Filleting Fish

[LadyFish]

This is exactly how I fillet all my fish. <br /><br />Best way to fillet

 

[one more cast]

Re: Filleting Fish

me too , the few that i keep.

 

[achris]

Re: Filleting Fish

<br /><br />Been doing it like that for decades. I also remove the line of small bones that runs about 1/3 the way down the fillet, right along the 'blood line'.<br /><br />Chris..............

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Filleting Fish

Yeppers here too.... That's how my pops taught me, and having tried other ways, thats the way that works the best....

 

[Bob La Londe]

Re: Filleting Fish

Only thing I might add is that if you know you are going to be keeping them put them on ice as soon as you catch them. <br /><br />If you are cleaning a bunch of them an electric knife really speeds up the process.

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: Filleting Fish

that's the way I fillet mine until I'm fortunate enough to have a personal fish cleaner

 

[TwoWatt]

Re: Filleting Fish

I don't know any other way to filet them. Was taught with this method & never bothered to learn about other ways........<br />I usually have problems getting the rib bones out but I think with practice I'll get better. My ex-girlfriend was the master at getting the bones out, I shoulda kept that one <br /><br />On a side note: Regarding the article. They mention to just bag & freeze the fish (if you aren't eating them right away), I was always taught to put them in a bowl of salt water & refrigerate for 12-24 hours & then freeze them.<br />They say it elimates the "fishy" taste. <br />Just something I've always done.

 

[Link]

Re: Filleting Fish

LadyFish as far as I know thats the most comman way to do it. Except for me. Anything I catch while not with my fishing partner that requires to be filleted I throw in the freezer and give to his wife the next day and she makes him do it! <br /><br />Then ofcourse we are invited to taste the wonderfull deep fried fish! <br /><br />If we weren't such good friends (and he needs me since he is to old to train another partner) I think he would use me for target pratice sometimes..

 

[snowshoe]

Re: Filleting Fish

Hi LadtFish I have use your method for years. recently I was shown a better way to debone the fillet. Instead of laying the fillet gut side up as in the photo5, I lay it gut side down. I cut along the medial line (tye dark line down the mid section of the fish) and work the blade along the ribs toward the belly. The knife blade is on top of the bones instead of having to work the blade under the bones as in your method. When the ribs have been cut free I cut along the top of the medial line to remove the Y bones. This method wastes very little meat and can be done as fast as the fillets are removed from the fish.<br />People at the fish cleaning stand are amazed to se how fast and efficient this deboning method is. Hope you have a chance to try it and experiment on you next catch. Good Fishing

 

[jheron]

Re: Filleting Fish

Hi snowshoe,<br /> That sounds interesting What is the "medial line"? Also are the Y bones you speak of like the ones in a northern pike? Once I saw an old man at my buddys camp that could fillet a pike with NO bones in seconds! I would love to know this art as I love a fresh northern pike fry <br />regards Jon

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Filleting Fish

Thanks Snowshoe, I'll give that a try. <br /><br />I do end up wasting a little bit of meat near the breast bone by removing it from the filet afterwards. And as we all know, fish meat is a terrible thing to waste.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Filleting Fish

jheron - The 'Medial-line' is other wise known as the 'latteral-line' -or- 'mud-line'.. some fish have a more prodominant line than others, it runs head to tail (mid-section) on the skin side of the filet. I guess looking at a pic is a better way to describe it but no fileting pics available so making due with a pic of these Walleyes.<br />

<br /><br />Also, don't be afraid to hack up a fish or two in the process when first learning to Y-bone Northerns .. ya gotta start someplace. If you don't want to hack at it, take your time. It's not as hard as people think and with a little practice you'll be racin' that ole' timer in the fish house! -As usuall, keep your knife razor sharp.<br /> Here's the best link I found to show how (RealPlayer video from Tony Dean Outdoors) Y-Bone Northern Pike<br /><br />Good topic LadyFish - Take care.

 

[detailer]

Re: Filleting Fish

thats funny, i didnt even know there was another way to filet fish. I only know of three ways to "process" fish; filet'm, steak'm or eat'm whole...

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Filleting Fish

I cut near the head as shown in the illustration but only graze the meat at the top using the dorsal fin as a guide till you get to the tail then cut all the way through. then use the knife following the dorsal fins down to the rib cage and cut around the rib bones and then follow through to cutting the belly meat. I still only end up with two fillets but the rib bones are still on the fish. Then skin them and your done. I usede to do it the way shown in the picture but find this way easier and faster. I fillet about 20 bluegills each time I go out and can do one in about a minute.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Filleting Fish

Took me 20 minutes to filet 2 fluke last week. I need practice. I use the method above (first post). It's the deboning that always hangs me up.

 

[Pony]

Re: Filleting Fish

I tend to use the same method as eurolarva, only i rarey if ever skin a bluegill. Usually there is enough people cleaning to have one person scale and 1 or 2 clean. Without the skin just doesnt taste the same to me

 

[TwoWatt]

Re: Filleting Fish

I never skin a bluegill or crappie. <br />euro: Could you explain your method more? <br />Do you make the verticle cut, then just cut from the top down to the ribs , trim around the ribs & then back to the tail? <br /><br />Could someone verify my previous statement in my prior post...?? About the pre-freezing of fish.<br /><br />Thanks.

 

[Pony]

Re: Filleting Fish

In my house we also soak fish to rid them of their "fishy" taste...However we soak ours in salted milk overnight, and we've always done that after the fish were frozen and then thawed. (something we learned from a fishing guide on lake erie when we took a charter years back). I dont recall any fish we've cooked to be "fishy", so as far as i can tell the salt solution works in any case.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Filleting Fish

Hard to explain without showing you. You do the neck cut like explained in the link above. Then from the top of the head you insert the tip of the knife and cut along the dorsal fin using about 1/4 inch of the knife tip till you get to near the tail and insert the knife all the way in and cut to the tail using the back bone as a guide. Then come back with the knife on the top of the fish using the dorsal fin cutting with the fin till you get the the ribs. Pull the meat out with your hand while guiding the knife around the ribs and then down through the belly. If you can make it to the Iboats reuinion I can show it a lot better then explaining it.

 

[OBJ]

Re: Filleting Fish

jheron.....soon as I can draw up a pic, I'll post it for you. We use to do a lot of Wally and pike fishing in Quebec and I was taught how to do pike with out the bones. It's easy. Here's a site I found...or two.....<br /><br /> http://www.onthelake.net/fishing/articles/ybones.htm <br /><br /> http://it.stlawu.edu/~ptri/images/pikecln.gif <br /><br /> http://store.yahoo.com/nobones/demonorthern.html