[font "Courier New"][#000080][size 3]First one of the year! ...well, second, if you count the one that my line broke right after I got it to shore and it flipped back in the water.
Granted, I've only gone fishing about a dozen times this year, but that's about as much as last year, but I got some then! You'd think I would have gotten something by now! (especially with Tubedude and Troll helping me at Willard)
Anyhoo...community pond catfish. Not too big (didn't measure it, but the fillets are 6 inches long... maybe 8 or 9 inch fish?)
Speaking of fillets... I didn't do a very good job. Ended up going right through the backbone just after halfway, so I have the whole tail attached to one fillet. Now that the meat is off the body, I'm afraid to try to de-skin it, else I'll probably end up with paper-thin fillets and skin with a slab of meat attached (since I always seem to slice cheese in wedges, rather than evenly, I just know I'll be 'off' with this too!). Could I cook it with the skin on, and just try to pry off the meat after it's cooked? That's what I do with bass and trout, and that works out okay.
My usual method of cooking is to put some butter in a frying pan...just enough to coat and make it so meat doesn't stick. Cook the fish until it's white/done. Eat it, usually only with black pepper and lemon juice (I'm not a big fan of a bunch of flavoring on meat)
I'm too tired to finish tonight, so just going to put them in baggies in the fridge. Gotta get up and volunteer for 8 hours at the cat rescue place tomorrow, so I'll have them for dinner tomorrow.
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[cool][#0000ff]Congrats on the cat. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sorry about the botched fillet job. It helps when you catch fish often enough to get more practice. We will have to work on that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Two things. Yes, you can cook the fish with the skin on. But, most catfish fans prefer to remove the skin first. It can impart a "flavor". If you can't do it, the skin will come off easier when cooked.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Skinning a cat is tougher than most other fish. They really hold on to their skin. But, if you use the point of a sharp knife to slit the skin down the back and along the underside, you can use a pair of pliers to grip the edge and pull it down off the fish. Takes some strong pulling but worth the effort.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I fillet and skin all of my cats with an electric fillet knife. Much easier than with a standard blade. I don't think I could ever go back to the "traditional" style.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Interestingly, there are still many anglers who skin catfish by nailing their heads to a board and then cutting around the head and down the back before peeling the skin off like a glove. It works, but is time consuming and messy. Also takes a lot of "pull" and you can't lose your "grip". But, many folks think that catfish fishermen have already lost their grip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck...with the catfish and with Santa. Hope he dumps some big bucks on ya.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How is the back? Did you have that surgery?[/#0000ff]
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I was wondering what you were up to these days, good to hear from ya, and good on the fish.
Still hitting those community ponds? They can be good if you hit them right. 9" sounds small for them, most stocking is done with 16" fish, keep rying and you'll get one of those.
Sure you can cook skin and all, I would cook skin side up though, at least 70% or so before I flipped it. Like TD said the skin is hard to get off those buggers unless you have a super sharp knie, an electric knife or your really strong. I don't like the stripping method, it tends to drag some good meat with it.
Ever try some lemon and pepper in the butter? Or lemon thyme in the butter? Tastea pretty good to me when I do that.
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[quote Vivid-Dawn][font "Courier New"][#000080][size 3]Gotta get up and volunteer for 8 hours at the cat rescue place tomorrow, so I'll have them for dinner tomorrow.
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wow, that was horrible grammar. Going to eat the FISH tonight, not the furry kitties! LOL
I have a manual fillet knife...somewhere. I used electric last night. I doubt I'd do any better (probably worse) with a manual.
I have a recipe book that shows how to skin a catfish with the pulling off with pliers method, but it says you're supposed to only do it with bigger fish of 5 pounds or more. I haven't ever gotten anything over 2, so I figure filleting is what I gotta do.
I don't mind a bit of a weird flavor, as long as it's not totally disgusting. I mean, I like stuff like eel and raw octopus (much to my sister's dismay!), so unless it's going to taste like moldy algae or something, I think I could handle it.
