Fileting Crappie

[minnowsrbest]

I'm not a very experienced Fileter. Alot of times, I just gut, detail and head my fish. This is o.k., but it gets old spitting out the bones.
What's the best way to filet the crappie without devasating the fish?
Thanks, mike :D

[skiptomylu]

Cut the fish with you knife behind the head until you hit the back bone.

Then turn you knife to cut to near his tail feeling the back bone as you go.

Don't cut the filet off yet, flip the filet over and cut with your knife between the skin and the meat with a slight angle down, but not enough to cut through his skin.

After the meat is removed cut out the rib cage and you are left with a nice filet without bones.

If you wish you can keep the ribs and fry to.

Note: I always start with the fish belly toward me because the other side is easier to filet. Be careful on the first side to make sure you don't leave the part near his back cut thin because it has the most meat and most discard the rib anyway and even if you keep the rib you will lose less meat if you cut it thin.

[LakeHardingSpirit]

I use catfish skinning pliers, they have a wide blade, also called fishermens pinchers, first scale the critter, take the filet knife and cute along the top fin on each side, do the same for the bottom fin, cut it's head off, remove the fins using the catfish pinchers, clean out the innards, cut their tail off, pull the skin off, this will give you a dressed out fish, take the filet knife and cut down each side to the ribs, run the knife all the way at the back of the rib cage and cut to where the tail was or through, if they are large enough, it's better to just dine on the dressed out fish, and you have a pan ready fish, waiting to be released into the grease. Everyone has their own technique, develop one for yourself, and you'll have plenty of filets.

[Barnacle Bill]

I use catfish skinning pliers, they have a wide blade, also called fishermens pinchers, first scale the critter, take the filet knife and cute along the top fin on each side, do the same for the bottom fin, cut it's head off, remove the fins using the catfish pinchers, clean out the innards, cut their tail off, pull the skin off, this will give you a dressed out fish, take the filet knife and cut down each side to the ribs, run the knife all the way at the back of the rib cage and cut to where the tail was or through, if they are large enough, it's better to just dine on the dressed out fish, and you have a pan ready fish, waiting to be released into the grease. Everyone has their own technique, develop one for yourself, and you'll have plenty of filets.

OK, I've got to ask. Why do you scale them if you cut the skin off?

[spoon]

i agree with IBNFSHN, why scale them?

[skiptomylu]

Since I started fileting fish in the late 60's I never scaled one. Heck I don't even skin catfish any more, I filet them too. They are a little bit tricker, but nothing that hard.

The only catfish I will skin is if I get a big op and then he is worth skinnin'!

[Bruce Carp]

I never cut out the rib bones I leave them on the fish and cut around them, never did understand cuttin bones off then cutting again to remove them. Knife stays sharper if I don't cut the bones. But I need more practice, haven't mastered the cleaning of crappie yet!

[skiptomylu]

I use an electric knife and never had to sharpen it at all. just slice through!

It's still sharper than heck.

[VietVet68]

You ever wish that fish had two left sides?

[shadow]

I use an electric knife and never had to sharpen it at all. just slice through!

It's still sharper than heck.

I also use a electric knife and have for about 25 years. I have fileted everything from a small bream to big ling ,cobia, offshore fish which reach weights exceding 100 lbs. This technique has worked great for me.