The largemouth bass is the most popular freshwater game fish in the U.S. Home > Learn to Fish & Boat > How To Fish > How to Catch Fish > How to Fillet A Fish. Place the fish fillets on a lightly-oiled large baking pan or dish. Learn new fishing skills, boating resources, fishing etiquette, conservation and more. Move the fish away from the fillet to work on removing the ribs from the fillet. Position the tip of your knife at the top of the rib cage and cut downward along the rib cage all the way to the bottom of the fillet. Using a sharp knife held behind the gills and side fin, cut straight down halfway through the fish to the backbone, being sure to include the meaty spot right behind the top of the head. Put your thumb in the gills of the fish on one side. Make sure your blade stays on top of the back and belly fins and cut through the fish’s rib cage. If you don’t intend to cook the fish with its head, now is when you can remove it by slicing through the fish just in front of the pectoral fins. How to Fillet Halibut With Rafe Oliphant, Head Captain, Kodiak Legends Lodge Produced by Fish Alaska. Handling the fish properly, gliding the knife along its length skillfully, developing a feel for this, and harvesting the most meat possible all go into this art form. Position it on a cutting board with its back towards you. To scale the fish, place your scaler near the tail and rub it along the skin toward the head. Try to avoid cutting into the backbone so it’s better to cut too shallow into the fish rather than too deep. Skin the fillets by placing skin-side down and turning the fillet so that the narrowest side is towards you. Now arrange the green onion halves and lime slices on top. Repeat as needed until all scales have been removed then rinse the fish off to ensure that the skin is free of scales. Continue to cut through the body towards the tail and then exit the blade at the base of the tail.Lay the fish on the cutting board or some type of flat, hard surface. As noted above, some fish varieties are small enough to eat whole. A few simple tricks and some easy-to-follow instructions will have you preparing fish straight out of the water.Grab your sharpest fillet knife, take a deep breath, and prepare to master this major culinary feat. We can start from bleeding out a fresh catch fish in order to preserve the meat. The very first step to do on how to fillet a fish is to clean the fish. Filleting a fish is not very difficult- you need to first make a cut behind the head, then run a sharp knife closely along the back bone to release the meat. With the fillet still attached to the tail, flip it away from the fish and position the knife on the thin portion of the fillet. Step 9: Finish It Up. I have been using an American Angler model for years and it has been very dependable. Please complete the following fields to subscribe to our newsletter. HOW TO FILLET A FISH: STEPS An adult should always supervise young anglers as they learn to fillet. Bleed out the fish, if it is a fresh catch, to preserve the meat. An adult should always supervise young anglers as they learn to fillet. Gripping this tail part firmly, put the blade between the skin and the meat at an angle. Or, if no scaler is available, the back of a knife can be used. How to Fillet a Fish. To filet fish, I usually have around three kniveswith me, depending on the size of the fish. Filleting salmon may seem daunting, but the technique is not difficult to learn. Some of the fillets go straight to the frying pan while others are stored in the freezer. Be … if you're skinning the fish, which is what I do. Lay the fish on the cutting board or some type of flat, hard surface. Make a shallow cut along the back of the fish – where the skin is tough. Baking fish fillets is the easiest way to ensure a tender, flaky entrée that maintains its flavor and doesn’t dry out. A sharp fillet knife is essential to cleaning your catch and I always use an electric knife whenever electricity is available. Pat them dry using a paper towel or clean cloth before cooking. Sign-up to receive our monthly newsletter with interesting blogs about fishing and boating. Grasp the fish by its mouth and place the knife’s blade behind the fish’s gills and cut inward and downward towards the head until the blade reaches the backbone. Quality fish care makes a huge difference. There’s an art to creating a fillet. Spice fish fillets each on both sides. Having a thin and easy to manage, sharp blade will help make this entire task much less cumbersome. Get fishing tips and tricks and read personal stories from anglers who live and breathe fishing and boating. Try boneless white fish fillets like haddock, cod, and tilapia. Since fish happens to be a more tender protein, make sure to keep an eye on the skillet when frying these fillets. My model came with two blade sizes: an 8-inch model for crappie and walleye and a 5 1/2-inch version for bluegill. Pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Flat Fish Flat fish such as flounder or sole yield four fillets, rather than two, so the process is slightly different. The knife will naturally stop at the fish’s head. Simply place the tip of the knife into the fish’s anus next to the tail and cut forward toward the head. You’ve had a great day of fishing. Hold the fish and slice between the meat and skin to … A fillet knife is dangerous and must be handled safely. Thread a rope through the fish's mouth and out of its gills and let it bleed out into the water for a few minutes. Now that the fish is clean, you’re ready to cook the smaller pieces. Save Rinse off your fillets over cold water and rub off any scales and blood that are still stuck in your fish. Angling your knife and slicing close to the ribs guarantees you will retain the most meat on your fillet. At about the center of the spinal column, you can pull the fillet up to release some of the bones that stick up into the fillet, then continue … Gutting: Learning how to gut a fish is actually relatively easy. Hold the fish by the tail. Turn the fish over and repeat steps 2 and 3. Cover with the buttery lime mixture you prepared earlier. Make a shallow incision with your knife or scissors under the fish's gills, and snap its head backwards to break the spinal cord. If frying in batches, add more oil as needed and bring up to temperature before adding fillets. Neither scaling nor removing the head is necessary. I recommend either a store-bought model or a flat scrap piece of lumber (avoid using treated wood though to prevent any chemicals from soaking into your fillets). To fillet a fish, lay it on its side on a flat surface. Learning how to fillet a fish is easier that you think. A cleaning board is a must. Knife Selection. Mystery Tackle Pro Box Unboxing (Multi-Species January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Elite Unboxing (January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Unboxing (January 2021), 7 Crappie Lures You Can Rely On All Winter Long, 3 Ways To Rig The Googan Squad Bandito Bug. Hold the fish and slice between the meat and skin to remove the fillet. Mix up a lemon-butter mixture, drizzle it on, and pop into the oven. Select a state to find fishing and boating information: Get started fishing today, purchase your fishing license online, check regulations and more. Try to avoid cutting into the backbone so it’s better to cut too shallow into the fish rather than too deep. Fish fillets are served lean, but if you wish to keep the fat, you can leave this on. Place the tip of the knife in and run from the heat to tail, along the bones. Continue running your knife through the fish and create your first fillet. Slice underneath the gill plate, as you would with a round fish; then gently feel the fish's musculature through the skin. While I’m not sure about that, I do know that a sharp knife is key when filleting fish. I place a certain amount in a Ziploc freezer bag and mark on the bag the number of fillets and the date of the catch for future reference. Run the blade at a shallow angle to avoid slicing through the skin and making sure to cut as close to the skin as you can to get the most meat for the fillet. Next, insert the knife blade close to the rib bones and slice the entire rib section of each fillet away. A fillet knife is dangerous and must be handled... To fillet a fish, lay it on its side on a flat surface. Do you like this content? Harvesting your catches right height to minimize back strain from bending over much. Instructions below to learn harvesting your catches back of a bowl, turn over the fish and the. 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