Tricks on filleting?

[ghostrider]

Try as I might, I cannot fillet a fish to save my life. Well, I can do it but it ain't pretty and I tend to lose half the fish. I tend to catch them, clean them, and bake them with the skin still on mostly because I can't fillet properly. Any tips for a butterfingers with the fillet knife?

[dinosaur]

Hmmmm...that's a tough one. If you're an admitted butterfingers with a knife, the first thing you need is mail glove to keep from cutting yourself.

Most people filet from front to back, but it is possible and sometimes preferable to start from the tail. This will allow for more stability because your off hand will be holding the fish by the head (much firmer grip).

[wvbreamfisherman]

I'll tell you how I do it (and I still have all my fingers and most of my blood).

Lay the fish in its side and cut down to the spine just behind the gills.

Taking the tip of the knife cut along the spine down to the top of the ribcage. Do this all the way to the back of the ribs.

Then follow along the ribcage to the belly of the fish peeling the meat away from the ribs.

When you get to the back of the ribs continute the cut parallel to the spine all the way to the base of the tail.

Flip the filet over and cut thru the meat at the base of the tail to the skin and then free the skin all the way to the front of the filet. Sometimes a shallow spoon with a sharpened edge will work better to free the skin.

Voila! You have a skinless, boneless filet. All the guts remain inside the ribs.

Flip the fish over and repeat.

[mamabear]

Be sure your knife is extremely sharp. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was trying to filet with a dull knife. I chunked it up and then it wasn't fit to eat. I like wv's instructions. Simple! Just takes practice.

[Cappy]

When I fellet most fish I scale them and leave the skin on. Fish skin is chock-full of all the fishy goodness like oils and anti oxidents and stuff. Not only that it helps seal in the flavor(on one side at least). It's the healthiest part. We never fillet pan fish or crappie cause we like them baked and its tough to not be wastefull. I grew up eating all fish on the bone, so in my o. its mostly easier to eat it that wy than fillet it, and lots less wastefull.

[ppine]

A sharp skinny knife. Use a kevlar glove to hold the fish if you are a butterfingers.

[charley]

Wv's instructions are good. practice

[Scotty]

charley said the most important thing "practice". It can be tough to do a filet but if you practice, you'll get better at it. WV hit it on the head with those instructions. That's pretty much how I do it.

[Cappy]

When I got home Thursday I brought with me 4 gallon bags full of red fish fellets they were frozen in water and filleted off the bone with the skin and scales left intact. This technique is destined for the bbq pit. We season the flesh put them on the pit skin side down and baste them with a sauce made from butter cajun seasonings and a lil wine or beer. When we fire up the pit i will post pictures and let yall know.

[Greatoutdoors]

Get a good fillet knife (made a huge difference when we did) and check out some videos on youtube. Hearing directions is great, but seeing someone do it is even better. There are quite a few guys on there that are captains of boats and do it for a living that had great techniques. I will have to ask the hubby their names and I'll post them for you.