How do you all go about...

[thehines]

Well I went out for the first time in years and fished Bluegill... I have to say I had fun. I sat on the bank about 8 feet from a bluegill bed, and hammered them.

I hate to say this on here, but my wife did bring in more than I did....

I ended up just scaleing them and cutting the heads off. How do you clean them. I tried to fillet them but it was just more of a pain in the butt....

Looking for ideas cause I am going out again...Tonight

[Supracerxtreme]

gut them and cook them whole! :p your just eating the meat anyways...

[thehines]

I guess you fry them??? That is what I was going to do tonight...

[Supracerxtreme]

yeah, fried, or just cut the heads off like you said, clean out the guts then fry them whole either way has worked for me

[fishwish]

Scale....remove head & guts.....salt & pepper....shake in cornmeal.....fry in hot peanut oil.....eat until you're miserable.....then go get some more tonight and start all over again.

[thehines]

what about the dorsal fins? Just leave them on there, eat around them?

[Slipped Cork]

I almost alway's fillet mine,BUT,I occasionally keep some small one's and do like you said.I will cut down each side of the dorsal fin just enough to break the skin,when you fry them it's easier to bust them open and flick the bone's out from the inside with a fork.That's the way my great uncle taught me year's ago.Also alot of people think the tail fin fried crunchy is the best part.I usuall do this to remember him a few time's a year.

[Slipped Cork]

Sorry I did'nt state,Leave the dorsal fin on.

[MO fisherman]

If you don't like the dorsal fin on the fish when frying, just get a catfish skinning pliers for a couple of dollars at walmart and use them to remove the fins. They work great. Clamp down on the dorsal fin just below the skin and pull. The bones and fins will come right out. You will have to do it two or three times to get all the fin off. Your left with a really nice clean looking fish. It helps to start at the front adn work to the back, pulling slightly backward as you go. This works well with all small panfish and bass, even trout......Anything you want to fry or smoke whole.

[tnjeff]

I fillet the ones I catch,