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Post by Brikatw on Jan 14, 2006 9:27:44 GMT 12.75
On smaller fish like bream or bluegill and crappie, I like them whole without the head. To remove scales easily, lay them on the cement and put your toe on the tail, then sray against the scales with a high pressure water nozzle. Pressure washers work great but be sure to use a fan spray. On fish like pike, gar, chain pickerel and such, maybe even walleye. Cut the tail off and use a pointed pair of shears to split the skin all the way up the spine to the head. Then you can roll it back down each side and get the "backstraps" out with little trouble. On Gar fish, I cut these backstraps into 1/2 or 3/4 inch steaks and pan fry them as I would scallops. Very tasty... How about y'all, any ideas??
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Post by Toby Benoit on Jan 14, 2006 14:26:58 GMT 12.75
Never tried the water pressure thing. I always did it the old way, with a pocket knife.
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Post by Brikatw on Jan 14, 2006 16:45:33 GMT 12.75
Works on grunts and red fish too ;D
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Post by Buckeye on Jan 28, 2006 14:52:59 GMT 12.75
Never tried the pressure washer trick. I have an electric scaler that works pretty good, and if you hold the fish under water while you're doing the scaling, scales don't get into every orifice in your body.
Most of the time, when we get a mess of perch, we stop at the local fish cleaning joint. My fishing buddy and I will donate a few hours of filleting once in a while in exchange for using his scaling machine. That thing will scale 60 perch in under 5 minutes.
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Post by gsoflittledove on Apr 8, 2006 14:30:23 GMT 12.75
On catfish I use a plastic shippen box that i picked up at the local gro. store (busted top lids in dumpster) Put two copper strips in bottem of box about 6 inches apart then attached to a old extion cord. I put cat, purch, elect. in box plug into 110 volts for 10 seconds then repete for another few seconds. This stuns the fish so they can be cleaned without jumping around and trying to run off. Only do just what you can clean in a short time. When the fishing bunch goes to Toledo Bend I get several calls to be sure and don't forget my cat box. It has sure stoped the cussin, bad tempers, and fish trying to run off.
If anyone catches a 5# or biger cat that's wearing a pair of byfocals glasses and has no britches on (please return the glasses)
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Post by Two Tales on Apr 9, 2006 19:13:14 GMT 12.75
I don't bother with the scales, haven't in a long time..I skin and fillet all my fish (except catfish we just skin them))...hate picking bones..I make a cut around the gills down tho the back bone...with the fish then laying on one side or the other, I cut along the backbone to the tail...I make a cut down each side of the Y bones and then skin the fillet off the fish....perfectly boneless, then I flip the fish over and repeat the other side...
I have a quick and easy recipe for these filet's if ya'll want it..
As many fish as need to feed your group, family or party..cleaned as described above...
place them all in a non-reactive bowl..glass, SS or plastic (plastic is the last choice) add some salt 1/2 ounce lemon juice..2 ounces of lime juice..crushed garlic, ground black pepper let them stand in the mix for 1 hour, no more than two...drain them on a kitchen towel sprinkle with red pepper and paperica..get your grill hot...above 400*F...cover with foil and paint foil with olive oil..place fish on the foil and cook one side 3 to 5 min (or until the edges turn whitish) turn being careful not to bust them up and cook for 3 to 5 more min or until done... I like these served with sliced home grown maters and home made mayo, some fresh leaf lettuce and finely chopped red onions or better still green onions...some fresh Italian or Greek bread and real creamery butter...man that makes a meal to die for....
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Post by Paws on Apr 9, 2006 19:30:42 GMT 12.75
Dude! That'll work just fine! ;D Ever do that on a flipped over Dutch oven lid? Tell you a secret. If you filet out the cat fish you don't need to skin him. That skin cooked downside first will peel right off that fish like a 3M Post It! ;D
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Post by Toby Benoit on May 31, 2006 5:37:41 GMT 12.75
Either Brian's just pulling our chain, or I don't have enough water pressure. I tried the trick he talked about above and after squirting the hell out of the bluegill they's only lost about half of their scales and I had to scale with my pocket knife anyways! Dadgum coonass! I'm just gonna have to come up there and get a lesson someday. ;D
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Post by Brikatw on May 31, 2006 6:19:58 GMT 12.75
You gots to use one of them real high speed/pressure type nozzles Toby. You know the little cone shaped ones. Of course you could always stop by the do it yourself carwash and use the high pressure sprayer there. Lots less clean up at the house. Besides, you only had to use your pocket knife to get half off this time and not all of the scales...... ;D
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Post by Paws on May 31, 2006 6:22:56 GMT 12.75
For panfish that I don't skin out I use a tablespoon to take the scales off. Whole lot faster and less messy than the old knife blade. Of course it is best to fillet. Start by scoring along the backbone and score along the dorsal side. Start your knife, electtric works great and run it down the fish and peel back the fillet from the carcass. Don't break the skin at the tail just turn the knife into the flesh and run it back up the fillet removing the skin from the flesh. This does waste some meat but less and less with practice and it really saves a lot of time especially when you got a lot to clean. Can do one in fifteen seconds with an electric knife. About a minute with a fillet blade. ;D
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Post by Brikatw on May 31, 2006 6:44:21 GMT 12.75
The REAL Coonasses down here just cornmeal and fry them little ones. I just can't do it like that. Got to get the inards out at least. Then again, I like to eat the fins too. They're kinda like "fish chips". But you are right Paws, it is hard to beat a good electric knife for filleting. ;D
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