filleting and cleaning fish

[yper]

Is it safe to refrigerate fish overnight and fillet, or clean them the next day. I filleted 80 perch yesterday and have another 40 that we got today, but I just aint up to filleting them tonight.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][size 1]Should be no problem...especially with perch that were kept on ice all day and went into the refrigerator within a reasonable time. Trout have more sensitive flesh and tend to get softer quicker, if you do not at least bleed them out.[/size]

[size 1]Commercial fishermen often keep their catch whole for several days, under refrigeration, before coming back into port and selling them. The key, again, is temperatures. [/size]

[size 1]At this time of year, there is minimal problem with bacterial decompostion. However, all fish literally start digesting themselves from within as soon as they die. This process is called autolysis. In fish with powerful digestive juices, the internal organs may be almost liquified if the fish is allowed to remain out on a hot summer day before cleaning.[/size]

[size 1]That being said, from a purely lazy standpoint I have found that it is easier to stay up an extra half hour and finish the filleting job than it is to set everything up the next day and start again. But, I gotta admit, a sink full of unfilleted perch can bring on the heavy eyelids and totally ruin any resolve you had to get the job done.[/size]

[size 1]Congrats on a good day and I envy you the stash of perch fillets.[/size]
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[Curtisfish]

TD, I am seriously begining to worry about you.[] Is there anything you don't know when it comes to fish and fishing? You must spend an incredible amount of time reading. I just ask that you keep on writing.[sly] I await your next lesson sensai.
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[Out4Trout]

I second that opinion, Curtisfish. So, while we're on the topic of filleting fish, I was wondering Sensai Tubedude (or anybody else if you know) how do you fillet Trout? This might be a dumb question, but aren't they a little different, or harder to fillet than other panfish (i.e. white bass, perch, walleye, etc.) with the softer meat that trout have? My wife won't eat fish with the bones in or with the skin on. Removing the skin is the easy part, but I can't seem to fillet Trout right. If you have a diagram, T.D. like that nice catfish lesson you posted several months back I'd really appreciate it.
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[hedgesd]

Filleting trout is easy and very close to bass in some ways. Start by cutting all the fins off including the small bones connected to the middle set. The others you can just cut parallel to the body. Once the fins are out of the way bend the head back until it breaks and pull it down the body. It's up to you if you want to keep the skin attached to the tail section. I do because it all goes into one place and less of a mess. Now for the filleting part. Run your knife along the back bone to remove the meat. Now flip that fillet over and slice along the rib bones. The hardest part is getting the smaller set of bones out but easy once you learn what direction they run. Find them by running your hands along the flesh and make a cut along both sides of the bones. I tend to make the first cut straight down and then the slanted cut but everybody is different. Those bones only go about 2/3 of the trout so the last bone you feel is how far you want to cut. If you did it right you'll end up with a nice looking fillet and your wife will love you for making dinner again.

Best to skin and fillet the fish shortly after they die. If the fish gets soft its hard to skin them and you'll lose more meat. During winter you shouldn't have any problems with soft fish, only frozen fish.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][size 1]Hey, Curtisfish and O4T, thanks for the soft fuzzies. I am attaching some diagrams from my old book "FETCHIN' AND FIXIN' THE FISHES OF UTAH" that should help with the visual part. Also attaching a series of three pics showing some nice red fleshed rainbows from Deer Creek...and the end result.[/size]

[size 1]Our southern Utah fishguy has done a good job of describing the considerations of filleting trout. They do have a different anatomy than bass, perch, walleye and other "warm water species". But, once you learn to feel out the little line of flesh bones, and to make the two parallel slits...on each side of that row of bones...you can enjoy boneless trout munchin. [/size]

[size 1]My kids have always liked fish, and always brag on me that they have never found a bone in any of the fillets I have served. My 85 year old mother quit eating fish as a young girl, in Idaho, because she once got a trout bone stuck in her throat. But, since coming to live with us, she enjoys fish along with the family, since she does not have to worry about bones.[/size]

[size 1]By the way, I am working on a pictorial and writeup on sharpening and maintaining knives. Been some chatter on that lately.[/size]
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[yper]

Thanks TD, you are a great asset to this board, you always have a wealth of information to contribute. I decided, last night that it was probley easyer to fillet those litter perch skins then, instead of waiting. I never thought of the glove idea, but I wish I had, my fingers are sore.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][size 1]That is known as a "fish rash". [/size]

[size 1]Wearing a glove on your fish handling hand is a good idea. The cut-proof kevlar are best...just in case you get careless or unlucky. It also reduces the cuts from sharp gill covers and spines. Some species, like walleyes, can slice your flesh wide open with the sharp edges of their gill covers.[/size]

[size 1]If you do end up with damaged hands, wash them well in an antibacterial soap and then borrow some of your wife's moisturizing lotion. Actually, there are several good "men's" hand lotion products on the market now that will help put your skin back in shape without making people question your macho.[/size]

[size 1]Most of us wear gloves while ice fishing, and they help reduce the incidence of getting "spined" while handling your catch. However, whenever I go afloat in warmer months, with the expectation of catching lots of perch, white bass, sunfish or other small spiny fishies, I like to bring along a white cotton gardening glove...with the fingers all cut out at the first knuckle. I wear that on my left (non rod) hand and it really saves wear and tear on my delicate skin (yeah, right). Be sure to wash the glove after use or you will never be able to get near it again.[/size]
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[Hellsangler69]

