The best fillet knife for the job is not only sharp, but flexible. It’s not difficult, but it does require some time because you need a lot of fish for a good fry. 1. I use a plastic cutting mat, specifically for fish. While holding the skin, cut in the direction of where the head used to be. The best ones – if you can locate them – are about the size of your hand. Larger bluegills make this process a bit easier. The alternative method to get rid of bluegill is administered just like the traditional method. Serving Northern Indiana In and Near Kosciusko County. Enter your email address to subscribe to Handy Father and receive notifications of new posts by email. (Again, this method is for a right-handed person.) Step 6: Now that the fillet is cut from the bluegill, cut the small row of bones from the middle of the fillet. Stop before you reach the tail, leaving the end attached. To obtain the maximum meat, cut very close to the skin. both paperbook and ebook formats. A lot of people clean them quickly leaving bone pieces etc. Maintaining downward pressure on the flat side of the knife, continue cutting back toward and finally through and out at the tail. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window). I’m not really sure where the name pan-fish came from; my sense is that they were just small fish that were scaled, gutted and gilled and tossed into the fry pan. Focus on these few tips for filleting bluegill. If the ‘gills are fairly large, four to six fish per person will do rather nicely for a fish fry… although it depends upon how hungry you are after cleaning all those fish! Bluegills are a type of panfish that are most commonly referred to as sunfish. With repetition, your skill will grow, so don’t waste meat on the big guy. As effective method for luring Bass to your bait is to pull the line when the Bluegill is hooked. Don't slice through, leave a small piece attached. Then, rotate the fish through almost 180 degrees so that the dorsal or back side of the fish is facing you and, starting at the back of the head, use the tip of the knife to cut through the tough skin and to a point that is located just about at the end of the dorsal fin. This procedure is very similar to cleaning other small fish. Kab Cakes are a great way to use your catch of bluegills but can be made with any combination of fish. Order Bluegill is easier to catch on bait but will bite lures as well. Cut downward, following the curve of the rib cage, and gradually working your way forward towards the front of the rib cage. The 8 steps for How to fillet bluegill. Tips on how to Fillet a Bluegill Due therefore to their abundance in freshwater lakes across the u . When the fillet is removed, place it, with rib cage still attached, on a sheet of wax paper. Once caught, cleaning, gutting and cooking the bluegill is relatively simple. The tip of the knife will be at the depth it will hit the rib cage. nice little boneless fillet. Make the first cut down and into the fish just behind the All Rights Reserved. your copy today! Good! With the fillet barely attached to the tail, flip it away from the fish. Step 7: Rinse the fillet in water, checking to be sure any scales and bones are gone. Here is how to fillet a gill with an electric knife. Make them with fresh fish from your favorite fishing spot! Step 4: Now, back where the rib cage is still attached to the fillet, pull up on the meat where the cut is, and start cutting the meat back with your fillet knife. (They are very similar to crab cakes but use freshwater fish instead of crab.). Here I will show you how to do it properly so you don’t have bones to deal with. Once past the ribs, cut the fillet free from the head-end of the fish, and flay it open. Please enable JavaScript on your browser to best view this site. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. my Filleting Small Mouth Bass article). With the fillet barely attached to the tail, flip it away from the fish. When fishing for these panfish, the bluegill can be found near docks and logs and in weed-heavy waters. better than Crab Cakes). Then flip the fish over and fillet the other side. This doesn’t mean dead bluegill or cut bait won’t get the job done. You will also see how to clean the fillets once you are done filleting. Your email address will not be published. Step 1: Start with a nice and clean, flat cutting surface. Northern Sky The point at the end of the dorsal fin is approximately where the rib cage stops. Slice the fish from behind the gills to the backbone. Step through the process of filleting a Bluegill with us, it’s not hard and well worth the time spent. Also necessary is a good fillet knife. Slide the knife between the skin and meat to remove the skin (see Remove the first boneless fillet by … Position your knife on the narrow portion of the fillet, and while holding the fish, slice between the meat and the skin to remove the fillet. Slice all the way to the fish's tail without removing the skin yet. (Again, this method is for a right-handed About ten years ago, I was taken to a small lake for the singular purpose of catching ‘gills for a fish fry. The live Bluegill tends to cover more area within the water when they are hooked this way. The last cut to make will be through the belly: the one that allows you to detach the fillet from the carcass. It will. Designs, LLC Watch Queue Queue Don’t worry if you don’t get this perfect at first. Use