak]

I have been using a Mister Twister Electric for the past 20 years and it keeps on working great.  I have heard the new Mister Twister have had there share of problems.  So when my Twister quits working, not sure what I will switch to.  Maybe give the rapala lithium a try.
Have heard so much of people saying they will never use an electric because of wasted meat.  When you use nothing but electrics and get used to using them you will not lose anymore meat than a regular filet knife.  I will never go back to a regular filet knife again.  So much easier and faster to use.

I can clean a walleye and perch with a E-knife better than most can do with a fillet knife.  Like you,  I been cleaning with the mister twister since around 98.  In the last several years,  my old MT eknife was starting to burn up a bit so I bought a new one.  The freaking old one cut better than the new.  I was pissed so I bought the highly reviewed American Angler,  it's a pile of junk.  Motor is super slow,  I"m not happy at all.  LIke I said,  a 17 inch walleye,  it barely has the power to mow through the ribs.

I saw the bubba blade videos,  but I get all the rib meat with a eknife even on a 8 inch perch and all the guys using the bubba blade rip through the rib cage and cut around the cage wasting all that meat.  Naw, i'll stick with a Rapala old school fillet knife for gills and crappie.

Still looking for a good Eknife....but I don't want to waste another $90 on one.  Rapala is the next candidate i assume.

[ice dawg]

I have been using a Mister Twister Electric for the past 20 years and it keeps on working great.  I have heard the new Mister Twister have had there share of problems.  So when my Twister quits working, not sure what I will switch to.  Maybe give the rapala lithium a try.
Have heard so much of people saying they will never use an electric because of wasted meat.  When you use nothing but electrics and get used to using them you will not lose anymore meat than a regular filet knife.  I will never go back to a regular filet knife again.  So much easier and faster to use.

I see there is now a Bubba electric fillet knife. Comes with 2 flexible blades and two that are stiffer. I think they cost around $125. They look really nice.

[Royalwapiti]

I had a CustomCutlery.com knife. $75 Great knife, I think I left it at cleaning station. I haven't seen it in a year or two.   I have heard Customcutlery.com makes the blades for Leech Lake knives.  The difference is the Leech Lake knives have the tab on the pointed end that helps cut the cheek meat off walleyes.

Made in Iowa near Cedar Rapids where Leech Lake's knife founder Don Canney was mayor for many years.

[Buckshots]

I can clean a walleye and perch with a E-knife better than most can do with a fillet knife.  Like you,  I been cleaning with the mister twister since around 98.  In the last several years,  my old MT eknife was starting to burn up a bit so I bought a new one.  The freaking old one cut better than the new.  I was pissed so I bought the highly reviewed American Angler,  it's a pile of junk.  Motor is super slow,  I"m not happy at all.  LIke I said,  a 17 inch walleye,  it barely has the power to mow through the ribs.

I saw the bubba blade videos,  but I get all the rib meat with a eknife even on a 8 inch perch and all the guys using the bubba blade rip through the rib cage and cut around the cage wasting all that meat.  Naw, i'll stick with a Rapala old school fillet knife for gills and crappie.

Still looking for a good Eknife....but I don't want to waste another $90 on one.  Rapala is the next candidate i assume.

Yep the new AA knives are garbage. It’s sad. Get the heavy duty corded rapala. You won’t be disappointed! It’s the highest powered electric knife on the market right now.

[Kevin23]

I can clean a walleye and perch with a E-knife better than most can do with a fillet knife.  Like you,  I been cleaning with the mister twister since around 98.  In the last several years,  my old MT eknife was starting to burn up a bit so I bought a new one.  The freaking old one cut better than the new.  I was pissed so I bought the highly reviewed American Angler,  it's a pile of junk.  Motor is super slow,  I"m not happy at all.  LIke I said,  a 17 inch walleye,  it barely has the power to mow through the ribs.

I saw the bubba blade videos,  but I get all the rib meat with a eknife even on a 8 inch perch and all the guys using the bubba blade rip through the rib cage and cut around the cage wasting all that meat.  Naw, i'll stick with a Rapala old school fillet knife for gills and crappie.

Still looking for a good Eknife....but I don't want to waste another $90 on one.  Rapala is the next candidate i assume.

You don't think you can get rib meat with a bubba blade? That's a good one. I can, but I know how to use my knife. Now on a 8" perch, I probably cant... mostly because I would never keep and try and clean one that small, Im not sure I actually have cleaned one that small to be honest. A bubba blade (any fillet knife) will get more meat than an electric, that's physics.. your electric is about 4 times thicker of a blade than a normal fillet knife and uses a sawing motion with serrated blades to cut flesh, so you can't possibly save as much meat (think kerf and woodworking). And as far as being a clean fillet or missing a bunch of meat, well that's the indian- not the bow.

