To Flay or not to Flay

[CrappieHack]

I have always flayed Crappie and life has been good....but here recently I have wondered about alternative means of cleaning fish. I know I would like to try some whole grilled Crappie, but I'm not real for sure how to clean the fish other than flaying it (my dad flayed crappie so I flay crappie...I guess you do what you know)....I have an acquaintance who guts and scales his crappie...he says "they taste too good to waste all that meat." I have no idea how to do that. Are their any tips or alternative cleaning methods that anyone has that might come in helpful! Thanks.

[beenfishin?]

Well, I rather fillet them, you don't waste enough meet to worry bout and you can grill fillets too. But if you want em whole, just take a spoon, start at the tale and rake towards the head. This takes of the scales. Do both sides, then cut the head off as close the the pectoral fins and gills as posable. Then cut the belly from the head end to just behing the anal opening and clean out the guts. You can leave the fins or pull the back fin wiht a pair of catfish skinners and cut the tail off. Some folks like leavin em, up to you.

[CrappieHack]

Thanks Bro....that sounds easy enough. I believe I'll try it just to mix things up a little....I have grilled the flays before...but I have lost a few through the Bar-B if you know what I mean.

[joejv4]

I'm just the opposite - never flayed til I was older and had kids - didn't want them to choke on a fish bone. Another thing that helped move me to start filleting was scales... they go everywhere and you end up finding them stuck to you like ticks. Scaling also takes a little longer than cutting the skin off a fillet.

You can't fillet a pike or a pickerel, and they're yummy, so I still do them the way I first learned.

Here's the way my grandparents taught me to clean & cook panfish (bream, crappy, perch, and pumpkinseeds)

Scale them like beenfishin said, tail to head - I use a scaler, but a sturdy spoon works too. Chop the head off, slit the belly from the poop-chute to where the head was and scrape out the guts. you'll want to scrape real good along the spine too - usually there's a blood line. I cut along both sides of the top & bottom fins and pull them out with pliers, and leave the tail on. Rinse them real good.

For cooking, we never used batter, we mixed up some flour and salt & pepper, rolled the fish in it, then pan-fried them. When we did grill them, we wrapped them in foil with some butter and lemon juice.

[NIMROD]

I have an alterative to scale'n fish with a spoon. Ever try using a water hose ? We use a high pressure nozzle and spray from the tail tpwards the head to remove scales. Also if you like instead of scale'n them ,try skinning them. After cutting out fins and gutting ,the skin pulls off easily with a pair of skinners or pliers.:D

[tomkat]

i've used water before and it works great, if your on city water it should have enough pressure straight from the hose with help from a nozzle. this is the best way of cleaning lots of fish other then fillet.

[CrappieHack]

After cutting out fins and gutting ,the skin pulls off easily with a pair of skinners or pliers.:D

When you say cut out the fins...does that mean taking the fins and the head off...& then peel back towards the tail?

[DRPEPPER]

I found a skinner from years ago in my junk drawer. It works great. After you remove the head, guts, fins and feathers, you clamp just a little bit of the skin and roll the handel. I parts the hide away from the flesh. When it is complete you have just the body left over. It works pretty well for bream that produces skinny filets.
I haven't seen these devices for sale in years. I will try to get a name and see if they are still in business.
DP

[joejv4]

I found a skinner from years ago in my junk drawer. It works great. After you remove the head, guts, fins and feathers, you clamp just a little bit of the skin and roll the handel. I parts the hide away from the flesh. When it is complete you have just the body left over. It works pretty well for bream that produces skinny filets.
I haven't seen these devices for sale in years. I will try to get a name and see if they are still in business.
DP

My great-uncle had one of those fish skinners, was like a "manual" hand-held can-opener. clamp it on and turn the handle just like a can opener - kinda wish I had one now that I don't scale them anymore.

[sac-a-lait]

DRpepper...what fish have feathers?