Finally caught a break

It been a while since I've caught more than 5 or 6 crappie at a time. I kept trying and going to different spots , lakes, techniques, I really thought I lost my mojo��. I got invited to a private lake by a friend of a friend, we are fishing from the bank in shallow water and the crappie are hungry and big.
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I also had the pleasure of teaching my daughter the art of fileting crappie which is no big deals I think I'm a pretty good teacher, but she's a lefty. So that added a twist , I must say though for her first time she did very good didn't miss much meat and also knows how to zipper the crappie filets too������������

Way to go Kev, nice bunch of fish. And the time with the Daughter can never be replaced.

Next, the secret to your awesome fish cooing?

Well, with a lefty, you fillet one side, she does the other. Nice job

great job Kevin, time with those kids is priceless!!

That's a bunch of good eating. Way to go. What were they hitting on?

The old fashioned way just minnows, tru turn hook and lighted bobber.

nice bunch of crappies..alot of times it is just a matter of finding them and it looks like you did.....glad to see you are getting your daughter involved..

Good job Kevin, especially teaching your daughter how to fillet fish......important life lesson!

Now if I can get her to catch em like she eats em:biggrin

Nice fish

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Originally Posted by skillett007

I think I'm a pretty good teacher, but she's a lefty.

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So what's that say Kev? Either you're a good teacher or you're not??? I'm a lefty too. Maybe you can teach me one day. :cheers2

Okay Kevin, I fixed the sideways pic, now explain what it means to zipper a filet. Then we will be even. lol. :santa

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Originally Posted by "D"

now explain what it means to zipper a filet.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO6mWDyrTnA
Danny, I won't speak for Kevin but I thought I'd post this video which shows it being done at about the 1:50 mark. It's on a walleye where it might be different for crappie in Kevins case.
I never heard the term either, and I have been catching/cleaning walleye for many years......then last fall fishing with Rich, he showed me how to zipper a walleye.
Once again the lessons learned from each other.......priceless!

I learned the trick from Kevin.... Who I think learned from Jimmy.... Who may have learned from Larry.... and, well, who knows where Larry learned it!!!!

John (Steelguy) has an interesting way of filleting crappies too. I noticed his fillets when were we cooking them at the spring camp last year. If memory serves me, he cuts out the ribs and belly and leaves the backstrap and the tail section

if you zipper a northern pike all the Y bones will be in one of the pieces making it real easy to fillet them out from there. I learned zippering from Jeff who learned from Lee who learned from Billy.If I go a little farther I'm sure Kevin Bacon will be mentioned.

Now I know. Never called it that but always do something like that when cleaning saltwater fish. Redfish and speckled trout. Thanks now, I learned it from Steve, who learned it from..... you get the idea. Good job on getting the daughter involed, Kev. My 3 always liked catching, but not so much cleaning. haha
By the way Merry Christmas from Louisiana.:santa

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Originally Posted by spartannation

if you zipper a northern pike all the Y bones will be in one of the pieces making it real easy to fillet them out from there. I learned zippering from Jeff who learned from Lee who learned from Billy.If I go a little farther I'm sure Kevin Bacon will be mentioned.

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Make two cuts in the tail section instead of one. Hold on to the "tab" along with one side of the meat and do like normal. One side has no bones. With the other side, grab the tab and pull that and those other bones will come right out. No need to fillet them out! Takes out the mud line too.

I still need to be given a tutorial on filetting a Northern,I love the taste, just not the y bones.....friend of mine from Minnesota showed me the 7 step method but I was lost at step 5, maybe it was 4.

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Originally Posted by "D"

Okay Kevin, I fixed the sideways pic, now explain what it means to zipper a filet. Then we will be even. lol. :santa

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Hey D. Thanks for fixing the pic, and thanks everyone for helping explain skippering. I learned the zipper technique from jimmy. Then one day after boating some really big crappie, I zippered them all, it worked just like it did on walleye. And like rich said you get that mud line out with the tiny bones above the ribs with minimal meat loss. My wife also loves them zippered because she gets all the thin rib cage meat and I get the back straps😁😁

I think I will try the zippering the next time I get some big crappie, probably about april :fish

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Originally Posted by wicklundrh

I learned the trick from Kevin.... Who I think learned from Jimmy.... Who may have learned from Larry.... and, well, who knows where Larry learned it!!!!
John (Steelguy) has an interesting way of filleting crappies too. I noticed his fillets when were we cooking them at the spring camp last year. If memory serves me, he cuts out the ribs and belly and leaves the backstrap and the tail section

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Well, I learned it probably 20 years ago at Hoyles Marina Cleaning station.

I learned how to clean fish from my grandpa. I thought he knew everything about flitting a fish. He would think this trick is the coolest in the world!

I have enough trouble remembering to Zippering my pants anymore , but I'm going to give it a try. wonder if it would work on Northern Pike. Have a Merry Christmas Everyone