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Author Topic: Cleaning a fish?  (Read 12317 times)

Busby

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Cleaning a fish?
« on: May 14, 2004, 11:22 PM »
what is the best way i have never done it before and would like to try and do it this summer.

Cider

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2004, 09:52 AM »
Busby - what are you fishing for?  It all depends upon the species as to how you are going to clean them.  It also depends upon how you want to prepare or cook them too.  Give me some more details and I will help you out!

I am sure that once this thread takes off, there will be all sorts of members posting interesting tips and techniques here!  Good post!!  Great topic!!  ;D

slipbob

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2004, 10:03 AM »
I can post a fillet tutorial soon if that would help out.  I just need to make my girlfriend deal with watching me fillet fish and take some shots as I clean and zip a walleye.  I could try with the self timer but that's tougher to get some good photos while cleaning a fish.  I want to do that anyway to show people how to zip their eyes.  Zipping is the best way to get the bone line out of the fish.  I will make it a mission this weekend to try to do a photo fillet tutorial if that would help.  Like Cider says it depends on what you are cleaning if it's small trout that's super easy but filleting fish is a little more tricky if you have never done it.  Fisherman Jake had that great burbot cleaning tutorial this winter.

Cider

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2004, 10:07 AM »
I can post a fillet tutorial soon if that would help out. 

Good idea!  Let's use this thread to post photo tutorials like fishermanjake did for burbot cleaning on IceShanty!  Here is the link to that one:

Fishermanjake burbot cleaning 101

grumpymoe

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2004, 10:09 PM »
thank you cider.....i will post boneless northerns and if i have the chance soon....lake trout as well......grump :P

Cider

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2004, 11:40 AM »
thank you cider.....i will post boneless northerns and if i have the chance soon....lake trout as well......grump :P

Hey that would be great grump!  I was real curious about your method for removing the y-bones.  You talked about it on Ice Shanty, but I was confused by your method.  I don't do a lot of pike fishing so it is easy for me to forget in between the times that I actually dress one out.

slipbob

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2004, 11:45 AM »
Tonight should be the night.  I have recruited "she the one who must be obeyed" to be my photographer.  I am mowing her lawn after work which is a complete "bribe" and then fishing after.  I will hopefully be cleaning at least one walleye tonight and will try to do as complete of a fillet tutorial as I can.  Now I better catch at least one legal walleye or this mission will go unfufilled untill the weekend when I fish again.  I will report back tomorrow.

slipbob

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2004, 01:22 PM »
I hope these pictures come out okay. 
Take your fish in this case an eye and make a cut from the top along the back of the gill to the bottom.
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Next make a cut along the back and down one side of the fish from head to tail.
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Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side.
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Then just start filleting the sides off of the fish keeping the knife as close to the ribs as you can so you leave nothing on the fish.  This takes years of practice to master but once mastered you waste no fish.
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You just do the same on the other side and you have your 2 fillets skin on.
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Now you just lay the fillet flat and take the skin off.
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Do that with both fillets and then we can zip em.  You make two cuts from the tail section parralel to the bone or mud line about 2 inches long and then just zip the sides off the bone line.
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When you are done you have the top and bottom sections of each fillet so one fillet becomes 2 pieces which are completely boneless and minus the nasty mud line.
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I hope this is okay and most of us know all this but it's for someone who may be new to filleting fish.  With small fish you don't want to zip the bone line out there's no need just cut the first 3 or 4 inches out of the fillet from the thick part down and leave the mudline part in by the tail.  Small fish have small bones so it's not a problem.

Scott

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2004, 01:56 PM »
Very nice Slipbob! Wife did a good job on the photos too.  8)
Maybe I should make an area for fish cleaning styles, different types of fish?


-Scott

Cider

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2004, 02:03 PM »
Maybe I should make an area for fish cleaning styles, different types of fish?

Good filet lessons slipbob!

Maybe another child board for cleaning fish by species?

slipbob

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2004, 02:12 PM »
Thanks fellas.  The only stipulation my girlfriend had was the fish must be dead before she's taking any pictures.  It didn't help when the rock bass started flopping around on the counter.  My immediate response was "oh honey it's just nerves,  don't worry it's dead". ;)  Of course she didn't believe me but we continued on anyway.   

fozsey

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2004, 11:00 AM »
Thanks fellas.  The only stipulation my girlfriend had was the fish must be dead before she's taking any pictures.  It didn't help when the rock bass started flopping around on the counter.  My immediate response was "oh honey it's just nerves,  don't worry it's dead". ;)  Of course she didn't believe me but we continued on anyway.   

Thats funny  ;D I have one of those too. She loves to fish, but hates touching worms or fish.

BTW, thanks Slipbob. I have an electric fillet knife that I use for filleting walleye. It works pretty good, but I think it is suited for bigger fish. It is sometimes a little bullish on the initial cut, but for taking the scaleskin off it can't be beat. Thanks for the demo. I am going to try the zipper method next time.

Grandpa Jack

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2004, 07:36 AM »

John,

Thanks for your generosity & the demo the other night. I certainly appreciate it. Our family had a beautiful fish dinner of walleye & crappie Sun. night. Every piece of fish was consumed. They were excellent. Our 1 yr old grandaughter loves fish. She had her first boatride on Saratoga Lake yesterday, what a joy. I'll be talkin to ya GJ

Cider

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2004, 07:56 AM »
Hey fozsey - there have been lots of debates on here and Ice Shanty over the merits of an electric filet knife rather than a traditional knife.  If you are willing, why don't you post some pics the next time you filet one out with your electric if you can?

I have never used an electric to do that and would like to see the process or at the very least the end results!  I am curious because I have thought about getting one a few times in the past but couldn't get myself to commit.

fozsey

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Re: Cleaning a fish?
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2004, 12:15 PM »
I will see what I can do. I am going to Sioux Narrows in a couple weeks and will hopefully have many opportunities to make a little movie or slideshow.  ;)

 



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