Thread: BEST FILLET KNIVES!!?

Originally Posted by livemusic

I bought a Rapala Heavy Duty electric knife. About $60 most places, I found it for $45 on Amazon. I also bought a Black & Decker electric knife for $12.95 at Walmart. I will return the Black & Decker, the Rapala is better. For filleting bass, anyway. Gets through rib cages better and is faster. More powerful, sharper.

You guys who fillet fish with a non-electric fillet knife... it cuts through rib cages? Do you feel it does as good a job as an electric knife and is as fast?

I don't think most people cut THROUGH the ribs with a non-elec. knife, but actually cut around them .... from the dorsal fin down to the belly, rather than from the head to the tail like you do with an electric knife.

... cp

I use bubba blade and cut through ribs. I have two of them one for taking meat/hide off the fish and the other for skinning the fillet. One knife never touches bones. Just you tube bubba blade.

Originally Posted by arkansasbowhunter

I use bubba blade and cut through ribs. I have two of them one for taking meat/hide off the fish and the other for skinning the fillet. One knife never touches bones. Just you tube bubba blade.

I did find the youtube and that looks awesome. But it's not a casual purchase; those knives are a bit pricey. I have not had a problem with destroying an electric knife due to overuse like the guide does. The draw for me is that the guide filleted those crappie really fast. He's got it down. Do anything for 10,000 hours and you become an expert; he might've done that. He's certainly filleted 10,000 fish. I don't know that I would need two. I have a Rapala fillet knife and it seems that should suffice for cutting the rib cage out after the initial fillet is done. Thanks!

True the knives are pricey. I don't represent them at all just use them. You could get away with a different knife for taking hide off. However the bubba does really well with the ribs and taking meat off fish. I tried the one knife method as shown on video but mine dulls after 20 or so fish. I just made it easy and have two knifes to keep the one for taking hide off very sharp which will use a lot less effort than a full knife. I was a electric knife purist until I tried the way shown on video. Not for everyone for sure but is quickest for me and when at a fish cleaning station I am always getting compliments on how fast I clean Em lol. Like all videos that guy is probably using a brand new one and it doesn't show that he has to keep it sharp. I find depending on size fish I can do 15-20 before I hit it on a steel rod to bring edge back up.

I like the Rapala standard (non-electric) fillet knife. It helps to sharpen them before every cleaning, and put a good edge on them every year. It also helps (me, anyway) to have a fillet glove. I find I'm much more productive if I don't have to worry about filleting my hand.

I have a cutco that was 100 bucks. I like it okay. I have several forsner knives. Love them for skinning salmon, steelhead, walleye etc. Won a fish cleaning contest for salmon one year with it. I cut through ribs with that knife.

Pound for pound though, I use a wood handle rapala. I have the more expensive rubber handles too but I don't like the blade flex.

For sharpening any knife, we found a stone 30 years ago. After learning the proper way to sharpen depending on knife angle, all of my knifes (skinning, field dressing, fillet, and pocket knives) shave hair with no effort. This is how we test to ensure sharpness.

The stone is made in Michigan by Bear Paw and is an all ceramic stone. No oil. Wash with dish soap. They went off the market for 15 years and we bought one for friends and family in every off the wall place we could find them. They are back on the market.

My dad guided hunts in Texas, we had a salmon charter cleaning 15 to 40 fish per day, I was in the Marines and trusted my life to my knife. We allowed no other stone to touch our blades. People thought it was some magic trick we had to sharpen and we were and still are asked to put edges on peoples knives.

Those are my experiences. Pm meif you need information on the stone or the company to order it from