I am having an internal debate about purchasing an electric fillet knife, and have a few questions for anyone that has tried them. I have started fishing for more Walleye, Bass, Pike, etc than I have in the past, which is my main prompt for this.
1. Do you find you get more or less meat VS a standard knife
2. Do they handle the bones a lot better than a standard knife
3. Are the battery operated ones good, or is it better to stay with a plug in only.
4. Does anyone have a particular model that you would personally recommend.
I love to get out fishing, and we usually keep enough eat a few meals for any fish we catch. Anything that will help make the process easier and get the maximum meat yield seems worth it to me.
Thank you all in advance. I really like the tips and posts found on BFT. It's the only forum I have enjoyed being apart of.
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I've become a big fan of the electric knife. Makes fast work, if you get practiced you get as much filet as you would with a hand-knife. Easier to get through bones.
But I like having a decent hand-knife handy. Often slad and skin them with the electric, then come back through with a hand-knife and deal with ribs, Y bones, any fine-trimming (eg trimming out the red).
I got a Berkely plug in, or 12V convertible. But it really doesn't have a whole lotta guts. Picked up a Mister Twister, and though it doesn't have the boat-side option, it's got more guts and I don't have to avoid bones or saw so much.
I second Coyotespinner. I was going through other makes, went to a Mister Twister, and it's awesome. Quiet, durable, with lots of torque. They don't make a 12v that I'm aware of. You'll be able to cut through bones easily, but it probably isn't as efficient with flesh as a fixed blade, which you can finesse. It will make short work of large catches though. Always a trade off....
Good luck, Ryno
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I don't remember which brand I have I think it might be the older Rapala strictly a 110 and it is awsome. Like the others have said I like to have both. I prefer to do trout with the hand knife and about everything else with the electric especially Perch and Walleye and cats. It takes some getting use to it is easy to cut through the back bone. It is one of the would not leave home with out it tools.
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[#0000ff]It is not a matter of having only one knife...standard or electric. I use both but most serious filleting is done with an electric. I have worked in commercial fishing and on sport fishing boats and I know how to swing a "regular" fillet knife. However, I have been using electrics for over 20 years and for good reason.
First...less effort required. You simply guide the knife and let the oscillating blades do the cutting. Makes for less "carp tunnel syndrome".
Second...more efficient cutting. Skeletal remnants, after removing the fillets, usually have less flesh remaining on the bones...especially when filleting larger fish or fish with heavy rib bones.
Third...faster (for most folks). An angler skilled at using a regular fillet knife...that is properly sharpened...can zip fillets of most fresh water species fairly quickly. But an "average" fish cutter will generally get the job done more quickly with an electric. And for cutting through the rib bones of catfish, walleye, wipers, stripers and other stout-ribbed species the electric will win hands down.
Over the many years of experimenting with electric fillet knives I have tried a bunch. I have found that even your wife's (not plural) turkey carving electric will cut decent fillets from fish. But they don't have enough guts to last long under repeated heavy use.
In the middle range are less costly electrics designed especially to catch fishermen...and to introduce them to the use of electrics without having to spend a lot. They all work. Some better than others. Motor size, blade design and handle ergonomics will vary and not all are comfy to use for extended periods of time.
The electric I liked least was a cordless rechargeable model. See pic below. You had to press two buttons simultaneously to operate the blades. I had to epoxy one button in place to be able to use the knife without getting hand cramps.
The electric knife in the first pic is an older model American Angler. I still have and use it. It is about 15 years old. Several years ago I bought two more American Anglers...one 110 volt and one 12 volt. I carry these in my traveling fillet kit in my vehicle. The old one remains in my kitchen at home and still gets a lot of use.
American Angler knives used to be sold by almost every sports outlet. Harder to find now...and the top models are more spendy. But worth it. My 12 volt model has a motor that is almost as powerful as my 110 volt model. It runs off my small SLA batteries like I use for sonar. And with my portable board it sets up anywhere. Unfortunately, most other 12 volt models I have tried are not strong enough for heavy duty bone cutting.
The big thing for most anglers new to using electric fillet knives is to get used to properly guiding the knife...letting the knife do the cutting and not pushing too hard or sawing with the blades. Once you get the feel...and know the bone structure of the fish you are filleting...you will really appreciate the difference.
As you will see in the first picture. I still have and use several other kinds of knives. Some I use on almost every fillet session...for fine trimming, etc. Others are more specialized but always there if I need them.
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I'm surprised at all the love for electric fillet knives. I recently purchased a $50 Rapala one from Wal-Mart and I'm not impressed with it, thinking about taking it back. I was planning on just getting a nice quality regular fillet knife (non-electric), but maybe I'll have to try one of the other brands mentioned here.
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[#0000FF]There is a saying (from the movie Bambi) that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.
I will say that the Rapala has a good motor...and it does cut fish. But I have found the blade design to be a bit problematic. Electric fillet knives cut with just the tips of the serrated blades. And a gentle serration works better than a harsh one. The points on the Rapala blades are elongated...more like needles than cutting edges.
I have tried friends' Rapalas a couple of times and have found them to not work nearly as smoothly as others. Still, there are folks out there who have them and love them.
All I can say is that after you have had the chance to try several kinds...side by side...you will have a better ability to judge which one works best for you...and why.
How can you describe the taste of salt to someone who has never tasted salt...without using the word "salty". Same thing.
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Seems like there's not a lot of options for these out there. Rapala, American Angler, Berkley, and Mister Twister seem to be the main ones outh there. Are there any other brands I (or the OP) might look into?
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[#0000FF]Those are the main players in the industry. At one time you could walk into any tackle outlet, Walmart, Kmart, etc. and have your pic of electrics...and at reasonable prices. Much harder these days. And anglers are often limited in choice to the only one brand carried by any individual outlet.
About 3 or 4 years ago I ordered a special heavy duty electric fillet knife from KNIFE DEPOT...an online purveyor. Paid a good buck for it but it did not even fire up the first time I tried it. Got a refund and spent some time talking with a guy in customer service. He advised that a lot of the motors are now coming from China and formerly good quality electrics are now not so good. I just checked their website and found that they are not even selling ANY electrics any more.
I have demoed my American Angler knives to quite a few BFTers. Most will agree that they are capable of turning out a good batch of fillets in short order. That is unless there happens to be a loose nut on the handle.
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I appreciate everyone's feedback on this!
I have a pretty good collection of knives (I tend to buy ones that catch my eye, a habit learned from my father.) I have 8 different "standard" or fixed blade fillet knives and I can do a pretty good job, and I doubt I will ever go far without my favorites readily available.
I have a few good options that were sent by PM, or by response to this thread, and I think I am ready to take the plunge.
My hope is the wife and I can pickup a few Pike, as well as some Wiper and Walleye again this year. We had a ton of fun learning to fish for them last year. This will give me a good opportunity to try out an electric and see how it goes.
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I have an electric fillet knife that I have taken all over the country with me. It's worn out and I couldn't remember the brand name. The blades are starting to dull a little but not enough to make me stop using it. Its grey and black and smells like burbot lol.
I also have a Cutco fillet knife. If I have that near I will use that before my electric. It works a lot better on big crappie and perch where you don't want to sacrifice any meat. It cuts through bones smoother.
Do not go with a battery operated knife. Batteries are for flashlights and TV remotes.
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