Thread: How to fillet a crappie/bluegill

Found this while surfing the net...thought I'd post it up.

Filleting is method used by most anglers to prepare their catch. A sharp knife with a flexible blade is practically all you will need. The six-inch blade is the most popular. The quickest and simplest way to fillet fish is shown below.



Cut behind the pectoral fin straight down to the backbone. Angle the cut towards the top of the head.



Run the knife along one side of the backbone. The knife should scrape the rib bones without cutting them.



Push the knife through the flesh near the vent just behind the rib bones. Cut the fillet free at the tail.



Cut the flesh carefully away from the rib cage. To save flesh, the blade should graze the bones.



Remove the first boneless fillet by cutting through the skin of the stomach area.



Turn the fish over. Remove the second fillet using the same filleting technique.



Rinse fillets quickly with cold water or wipe with paper towels. Save head and skeleton for stock.



Skin fillets, if desired. Hold the tail with your fingertips and cut between flesh and skin with a sawing motion.

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Captions are from West Virginia DNR website

Good post crappiemag!

LoL...Sup Mike.I see you found your way over!

Nice to see you Von Barron!:D

have you seen the rocket? it scales your fish for you...you tow it behind the boat. I got mine to field test from the manufacturer but I have seen them available in cabelas.

Sac, i'd like to get one but they're just to expensive for me. I only eat fillets with skin on them a couple times a year.

I think I saw them in the bass pro catalog. I like to just flip them and slice the skip off. dont mind the skin its just faster then scaleing them

I found some on e-bay... $29.95 plus shipping....

good post,some people leave the filet attached at the tail and just seprate the meat while still attached.I use the method you posted,but use a dull knife to seperate the meat.A real sharp one cuts thru the skin sometimes.I just pull hard on the skin and hold the knife still.

as to leaving the skin on (fillets or whole fish):

I've found the skin to have an sweet/oily/nutty taste ... but, only when cooked fairly fresh. Skin-on fish, that have been frozen, just don't seem to have that same "added" flavor. I fillet 99% of the Crappie I keep ... but, more for the fact that I give them to family members ('cause they won't touch any that aren't filleted) than for my own preferences. :D
Everybody has their own favorite way to clean/dress/season/cook Crappie ... and I'm not advocating my way over anyone else's. Just thought I'd add a little "food for thought" (as it were) .... cp

I also cut mine down to the tail, leaving it attached, and then cut the fillet off of the skin. It's quicker than scaling them for me.