Filleting Perch

[Len Thompson]

I have a quick question for all you fisherman.

I went fishing this Sunday and I caught a few medium sized perch.  Well, that is not the problem. The problem is that I was not sure how to fillet them.  You see, when the perch are big I fillet them exactly like a walleye.  When, the perch are small, a lady back home showed me a way to fillet them.  She starts by cutting the dorsal fin off.  Then, she cuts a shallow ring around the perch's neck and pulls the skin off with a pair of pliers.  Finally, she cleans the abdomen area and cuts the head and tail off.  This might sound bizarre to some fisherman but it works incredibly well with small perch.  When, you fry the perch, the bones peel out just like that.

Anyhow, what should I do with the medium sized perch that I catch?  These perch are too small to fillet like a walleye but too big to do the ladies trick.  I am curious to know what other fisherman do?

[fishingmom]

I do all perch, no matter the size, like the lady back home showed you.  For me, perch are too small to fillet.  I think you have less waste by gutting them and then skinning them.  The backbone can be removed after you cook them.  That way, no meat is wasted.

[doggbiter]

 Give us some photo's!! Really interested cause perch are the best-eating in my book!!!
 I fillet......but real interested in your method???

[fishingmom]

Give us some photo's!! Really interested cause perch are the best-eating in my book!!!
 I fillet......but real interested in your method???

I don't have any photos but it is not difficult.  I just cut the head off the perch, cut a narrow strip down the back where the dorsal fin is, clean out the cavity and then peel off the skin starting at the top, back, where I cut the strip off the back.  I just use my fingers but it probably would be easier with pliers as sometimes the skin is really tough to peel off.  You end up with a skinless, gutless, headless, tailless perch, with the bones intact.  Once you fry it up, just lift out the back bone from the meat and enjoy.  There shouldn't be any bones in the meat as perch don't have small bones throughout the meat like some other fish species do.  That's all there is to it.

[Len Thompson]

Thankyou fishing mom,

I am glad to hear that other fishermen use the same trick that the lady showed me.  I absolutely love that way but I must admit that I am having a hard time to convince my friends to do the same.  Oh, well if they don't want to listen I guess it is their loss and not mine.

Keep fishing and keep filleting!

Len Thompson

[Husser]

I know at my home lake, you can't keep the finger size perch off the hook. Many of them swallow the hook, so they become keepers. Anyways, what I do with the very small perch is, cut off the head, tail and all fins. Gut it also. From there into the batter and then the hot oil. The small bones melt away and the skin becomes crispy. They are great. Remember, this is Very small perch.