As for bubba vs rapala, it's all about what you are used to. There is no room for error with a bubba, it has so much leverage and so much blade that if you make the wrong move there will be a problem... usually a fish chopped in half from what I have seen. But, in the hands of someone who is proficient with the bubba, it will make the same cuts as a rapala knife and do it in one or two motions (I usually have the two sides off of a 10" crappie in about 6-8 seconds). If you are used to a rapala style knife, the first 2-3 fish you try and clean with the bubba are going to be awkward and you will hate it. Once you get a few under your belt and learn how to work the knife, it will be like they say on their commercials "like butter". You also have to be reasonable with your knife selection... I wouldn't suggest a 9 or 12" original bubba blade for bluegills and crappies... I like the 9" tapered flex for crappies and the bluegills (I keep 8-10" for gills, 10-13" for crappies), but it works great for decent sized perch too (9"+) and is amazing for walleye (what I usually keep and clean, 15-18" eyes and saugers). I have a 9" stiffie that I use for catfish and taking the sides off of pike (then I use the tapered flex to remove the Y bones). If I cleaned mostly panfish on the smaller size (7-8" bluegill, 8" perch, 9" crappies) I would have the 7" tapered flex, but I just don't enjoy cleaning that sized fish so I dont. I have a drawer full of old rapalas, 6 and 4" originals, finland, saw backs, walmart cheapos, and plenty of other brands.. they all feel like holding a potato peeler to me now that I am used to a bubba blade, guaranteed I could not use one to clean a fish half way decent anymore.

[IceFishFreak]

You don't think you can get rib meat with a bubba blade? That's a good one. I can, but I know how to use my knife. Now on a 8" perch, I probably cant... mostly because I would never keep and try and clean one that small, Im not sure I actually have cleaned one that small to be honest. A bubba blade (any fillet knife) will get more meat than an electric, that's physics.. your electric is about 4 times thicker of a blade than a normal fillet knife and uses a sawing motion with serrated blades to cut flesh, so you can't possibly save as much meat (think kerf and woodworking). And as far as being a clean fillet or missing a bunch of meat, well that's the indian- not the bow.

As for bubba vs rapala, it's all about what you are used to. There is no room for error with a bubba, it has so much leverage and so much blade that if you make the wrong move there will be a problem... usually a fish chopped in half from what I have seen. But, in the hands of someone who is proficient with the bubba, it will make the same cuts as a rapala knife and do it in one or two motions (I usually have the two sides off of a 10" crappie in about 6-8 seconds). If you are used to a rapala style knife, the first 2-3 fish you try and clean with the bubba are going to be awkward and you will hate it. Once you get a few under your belt and learn how to work the knife, it will be like they say on their commercials "like butter". You also have to be reasonable with your knife selection... I wouldn't suggest a 9 or 12" original bubba blade for bluegills and crappies... I like the 9" tapered flex for crappies and the bluegills (I keep 8-10" for gills, 10-13" for crappies), but it works great for decent sized perch too (9"+) and is amazing for walleye (what I usually keep and clean, 15-18" eyes and saugers). I have a 9" stiffie that I use for catfish and taking the sides off of pike (then I use the tapered flex to remove the Y bones). If I cleaned mostly panfish on the smaller size (7-8" bluegill, 8" perch, 9" crappies) I would have the 7" tapered flex, but I just don't enjoy cleaning that sized fish so I dont. I have a drawer full of old rapalas, 6 and 4" originals, finland, saw backs, walmart cheapos, and plenty of other brands.. they all feel like holding a potato peeler to me now that I am used to a bubba blade, guaranteed I could not use one to clean a fish half way decent anymore.

Thanks for the info and btw 8 inch perch was a gross exaggeration. 

Anyway....one other question, what do you sharpen a bubba with?

[Kevin23]

I've only sharpened the tapered flex, and used my normal stones. I use a steel every few fish to keep them sharp, about 5 seconds and back to cutting. The blade material on the bubbas isn't the greatest but its better than a no-name cheapo knife. It's not up there with a high end custom or Mora knife. if I could get the 9' tapered flex shape, the bubba handle, and made from Mora steel... I'd give a lot of money for it.

I've had my tapered flex for a while now. Counting a few years worth of fishing trips cleaning a lot of fish for fish fries and freezers (I like to clean fish so I do volunteer to clean for everyone), plus cleaning fish for myself and buddies locally, I'd say I've put a few thousand fish under that knife. I've sharpened it once, maybe twice... I think it is twice most likely. I don't hardly keep fish for myself anymore so I don't get to use it too much.. mostly just walleye now, and a few meals of crappie when I am hungry for fish and the eyes aren't biting.

My 9" stiffie hasn't needed sharpening yet, but I just clean the occasional pike in the spring and catfish for the smoker with it so it doesn't get a ton of use. That knife you do not want to come anywhere near a panfish, I can guarantee you won't get half the meat off a fish with it.

[Unclegillhunter]

I have two I really like, the smallmouth and the steelhead size.. Both older USA made. For the price they're hard to beat..

<°)))>{

Had my UH for 25 years or more. Love it! Have an AA got it 25 years ago. Still running strong? So if I am doing a bunch of gills for a fry I will use the electric. Go through the ribs. Then use a Townsend fish cleaning tool to take the ribs off no lost meat.
Keep it safe! JDL