Fillet method that saves meat.

I've crappie fished with dozens of different people therefore I've cleaned fish with just about that many. One thing is true... we all have our own way of doing it. I was listening to the radio one day, my mind drifted while cleaning fish and I made a mistake in the process and discovered a new twist that made it easier and save meat.

My old method: Cut entire side off fish, flip, cut other side off, stack sides until I have about a dozen, then take sides and remove from skin, then remove ribs... done.

My new method: Cut entire side off fish, flip, cut other side off, stack sides, etc... then take the side, with the electric knife at an angle remove the bones with a cuping/scooping/rotating action of the knife. The skin holds the fillet/meat rigid making removal of the bones cleaner. Your knife can follow the bones underside. Now just remove the meat from skin as usual. Compare fillets from the two methods and you'll see a more tapered fillet where you saved the meat behind the ribs and a nice "thumb" from not going too far down below the ribs.

I've deliberately divided a catch and used my old and new methods... the new method was way better looking, cleaner, uniform fillets.

Anyone else use this method? I've shown this to several fish buddies and the ones using it now are impressed with the increased speed and higher yield.

I'll give it a try next time. Thanks

You need that on U-tube.;)

Good idea will try

Do you cut the fillet all the way off the fish? I always stop short and flip the fillet over cut the bones and then the meat off the skin. Then the skin stays with the carcass.
I have trouble holding the fillet once it is cut all the way off the fish. That is why I leave just a little skin attached at the tail.

Darin

I remove the side fillet from the fish. I used to leave the side tagged to the tail area, but doing it this way you can't do that. Once you remove the flesh from the skin you're back to my old way. We fried some fish and frog legs last night. As I was cooking I could identify my fillets from those cleaned by others very easily.

Will give it a try.
Have not been frog gigging in years. Gonna have to take the boys gigging one night.
Darin

Thats the way I was taught to do it also. I think it is faster to

I cut one side at a time, stopping short of the tail then flip the fillet over and cut the skin off then cut at an angle under the ribs to remove. Like mentioned earlier everyone has their method and i hate to change. lol i can get through a good mess of fish with my method

I pretty much do it the same as you guys who leave it tagged at the tail. I get poked at quite a bit because I'm so stingy with the meat... try to get all the meat that I can and try to get over the ribs to get the belly meat which usually leaves a Y-shaped fillet. I've not caught any crappie but when I do figure them out and learn to catch them I'll be using this same technique. Since I've learned to fillet fish I've not scaled one in YEARS!