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I'll admit it. I have gone through 5 smaller bluegill that i just butchered. I cut the filet off, but there was so much more meat leftover. Hopefully with this 8" bluegill, i can have better luck getting the meat portion off. They are still full of eggs here in Nebraska.
*update*
It didn't go well. Least i didn't cut myself.
Youll get the hang out of it, try bigger fish mabey like catfish instead of little bream
You need to be sure your fillet knife is good and sharp (I have 3 so I always have a sharp one handy). You could probably find some good videos on YouTube to watch that might help. If you're new to filleting fish, it's like anything else, you'll get better with more practice.
Yes check out youtube..alot of Fillet vid's..
Don't give up!
I disagree with the above "try bigger fish" comment. If you get the hang of cleaning small bluegill you can clean anything. Sharp knife and patience... and a few dozen bluegill. By the end you will be an expert and have the feel for hacking up a fish. Then get an electric knife... whole new world with much less work.
the problem was i was leaving a lot of meat up near the dorsal fin, so it could be how sharp the knife is or the angle i have the knife. I've watched a few of those vids on youtube. But it couldn't have been said better, i do need the practice.
Then you're not letting the knife ride along the spine. After I make a cut behind the gill (throat to back) I start down the spine, and hold up on the corner as I go, once past the ribcage, poke the knife all the way through, following the spine, until you come off at the tail. Some fillet over the ribcage, I cut around it (not much meat there). I skin mine as opposed to scaling, but that's a matter of personal preference.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisCarter
You need to "feel" the spine with your knife, but not so much you dull your knife too quickly.
Hang in there it will come to you . After you have done a few it will get easier for you
I spend the extra time to scale, gut and take the head off before filleting . The skin is the game changer in taste to me . Used to spend hours bass fishing , went to pan fish ( crappie/bream ) and have never looked back . Try entering the top about the middle , push knife through the fish and let the knife ride the backbone to the tail . Turn the fish up and place thumb in the area between backbone and fillet section and trim back to head . Following the rib cage .hope this helps and makes sense.