Did you see Doug Miller Outdoors Show last night ? Lance could fillet a perch in less than a minute . I need to get my speed up on them . LOL I did see he did one thing different then I do so I will be trying it his way next time . Man that's a lot of perch to fillet .
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[yper]

Hey Randy I missed the first part of the show, but did see Lance do his work on the perch, man is he fast, to bad I had already filleted mine. The 80 perch i filleted on Friday took 2 hours and 45 min. not quite as fast as ole Lance. I taped the show so I can go back and watch and see what I am doing wrong.
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[MrLipripper]

I caught my 20 in about 45 minutes at Rockport on Friday. Therefore, if he can fillet them at the rate that I catch them, we'll be done in a little over an hour and cook 'em up on the ice, eat 'em, catch 20 more, and so on, and so on. As long as Mr. Fish Cop doesn't see us, I'll probably fall thru the ice by about 1:00, thanks to all the added bulk. [cool] Sounds like a deal!!
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[yper]

Hey Neil when are we going to do it again, only next time I am not going to let you talk me into filleting your fish.
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[MrLipripper]

As soon as I passed the bag o' fish over to you, they became your fish.[shocked] I hope they are yummy! Maybe Tuesday to the Berry, if I can get a kitchen pass.
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[Out4Trout]

Thanks a lot, fellas. Very good info here, and I'm gonna save it to my harddrive. This site is the best fishing info, comradery, etc site out there. Hell, it's just the best fishing site period![cool]

I'm looking VERY forward to the Rockport trip this Saturday, and after that, I'm gonna go chase some lunker cut's at the 'berry the following weekend with some whatta crickets and foxie jigs.[pirate]
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[fishluvr]

Thanks for all the info you always have to share. I especially appreciate the trout fillet info and attachments. I usually fillet trout by hand because I have never known how to do it strictly with a knife. The only question I have is about removing that last row of bones down the center. When I have tried to cut away those bones it leave my fillet looking like tatters. Do you cut all the way through the fillet or just down to the end of the bones? And how much angle do you use on the knife? I have tried to follow the bones down with the point of my knife but always worry about cutting the bones. Any more tips on this would be great. I would love to see you do one because that is always easier but I guess I will have to settle for word of mouth.
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[Matador]

O4T,

I have been filleting trout for many, many years. I tell anyone who is just starting out that they will end up shredding many of them before they get the hang of it, so don't give up too quickly. Filleting trout well is easy once you get the hang of it and improves the table quaility dramatically. When done right, you don't need to cut off any fins and if you get real good you seldom need to take the extra step of removing the rib cage from the fillet. And you can remove all the meat, and only the meat, with one pass. And then removing the skin if the easiest part. A good, sharp, sharp, sharp fillet knife is the biggest factor in easy filleting. For the fillet board, any flat board will do. I often use my wifes cutting board next ot the kitchen sink(just be sure to clean up good after!!![pirate]) I find that clamps on boards are more trouble than they are worth. The diagrams supplied by TubeDude are a good description with the exception of the part about removing the rib cage. And don't gut the fish first. The innards provide support in the fish for easier filleting. One last thing, I fillet trout from 7 inches on up to, well, any size so it is a good all-around method. In my humble opinion, filleting trout is the best way the prepare them and is worth effort. Good luck to you.

m
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[Out4Trout]

Thanks for the tips, Matador!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][size 1]Hey, fishluvr, the cut should go all the way through the flesh. That way you can lift out a thin strip with the bones in it. It does leave the fillet almost in two parts, but if you are frying or oven broiling, that is not a problem.[/size]

[size 1]You are astute in observing that the line of bones is not exactly perpendicular to the spine. There is a slight angle...downward toward the stomach. That means that ideally, you will make your cuts angling slightly upward. If you make short, controlled strokes with the knife, you can feel your way along on the first few, and avoid cutting off the tips of the bones and leaving them in the flesh.[/size]

[size 1]Like most things in fishing, it is a learn by doing thing. But, if you have a sharp knife and good fresh fish, you should not leave them badly shredded.[/size]

[size 1]My exact process is to first slab the fillet off the fish. Next, I cut clear through to the skin, along both sides of the flesh bones. The next to last step is skinning, by sliding the knife along between the skin and flesh. The last step is to lift out the strip of bones. That process provides the most support for the flesh while you are doing the bone removal thing.[/size]

[size 1]Practice makes perfect. The wrong kind of practice makes fish chowder.[/size]
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[Matador]

I forgot one other tip. I get my knife blade wet when removing the skin from the meat. For some reason the skin will kind of stick to the knife if you don't and then it is harder to move the blade during this step.

m
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[fishluvr]

This order of doing things makes sense because I have tried it many different ways but have not cut the flesh bones out before skinning and think that would be a great help. Thanks for your time to return my posts and I appreciate all your info. I keep hearing good things from other people, don't worry I don't believe everything, and look forward to your posts for experienced ideas. Any more ideas, especially on Strawberry and Scofield, and what to use there are especially good to hear. I have yet to find a consistent jig or lure or anything to use at either of these places. Keep the knowledge and ideas coming, the beginners like me need all we can get.

fishluvr
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