# Fish cleaning



## Rjallen683 (Sep 28, 2014)

Anybody know of anywhere in central Ohio where you can get your catch cleaned and fillet. I'm getting tired of butchering my catch with all these cheap fillet knives that seem to go dull after about 5 fish.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I think up around lake erie is about the only place that you can consistently find fish cleaners. My suggestion would be to stop buying cheap knives and get yourself a good steel or ceramic rod to touch them up every few fish. I have a fairly expensive knife that I use, but it was a gift. However, honestly I've always loved the wooden handled Rapala knives that are relatively cheap. The trick is to not let them get dull. A couple quick swipes on a rod every few fish will do the trick. 

I'm not a fan of the electric knives, but a lot of people swear by them. That's another option as well.


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## Rjallen683 (Sep 28, 2014)

Maybe I just don't have the touch. Everything you've named I already have including electric knife and wooden handle rapala.


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## Rjallen683 (Sep 28, 2014)

Might just have to bite the bullet and spend 50 bucks on a bubba


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

I doubt your problem is the knives you have but rather with the knife holder

What kind of fish do you normally keep to clean? If they are anything but a catfish I would be happy to meet up with you and show you how to easily and effectively clean a fish with an electric or manual sometime. I'm sure others would be willing to do the same for you.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Like Lundy id help ya out... I'm in south east cumbus area. Anytime man...


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

How often are you cleaning fish? Rapala knives have been great for me. Just a thought, but do you scale your fish with your knife? I usually fillet the skin off but i know some people enjoy the skin on. Scaling your fish with the knife probably would dull it after a few hearty fish. But ya I've heard the bubba knives are awesome too.


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## Rjallen683 (Sep 28, 2014)

Lundy said:


> I doubt your problem is the knives you have but rather with the knife holder
> 
> What kind of fish do you normally keep to clean? If they are anything but a catfish I would be happy to meet up with you and show you how to easily and effectively clean a fish with an electric or manual sometime. I'm sure others would be willing to do the same for you.[/QUOTE
> 
> ...


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## Rjallen683 (Sep 28, 2014)

I don't keep a ton so I maybe clean them I'd say maybe twice a month. Sometimes I do pretty good then sometimes I just butcher them. My troubles are usually when I try and find the backbone to cut against.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

How is your knife sharpening skills?
While the knives with better steel in them may keep an edge a bit longer, they will still dull and require regular touching up/sharpening. If that is not being done correctly, it doesn't matter how expensive the knife is, you'll end up with a knife that doesn't work well.
If you start out with a knife that isn't all that sharp then you won't be anything but aggravated. 
As beaver said, once you get it sharp, it's not all that hard to keep it that way using a set of sticks. But you can ruin an edge quickly even using sticks if your not keeping the same angle all the time as you sharpen. 

Here is a good reference on angles when sharpening knives for various jobs:

Hunting Knives
Pocket Knives
Survival Knives
Sport Knives
*25 - 30 Degrees*

Chef's Knives
Kitchen Knives
Smaller Knives
Boning Knives
Carving Knives
*18 - 25 Degrees*

Fillet Knives
Paring Knives
Razors
X-Acto Knives
*12-18 Degrees

Just remember, as a rule, the lower the angle, the sharper the edge but the faster that edge will disappear and more touch up is required.

FWIW, I sharpen my fillet knives at 20 degrees and they do just fine. Again, the key is to keep the angle persistant.*


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Rjallen683 said:


> I don't keep a ton so I maybe clean them I'd say maybe twice a month. Sometimes I do pretty good then sometimes I just butcher them. My troubles are usually when I try and find the backbone to cut against.


Lol I remember when my uncle first taught me how to use an electric knife... I told him I just have a hard time getting as close to the back bone as I can. He just laughed and said that's cleaning fish
How long have you been doing it? The easiest fish to fillet imo is a saugeye. Keep practicing on them. Find a knife that fits you (I use the cheapest electric kitchen knife I can find). And stick with it. Slow down an take your time.
I didn't get "good" at filleting fish until I did it a lot on a consistent basis.
Watch a few u tube videos and find the way you like to do it. Pay attention to what angle your using your blade at.


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## Rjallen683 (Sep 28, 2014)

Thanks for the input guys.


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## lacdown (Apr 25, 2007)

Andy at Cheshire Market at Alum in the summer will do it for $1/lb sometimes. Minimum 10 lbs of fish.


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## percidaeben (Jan 15, 2010)

Filleting takes practice. I'm sure my skill level has dropped over this last year because didn't do very well! Ha! Just keep at it and keep knife sharp. I use Rapala 7"-9" and have my whetstone right there to continually sharpen


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

There are tons of "how to fillet" videos on YouTube for all species...


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## a.c shiner (Mar 11, 2012)

If your going through the backbone my opinion is to back off don't be greedy at first. It's ok to leave a little meat until you get the hang of it.also I find it easiest for me cause I'm lefty it head pointed right belly out that's how I start mine. And honestly the best thing is practice my dad taught me as a small child I was always the "hander" as I like to call my girls some of my best memories as a child was playing with fish in a bucket while dad cleaned them and as I got older he would always leave me 5 or 6 and before I knew it I was mad because I had to clean the fish. Now my girls are the ones helping me I'll be so proud of one day they take off and learn thE "ART" of cleaning fish.