I'll probably stick to community ponds for at least another month or so. Syracuse closes at midnight, and everywhere else closes at 10...including Willard! I can't afford to pay for gas AND $16 camping fee for every fishing trip that'll go past closing time. When the sun goes down sooner, and I'll have more fishing time, I'll try more places then. I decided that evening is better...fish are 'waking up' and hungry. I tried going to Syracuse a few mornings, and never got any bites at all. Besides...watching moonrise is nifty - like the one last night? AMAZING!!!
No back surgery. Too risky for the strain on my heart. I'm both disappointed (I wanna be fixed!) and relieved...hate recovering from 'em.[/size][/#000080][/font]
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Vivid-Dawn, if you are up to it, next friday, I will take you up to newton and get you into a fish over 2lbs.
Tigermusky will be the fish of the day. All you will need to bring is a lunch. Can you get away for the day???
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Sounds great to me!
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I missed our spring trip to East canyon this year, may be we can try for Willard??? May be some time...
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[font "Courier New"][#000050][size 3]Yeah, you told me to wait until you got back from Mexico, and then I sort of kept putting it off.
I've also been really busy with the cat shelter...I was going just about every day, last month, and don't get home until after 9 P.M., so I'd be totally tuckered out for any morning fishing trips (and occupied for any evening ones)
I would still like to go, though! In fact, I'm going to buy some more wool long-johns, so that I can "suck it up" as my old boss says, and try to go in colder weather. I still doubt I'll get into ice fishing, but maybe I won't be so wimpy about 40F in autumn & spring this time...or at least that's the plan.
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I'm heading to Powell this coming week end, give me a shout next week and we will try for an afternoon time it should be warm...
I want to see you fight a wiper...[
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You need to post more or at least hop in and say hi more often...
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man these old guys make skinning fish sound harder than breaking horses. all you really need is two simple tools. a good sharp knife and a fillet board. I've got a set of rapala fillet knives that are the best thing i've ever used. they were $20 at dicks in the gateway. the fillet boards just a plastic cutting board with a big clamp on one end. once you get your fillets off the body, clamp the tail end in the clamp. hold the blade flat against the board and slide it down the board. it takes a few tries to get the method down. you'll cut through the skin a couple times. just remember practice makes perfect.
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I like to use "fish grip pliers", you can find them online.
They help skin the catfish. They are really easy to use.
You can get them at Cabelas but they are much cheaper elsewhere. Here is what they look like.
[url "http://www.cabelas.com/p-0053579014941a.shtml"]http://www.cabelas.com/p-0053579014941a.shtml[/url]
By the way have you ever spoken channel catfish?
Its a very difficult language to learn.
Its as hard as learning cutthroat trout. You do a a lot of squealing and howling.
I once said at Willard Bay:
"Ukton asdummy pukey poo poo poo poo le stinky
farty poopsa buttsa in me stomach el ola cola shola"
I said it perfectly in an underwater microphone made by
Underwater Microphones Technolgies LTD.
I had so many catfish under my boat I must have caught over 50 limits.
To the catfish that meant:
"We are dying gizzard shad and ready to eat and in our flesh is the wisdom of thy great nutrition."
But the last part I goofed in my pronunciation and said:
"Your Aunt Betsy is eating at McDonalds for dinner tonight with a school of wipers"
But that didn't seem to stop them from getting under my boat.
Hoped that helps.
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bassrods - I already did that once. I'd rather fight a walleye this time! []
Fridays are always free for me...I saved those for fishing or whatever else, and don't go to the cat shelter then. The rest of the week would need planning, since I'm sort of "on call" for volunteering.
JimmiJack - I have a fillet board, and used it. But yeah, practice makes perfect, and this was my first time. I'm sure I'll be decently skilled at it...eventually.
I remember when I watched TubeDude fillet catfish that were still alive and kickin'...literally! I thought "wow, that must be tricky!". Luckily, my fish was still alive, but more or less comatose
catfish-logic - LOL! [laugh]
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Why would you remove the filet from the body? Leave the filet attached at the tail, lift the knife for a split second, set back against the board and in one motion cut the skin from it, no sawing motion, then with a flick of the wrist, the filet lands in a bowl of salt water positioned at the end of the board.
Flip the fish over and repeat. Clamp? That's what your left hand is for.
I learned to filet fish as a commercial fisherman. Maximum speed with minimal waste was the way I was taught and still do it.
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