Queston about skinning crappie?

[saute86]

Has or does anyone skin their crappie? I saw a you tube video of a guy skinning them. I tried it and it works. I need more practice to perfect it. I normally filet them because scaling take too long and makes a mess. I am excited it has been years since I ate a crispy tail. I have scaled my last fish. All you do is make a shallow cut along both sides of the dorsal fin. Take a pair of skinning pliers starting just above the eyes and peel the skin back. On a few I can't get a good grip. I think I am doing something wrong with my cut at the head. It could also be that the fish were iced over night. Next time I will try it on live fish. Any help with how to perfect this would be appreciated.

[shadow]

Pretty cool Don! Most people that I know that eat them whole want the skin though. I always filet mine so I don't have either. I did have a buddy that would scale them and then filet them down to the tail and you would have 2 sides and the tail on each fish. He liked the taste of the skin also.

[saute86]

For me it isn't the skin its the crispy tails I like.

[jlaughlin72]

Never skinned one before, but you could always filet them, then cook the two filets and then cook the backbone with the fins, you can have both without the skin.

[Backwater Pete]

Father n law used to filet one side leave otherside whole on big ones. Another friend filets and fries bones separate for crispness!

[saute86]

Never skinned one before, but you could always filet them, then cook the two filets and then cook the backbone with the fins, you can have both without the skin.

LOL....it isn't the skin I am worried about. My mom loves whole fried fish. I hate scaling them. This is faster and less of a mess to do. Personally I like to filet them.

[Backwater Pete]

Get you a magic fish scaler! Google it. Makes it so easy! Father n law gave me one blew it off till I tried it! Amazing tool!

[fishervet]

docwaldo used the skinzit...he liked it.

[Mo'nBack]

Growing up, my dad had us skin everyone of them and he said that it took the worms out of the fish. He said the worms on crappie were just under the skin and pulled out with it. I never saw them under there, but skinned thousands. We also cut out the fins on the top and the bottom of the fish. I'll do some like that every now and then now, cause I like the taste of fish cooked with bone in it. BUT I mostly filet them.

[PawPaw Gene]

When it comes to sac-au-lait I love whole fryers. I scale them, make a cut on each side of the dorsal fin and deep fry them. I was given a fish scaler by my good friend shadow a few years back and I love it and have since bought a couple more when I came across them one day. They do all the that expensive Japanese stainless one does at a fraction of the price. $.99 at Toledo tackle and made in the good ol' USA. Works great on gills and chinks too. NO flying scales or mess, I clean most of my fish right in the kitchen.
Thanks again Dwayne, it was the best gift ever.
"gene"