Yes - electric fillet knife for the overall fillet then a standard knife to cut out the rib cage. Ended up cleaning 80 fish, and from start to finish (fillet, bag, clean up), it took 2.25 hrs.
Meant to post this yesterday but forgot. Last Friday while my friend and I were slaying them, a couple guys just 20-30 yds away were smelling a skunk. An older gentleman came over to look at what we were using, I gave him my rod and told him to catch a few...which he immediately did. He was beside himself how it was so easy on my rod but he was getting blanked on his. A couple observations:
1) I was using 4 lb test with low memory, he was using 12 lb test with a TON of memory. The fish were mid-channel, so a 30+ yard cast was needed to get to the fish. He could only cast 15-20 yds with his rig.
2) Who needs 12 lb test to catch a 10" fish? Spawning WB are pretty aggressive, but were fish getting spooked by the rope he was dragging thru the water?
3) His spinner was HUGE! At least 1/4 oz maybe bigger. The fish were biting 1/16 oz size offerings. If your chosen lure/bait isn't producing, go smaller. This seems to work for me more often than not...but no always.
Catching fish seems to be a science - there's a few sure fire ways that usually produce and then alot of "testing theories" to try and figure out other ways when the tried and true methods fail. Lighter line and smaller baits are a couple of my go-to methods. Alot of the time it works, but sometimes it doesn't which leads to alot of headscratching.
Meant to post this yesterday but forgot. Last Friday while my friend and I were slaying them, a couple guys just 20-30 yds away were smelling a skunk. An older gentleman came over to look at what we were using, I gave him my rod and told him to catch a few...which he immediately did. He was beside himself how it was so easy on my rod but he was getting blanked on his. A couple observations:
1) I was using 4 lb test with low memory, he was using 12 lb test with a TON of memory. The fish were mid-channel, so a 30+ yard cast was needed to get to the fish. He could only cast 15-20 yds with his rig.
2) Who needs 12 lb test to catch a 10" fish? Spawning WB are pretty aggressive, but were fish getting spooked by the rope he was dragging thru the water?
3) His spinner was HUGE! At least 1/4 oz maybe bigger. The fish were biting 1/16 oz size offerings. If your chosen lure/bait isn't producing, go smaller. This seems to work for me more often than not...but no always.
Catching fish seems to be a science - there's a few sure fire ways that usually produce and then alot of "testing theories" to try and figure out other ways when the tried and true methods fail. Lighter line and smaller baits are a couple of my go-to methods. Alot of the time it works, but sometimes it doesn't which leads to alot of headscratching.