To skin, or not to skin?

[Dookie Ray]

I had a buddy of mine bring me some catfish yesterday that he caught while juglining. One was a good 30+ lb yellow cat and 2 5lb blues. I skinned the big one first and after fighting all that string that sticks to the meat, I decided to fillet the skin off of the litter ones. So my question is how do you all clean big cats? That fish was WAY too big for me to get a fillet knive all the way across it. The smaller ones were a breeze and turned out much nicer. Any suggestions. Thanks

Dook

[shadslinger]

On big cats I lay them on their side and start a cut in the deprseeion where their dorasl fin meets the body. From there I cut up to towards the head but above the belly rib cage, and towards the tail as far as I can feeling the knife stay on top of the bones down the fishes lateral line. Then I cut from the anal fin up towards the first cut untill I can join the two cuts. I work the knife up around the belly rib cage untill I join up with the first cut and pull the whole fillet off with the skin. Then starting in the middle I cut the skin away from the meat in both directions. You wind up with 2 pieces per side of skinless bonelss fillet. Fillets on big ones are two big to do anything with without cutting them up anyway.

[jighed]

We fillet all of ours.

[yakfishin]

I hope you saved the belly of the Yellow cat.

[fishinganimal]

SS hit it right on the head. I do all of my bigger fish that way. Saves on the blades on my fillet knife. Striper rib cage is tough also I do them all that way.

[Dookie Ray]

I hope you saved the belly of the Yellow cat.
Absolutely! That is one of my favorite cuts!

[Magnolia]

I CPR those big uns so they can make millions more babies!!!

[RAYSOR]

I fillet all mine with an electric knife, but as a rule of thunb let all fish over 10 lbs I let go.

[Dookie Ray]

I CPR those big uns so they can make millions more babies!!!

I fillet all mine with an electric knife, but as a rule of thunb let all fish over 10 lbs I let go.

I agree with both of you 100% on this point, but I sure wasn't going to let that beauty go to waste. He just didn't want any of the fish and since I cooked everything in my freezer after Ike, sure needed it. Thanks to all for your help.

Dook

[Magnolia]

Yep, it does come in handy when its needed. I've had folks give me big cats while loading my boat in the parking lot. When they are at that point, I take home and eat 'em..........

[shadslinger]

When you do white bass that way it only takes 6 cuts to have 2 boneless fillets. Just start at their head above the belly rib cage and cut down to the anal fin, following the arc of the rib cage. Then start at the head with an angled knife and cut the meat away from the carcass/rib cage and when you get to the anal fin you can level the blade out to finish.

[bueyescowboy]

boy those big things are a bogger to clean. I have fillet mine but generally ruin my electric knife in the process. I do release mine most of the time but I caught a couple last year on a trot line and they had damaged to them so I kept 'em.