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## chumthrower (Mar 15, 2006)

Rjallen683 said:


> Anybody know of anywhere in central Ohio where you can get your catch cleaned and fillet. I'm getting tired of butchering my catch with all these cheap fillet knives that seem to go dull after about 5 fish.[/QUOTE





Rjallen683 said:


> Anybody know of anywhere in central Ohio where you can get your catch cleaned and fillet. I'm getting tired of butchering my catch with all these cheap fillet knives that seem to go dull after about 5 fish.


 I'm here in Cbus & I'll give you a hand. I've had all the expensive knives but for years my "go to" are cheap Black & Decker electrics from Walmart. I've cleaned hundreds of walleyes with them. All you need is a little time in the saddle. It's the only way to go. Happy to help.


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## guppygill (May 8, 2004)

I felt like you to at times cleaning fish, hate it after a long day of fishing. When I bought my electric, it saved so much time.


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

Put your fish on ice and let them get stiff before you clean them. It makes it much easier to get clean cuts. You will be able to cut very close the back bone this way.


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## partlyable (Mar 2, 2005)

Let one of the guys on here show you how to clean some fish and sharpen your knife and after that it's just lots of practice. I like others started when I was 6 or so I have been doing it for 20 years. Then I look at my friends who clean fish 2-3 times a year and it takes them a long time and they butcher quite a few. It's honestly all practice. The more you do it the better you will get!


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## dbortolani (Jun 1, 2016)

I take the two fillets off the backbone with a knife, then use an electric knife to take the fillets off the skin. Agree with the ice recommendation.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

supercanoe said:


> Put your fish on ice and let them get stiff before you clean them. It makes it much easier to get clean cuts. You will be able to cut very close the back bone this way.


Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that what you're doing is wrong, if it works fine for you that's great, I however prefer to keep my fish alive until I clean them, then some solid blows directly behind the eyes with a small ball peen hammer to crush the brain cavity then immediately begin filleting. When done this way the fish will gush blood witch is important for the flavor of the meat. Fish that have been bled will taste better than ones that haven't been, I can tell a big difference anyways.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

I guess you could kill and bleed them before ice, kill them and cut the tail or head off. That should work


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

Catch fish, pop gill, throw in cooler. Go home, Hose fish off in cooler, drain out excess water/blood and clean fish once chilled and firm. This will give you the cleanest and largest fillets possible. The fillets will be blood free, and so will your cleaning table.


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## fishermanbob (Dec 14, 2011)

Rjallen683 said:


> Might just have to bite the bullet and spend 50 bucks on a bubba


i agree. bubba blade


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I've never used a Bubba, but I've never heard anyone that was impressed after buying one. They say they only good thing about them is the handle.


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

supercanoe said:


> Catch fish, pop gill, throw in cooler. Go home, Hose fish off in cooler, drain out excess water/blood and clean fish once chilled and firm. This will give you the cleanest and largest fillets possible. The fillets will be blood free, and so will your cleaning table.


Yes, catch, cut gill to bleed, put on ice. With Salmon we them hang off the side of the boat after ctaching on a rope stringer, cut the gills and let bleed out for a few minutes as we drag them along and then put on ice.


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## undertaker (Jan 20, 2013)

Cleaning fish takes practice, start with 2 good sharp knifes, have your steel handy. I try to touch up my knifes every couple fish.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Lundy said:


> Yes, catch, cut gill to bleed, put on ice. With Salmon we them hang off the side of the boat after ctaching on a rope stringer, cut the gills and let bleed out for a few minutes as we drag them along and then put on ice.


Onion/potato sacks can be used for holding and bleeding smaller fish by hanging them over the boat as well. 
Watched an old timer down in Fla. doing this with he and his wife's catch of shell crackers and crappies. He then would put bag and all in cooler of ice. Come cleaning time at end of day, his fish were already all bagged and bled and made it easy for him to remove fish from cooler, dump blood,ice directly into the water at the boat. He would then carry bags to fish cleaning house at the camp.


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## Gottagofishn (Nov 18, 2009)

I agree with the rest.... (my favorite knife is either the wooden handle or black handle Rapala, size according to size of the fish) Ultra sharp, keep a steel on the table and hit it every few fish, bright light, take your time and you be filleting like a master in no time!


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

The knife that works best for me is a victorinox 6 inch boning knife. Made by the Swiss army knife people, It's way stiffer than a fillet knife and I love that about it, decent steel to it will stay razor sharp if you touch it up now and again.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)




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## ChromeBone (Oct 3, 2011)

As long as the knife is sharp you dont even really need a fillet knife, when I was in high school I worked in a kitchen with this guy who used a cleaver for everything. He would even fillet fish with it. You just need practice. Depending on the fish I fillet mine in different ways. Maybe you should try instead of going along the backbone longways on the fish. Cut a slit across the top of the fish and slice down slowly across the ribbs down to the belly and it might be easier for you.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

ChromeBone said:


> As long as the knife is sharp you dont even really need a fillet knife, when I was in high school I worked in a kitchen with this guy who used a cleaver for everything. He would even fillet fish with it. You just need practice. Depending on the fish I fillet mine in different ways. Maybe you should try instead of going along the backbone longways on the fish. Cut a slit across the top of the fish and slice down slowly across the ribbs down to the belly and it might be easier for you.