a fillet knife to slice all the way down the fillet. Make the first cut down and into the fish just behind the pectoral fin. Then we will show you how to clean those fillets and cook them. How to Use Live Bluegill as Bait for Big Bass. We hope this short article is helpful for you, all fishing lovers. They go by myriad names – like Step 2: Make a vertical cut in the bluegill just behind the pectoral fin and gill flap, from top to bottom, almost half way through the fish. I just started the electric fillet knife thing last year, and it was amazing. JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. Filleting Instructions: Start by placing the fish belly side towards you with the head of the fish on your left. Once the knife is past the rib cage, insert the knife all the way through to the bottom of the fish, and keep cutting toward the tail, while keeping the knife as close to the spine as possible. Saved by adnan botoinjic. A sharp fillet knife is essential to cleaning your catch and I always use an electric knife whenever electricity is available. Bluegill is a popular fish for ice fishermen in the wintertime. If you keep the knife blade along the skin, you won't waste any … Go catch some bluegills! How to fillet bluegill? But when I tasted the results, it was I who was literally hooked. Cut the fillet free at the tail. This goes over how to properly clean a bluegill, and get the most meat off of it. Small 1 inch minnows, little spoons, marabou jigs, pretty much anything meant for crappie with a small enough hook and presentation will work wonders for bluegill. When fishing for Bass, It is recommended to hook the Bluegill right behind the dorsal fin. Tips on how to Fillet a Bluegill. Your email address will not be published. Hold the knife crosswise across the fillet and insert the knife between the skin and the flesh. These have been 8 steps how to fillet bluegill. Once you clean a few fish you will get the hang of it. I find it best to start with a decent sized bluegill, but if you have a whole mess of them to clean, don’t start with the biggest. I ... My model came with two blade sizes: an 8-inch model for crappie and walleye and a 5 1/2-inch version for bluegill. The cakes have an outstanding flavor, are easy to make, and are perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even as an appetizer. my article on Removing the Skin from Fish Fillets) and what is left should be a Lay out the fish with the skin side down. Arrange the bluegill fillets on the baking sheet with the skin side down. Step-by-step tutorial on how to fillet a bluegill or sunfish. You’ll then catch the fish by its tail and take away the fillet during a jerk that slides downwards. MMMM!! (If you have a lot of fish to fillet, you may save the rinsing for the end). Now push the knife blade all the way through the fish and out the belly side. We always manage to bring back 50 or 60 for a fish fry. pectoral fin. Here we will show you how to Fillet Bluegills and Sunfish leaving no bones or skin, just a nice tasty fish fillet. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Electric Knife Fishing Youtube Youtubers Peaches Youtube Movies Gone Fishing. Copyright © 2001-2020. and this is a quick demonstration!!!!! Be careful not to cut through the ribs. Then just flip that side off to expose the meat side of the fillet while its still connected to the fish and just run the blade down the fillet to remove it from the skin. About half way past the ribs is a line of small bones which you should cut through. If you happen to run out of living bait. On my annual journey north to vacation in Minnesota, I now make a point of setting aside one day just for bluegill fishing. your own Pins on Pinterest Focus on these few tips for filleting bluegill. This will preserve a lot of meat on the ribs and down toward the belly. Start by placing the fish belly side towards you with the head of Source. How to Fillet a Bluegill: Begin by laying your fillet knife behind the pectoral fin. The ribcage has a little meat on it and if u fry it its just gonna be alla crispy!!!! The recipe for Kab Cakes can be found Brush the top of each fillet with low-fat Italian dressing, using a basting brush. There is nothing quite like a big bluegill dinner and munching on fillets with no bones in them whatsoever. Visit our profile page at This procedure is very … complete set of instructions Position your knife on the narrow portion of the fillet, and while holding the fish, slice between the meat and the skin to remove the fillet. By the way, if you have a great spot for catching blue gills, it is a tremendous way to get a kid hooked on fishing. |. Cut the flesh carefully away from the rib cage. Hello all of fishing lovers, Today's post is "Tips on how to Fillet a Bluegill". Step 8: Flip the bluegill over and repeat on the other side. At this point, the fillet is only attached at the rib cage and the belly. Do it differently? Today, I’m going to break down the quick and straightforward process of frying and assembling fish tacos. