# best way to clean a flounder?



## aglaw (Jul 11, 2005)

What do you do? I have tried a couple ways and seem to always get a bunch of bones in it.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

*Flounder*

Cut their head off and remove their guts.You will notice on both sides they have a line down the middle of them ,you have to fillet them in 4 pieces.cut down this line into the rib cage and the trim along the rib cage out and flip and trim off the skin.do both sides and you will end up with 4 fillets and no bones.

Capt.Bob


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## Transport22 (Dec 2, 2004)

That is exactly what I do with the bigger flounder. Works nice. For smaller flounder, just take the head off and remove guts and scales.


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## texan52 (Sep 7, 2004)

I skin the smaller ones like a catfish! Fry em' whole. Fillet the bigger ones.


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

*For scaling them....*

The easiest way is to buy a stainless steel wire brush. Keep them wet until ready to scale, and will do a great job with a minimum of effort!! Gets into all the nooks and crannies too!! For those that like "skin on trout" works great too. Dont try on RF--wont work!

Later
R3F


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## TXXpress (May 23, 2004)

Capt.Bob said:


> Cut their head off and remove their guts.You will notice on both sides they have a line down the middle of them ,you have to fillet them in 4 pieces.cut down this line into the rib cage and the trim along the rib cage out and flip and trim off the skin.do both sides and you will end up with 4 fillets and no bones. Capt.Bob


I fillet them this way, but don't take the time to remove the head. Why remove the head if your filleting them out?  Thanks


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## Rog (May 27, 2004)

This is how I fillet them. I posted this info in 2 parts:

Part 1
http://www.fishontexas.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=222

Part 2
http://www.fishontexas.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=223


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## sqwaby (Aug 4, 2005)

Gut and head, cut down the center line stop at the ribs. Fillet back both sides do not remove fillets pull them back and stuff with shrimp and crabmeat. Broil till flesh is white and flakes.


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## ssmarinaman (Mar 5, 2005)

best way and the the ez=est, 
1) gut it 
2) remove the head
3) take to the car wash and spray them down,, removes the scale real ez.. 
4) stuff a bake
5) take a nap.

Need I say more
Dwayne.


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## Castaway Kay (May 21, 2004)

Rog, that's the exact same way I fillet only I don't have an electric fillet knife. I still do it with the old fashioned manual style fillet knife, but I don't gut, scale, cut head off or anything on any of my fish.... simply fillet them out. I learned by watching many a guide at the cleaning tables. Good instructional pics by the way!

Kay


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## bobber (May 12, 2005)

Maybe you have seen this photo illustrated page, maybe not. This is what I do for the bigguns. The smaller ones I prefer whole for stuffing or pan frying.

http://www.cptdave.com/filet-flounder.html


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## Texxan1 (Dec 31, 2004)

I fillet mine all the way... Just that i get the sides going first.. Works great with an electric knife or regular. Sometimes regular seems better because you have more control.

just my 2 cents

Thomas


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## scubaru (Mar 28, 2005)

If you get a pile of flounder like is easy to do this time of year, when you are cleaning your boat at the car wash lay every of them fish side by side on the ground, and hit them with the hi pressure sprayer. Makes short work of them scales so all you have to do when you get home is just head 'em and gut 'em.


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## Rog (May 27, 2004)

Castaway Kay said:


> Rog, that's the exact same way I fillet only I don't have an electric fillet knife. I still do it with the old fashioned manual style fillet knife, but I don't gut, scale, cut head off or anything on any of my fish.... simply fillet them out. I learned by watching many a guide at the cleaning tables. Good instructional pics by the way!
> 
> Kay


Thanks Kay! Glad you liked em.


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## pelican (May 22, 2004)

*How to Debone a Flounder*

Well, I didn't think I'd find this old post, but luck won out.

Ever tried to _debone_ a whole flounder for stuffing? This technique is pretty slick.

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=130390


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## TXXpress (May 23, 2004)

pelican said:


> Well, I didn't think I'd find this old post, but luck won out.
> 
> Ever tried to _debone_ a whole flounder for stuffing? This technique is pretty slick.
> 
> http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=130390


Thanks Pelican. That is awesome!


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## Shaky (May 21, 2004)

This has probably been well covered, but heres my take.

I use a heavy skinning knife to make my initial cuts around the head and down the spine. Then I start with the bottom (white side) first and use a fillet knife using the spine as a guide. Draw the blade lenghtwise down the backbond cutting toward the outside. (See attached pic*) 
*Flounder has been enlarged to show detail! LOL


After filleting all flounder then Ill skin them as usual!


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## bluebull300 (Sep 19, 2005)

I dont have a lot of flounder experiance, but I like the four filets method myself.


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## garrettryan (Oct 11, 2004)

Ha... are you sure that is not a HALIBUT? Same thing.. But huge Flat fish if Flounder...


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## Shaky (May 21, 2004)

Yea its a halibut. My youngest son went to work up in Alaska two summers ago and managed to catch a few "small" halibut.

I get a lot of mileage out that picture with some gulf coast newbies who go looking for flounder to gig! lol


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## gatorbait (May 21, 2004)

pelican said:


> Well, I didn't think I'd find this old post, but luck won out.
> 
> Ever tried to _debone_ a whole flounder for stuffing? This technique is pretty slick.
> 
> http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=130390


I keep saying Im gonna try that. Im just too skeered to screw one up, and messin up one of mommas flounder is worse than leaving the toilet seat up and the toilet paper roll empty in my house. Maybe if'n i can ever drag my butt down to Galveston Ill get in on some of the flounder action and have enough she'll give me some leeway on experimentation with the method you posted. It sure would make a great stuffed flounder dinner.

Z


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## EchoDuck Jr. (Jul 16, 2004)

I usually scale the flounder then cut the head off and gut it. then cook however you want whole


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

*Great for stuffin*



pelican said:


> Well, I didn't think I'd find this old post, but luck won out.
> 
> Ever tried to _debone_ a whole flounder for stuffing? This technique is pretty slick.
> 
> http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=130390


Been doin it like this for years, except without the scissors. After the backbone is separated from the meat I reach in and split the big bones from the fin bones by pulling my fingers from the tail toward the head. Tried scissors/shears before and seemed to be too much trouble. One 22" fish will hold 3-4 pounds of stuffing...only got a few more days til Thanksgiving, thats what we serve around here.


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## ol billy (Jun 14, 2005)

Here's how I do it.. maybe some pictures will help.


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