You are correct about the object used to fillet fish doesn't necessarily have to be a fillet knife...or even a knife at all. Used to watch an oriental lady at a fish place at the North Market in Cols. fillet fish and never touch a knife. She did it with her finger nails. Especially the nails on her index fingers and thumbs. And she could fillet a fish faster than anyone I've ever seen and you could read the newspaper thru the skeleton when she was done.
Used to enjoy watching her so much that if nobody was in line buying fish, I would buy some just to watch her.
She always had an audience watching her.


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

I bet her hands had a permanent fish smell. Lol

Where the flexible filet knife is handy is when it comes to taking the skin off, and on smaller fish. I've never tried it, but I'd imagine it would be tricky trying to fillet an average size bluegill with a butcher knife. 

I agree that the sharpness of the knife is more important than the style of knife though. I'd rather have a sharp pocket knife than a dull fillet knife.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Yep...don't care what kind of knife it is, if it's not sharp, it's not worth having.
Years ago a buddy of mine that was new to deer hunting came to the house to deer hunt. I couldn't go out do to work. That afternoon, he shot a deer. I got home about 4pm to find him sitting on the porch. He was waiting for me to walk out with him and show him how to field dress.
We got to his deer and he pulls out a 10lb Bowie knife. The thing was pretty....but was so dull it wouldn't hardly cut through the hide.
Ended up dressing the deer with my old Shrade 50T pocket knife.
He not only learned that day to dress a deer but more importantly that it doesn't take a machete to dress a deer and it sure makes the job easier that whatever knife you have it needs to be sharp.


That goes for cleaning any game...fish included. Want to make a mess of things...want a better chance of cutting yourself, use a dull knife.


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## matticito (Jul 17, 2012)

Maybe i dont catch as many fish, im still on my first rapala knife. Dont think I've sharpened it yet.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

matticito said:


> Maybe i dont catch as many fish, im still on my first rapala knife. Dont think I've sharpened it yet.


I have rapala 6" wooden handle,last 10 years I filet 1000 fish any size,never sharpen the nife,only tuch with 1/2 round fine file after fileting,only swipe the file 3 times a side,
the nife is used only for fileting,never cut anything with that,use deferent nife for cutting difrent thinks,you can shave hare with my nife.
how they say just practice,practice make perfect,
no practice make babies.


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## dbortolani (Jun 1, 2016)

I have one of these...they work nicely on Crappie is they are big enough.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

ChromeBone said:


> As long as the knife is sharp you dont even really need a fillet knife, when I was in high school I worked in a kitchen with this guy who used a cleaver for everything. He would even fillet fish with it. You just need practice. Depending on the fish I fillet mine in different ways. Maybe you should try instead of going along the backbone longways on the fish. Cut a slit across the top of the fish and slice down slowly across the ribbs down to the belly and it might be easier for you.


This how I was originally taught bye my g-pa


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

An yeah I'm not gonna lie. That guy was cutting fish just as fast as I can with his bubba blade.an I use electric....
I'd think that would be awfull on a blade though?


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

Saugeyefisher said:


> An yeah I'm not gonna lie. That guy was cutting fish just as fast as I can with his bubba blade.an I use electric....
> I'd think that would be awfull on a blade though?


Why? The only thing he's cutting through besides meat are the thin rib bones. On pan fish, I can barely feel any resistance. I do my panfish exactly how he does and I hit the steel about once every three fish. I could probably go more really, but every three fish is about how long I like to go between drinks. 

I'd imagine some of the larger walleye and thicker boned fish would damage a blade cutting through the ribs. However, when they get that size, they're easier to cut around the ribs instead of through them.


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

beaver said:


> Why? The only thing he's cutting through besides meat are the thin rib bones. On pan fish, I can barely feel any resistance. I do my panfish exactly how he does and I hit the steel about once every three fish. I could probably go more really, but every three fish is about how long I like to go between drinks.
> 
> I'd imagine some of the larger walleye and thicker boned fish would damage a blade cutting through the ribs. However, when they get that size, they're easier to cut around the ribs instead of through them.


the guy is doing good job.
I clean all spieces same,i never cut one bone with my knife.
1,one cut behind head like him.
2.push the nife behind the but opening,from bottom bely to top back and push to tail to feel the bone.
3.turn the fish,start behind head and slice the nife on the bones all the way to bely fins.
4. take skin of.
5.cut out the mitel bone.
somebody show me that this way,then I lern that and never change.
I have few new electric nifes,i never use on fish,i have more confident with nife,biger fish I use 9" nife.


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