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Step 5: With the bluegill flayed open, and using the fillet knife, start at the tail-end of the fillet and cut the meat from the skin/scales. You will get almost all of the meat off of the bluegill and zero bones when using this method. This video is unavailable. Im not wasting MEAT!!!!! do you want a quick way to get boneless skinless bluegill fillets. Watch Queue Queue. Leave me a comment, or tweet @handyfather. Repeat the process for the other side of the fish. We won’t cover how to clean a fish but learn more on that here – How To A Fillet … I use a plastic cutting mat, specifically for fish. I am pretty fast and accurate when it comes to the regular fillet knife, but I can do about 3 to 1 with the electric. (This is almost identical to the cut one would make along the back of a small mouth bass when filleting it (see is owned, designed, maintained and hosted by The cut here will not be very deep – you only need to cut to the point where the ribs attach to the backbone. the Recipe section of the On the Lake. ! Filleting a bluegill is easy to do if you have a good technique. This cut is also illustrated in the franklloydwrightsites.com | I took pictures of every step so if you do not wish to see a cut up bluegill do not continue to read. This recipe highlights bluegill, but I’ve used this same process with perch, crappie, northern pike, walleye, catfish, and rock bass. How To Easily Fillet your Bluegill, Crappie, Rock Bass or other Panfish . Now, lifting the small slab of the fillet, use the tip of the knife to begin to separate the meat from the rib cage. How to Fillet a Goliath Grouper; How to Clean Tilapia; Easy Way to Debone a Trout; How to Fry Fish That Was Frozen; www.fcps.k12.va.us . Sometimes the boat can be anchored and bobbers can be used or, if the location is right, all the fun can be had from shore! I struggled through filleting my first several; a friend then showed me how. person.) Feb 2, 2017 - This Pin was discovered by Concepcion D. Discover (and save!) How to fillet a blue gill with an electric knife. The action can be fast and furious when they start to hit, and it can be tough to keep your line in the water. Make sure the knife blade stays above the backbone/spine of the fish. Live bluegill is going to be much more appealing to the monsters of the water and your gigantic blue catfish and monster flathead catfish. When the fillet is removed, place it, with rib cage still attached, on a sheet of wax paper. How to fillet a bluegill. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Their abundance makes them a great fish to transplant for anglers. Filleting Bluegills & Sunfish. The best fillet knife for the job is not only sharp, but flexible. Required fields are marked *. I even use bluegills now to make what I call Kab Cakes (almost During this method, you’ll pass the belly of the fish only halfway through the fillet then you slice all the way through the tail. Bluegills are a freshwater fish that can be found in all three countries in North America. This method comes in handy especially if the fish are a bit on the small side. The most difference is that within the traditional method, you’ll not cut the fish off the rib bones. bream, sunfish, blue bream, sun perch, blue sunfish, sunfish, sunperch, coppernose, copperbelly or bluegills – and are over-looked by many due to their diminutive size. To save flesh, the blade should graze the bones. Cut all the way through the ribs and down to the main bone. Step 3: With the top of the fish facing you, start at the first incision, and using the tip of the fillet knife, cut along the spine toward the tail. You may find as I do, that one side always seems to be a bit easier than the other – especially at first. Also necessary is a good fillet knife. PRACTICE ON SOME BLUEGILL FIRST...DON"T WANT TO SCREW UP YOUR CRAPPIE! for filleting bluegills, bass, northern and walleye is available in I find it easier to start at the rear of the rib cage/back of the fish. 5. onthefox.com | How to Fillet a Bluegill or Sunfish: Step-by-step instructions on how to clean one of the best-tasting species of fish on the planet. Slip the knife out and flip the fish over and do the same on the other side, leaving it connected at the tail also. When you have a larger fish, the tail-to-head method of filleting can be a little awkward. We've dubbed this recipe “Kab” Cakes since they were first made with fresh fish from Lake Kabetogama, Minnesota. in I was pretty skeptical until, among a four-boat group, we returned with over 150 of the little guys in about an hour’s worth of fishing. As a kid, I caught many from the river that ran through our town but never gave a thought to eating them. Check out how I fillet a bluegill or sunfish. Thanks for watching! Flatheads tend to opt for the live bait only, but cut bait is also a viable option to catch a flathead. onthepacific.com Electric fillet knife is the way to go, however, there are some that I have my trusty old fillet knife for. The curve of the rib cage is rather steep and therefore somewhat difficult to follow – as always, a sharp knife is a must and practice makes perfect. To obtain the maximum meat, cut very close to the skin. The best part is that the recipe can be made in advance and then assembled at the last minute. Move the knife along the spine, again not to cut through. Filleting them was another matter: the size and anatomy of the fish make filleting them something of a chore. That is the question! OntheLake.net the fish on your left. Don’t forget them, because you can come to my house anytime for a meal of fish, but if you can master how to fillet bluegill yourself, I’ll have fed you for a lifetime! Step 1: Start with a nice and clean, flat cutting surface. Filleting Bass article.