FILET FISH

[Realtorinutah]

I reluctantly keep white bass and bluegills because it takes so long to filet them since I do not have an electric knife.   How much time do you save and shall I break down and buy one? Any suggestion on a low cost one?  I caught about 20 perch and it took me 2 hours to filet them.

[wiperhunter2]

I reluctantly keep white bass and bluegills because it takes so long to filet them since I do not have an electric knife.   How much time do you save and shall I break down and buy one? Any suggestion on a low cost one?  I caught about 20 perch and it took me 2 hours to filet them.

I'm going to move your post to the main Utah Board, you will get a better response there. You will likely get a lot of opinions on what elect knife they like the best but for the cost Mr Twister brand is hard to beat, IMO.

[meancuznalfy]

It's all about how much you want to spend, bought my rapala cordless after it took a few hours to fillet 150 perch, cost about $150, but love it takes a lot less time to do fish. My neighbor was given a corded rapala, that can use 110 or 12 volt and works very well, it's what we use most all summer. They're worth the investment.

[Farmboat]

Once you use the electric I dare say you wont go back.
I also like the Mr. Twister electric and have used them for years.
I prefer the blue and white saltwater series over the green and yellow model.
The saltwater series has better power and doesn't heat up as much when doing larger fish like wipers.
Seems to last much longer.

[Mildog]

Once you get the hang of it electric fillet knife is only way to go for panfish. The Mr twister is tough to beat, I have used them all. There are many good options. For the money, ease of use and durability I would say the Mr twister.
I can fillet and clean up the mess of 20 perch in under 20 minutes.
I posted a electric filleting video on here once . Not sure if I can find it. It takes well under a minute per fish when you get it down.
I will search around and See if I can find it I’ll try to post an electric knife fillet video.

2 hours for 20 perch is way too long for sure!

[Anglinarcher]

I find I get more meat from the bones with my hand fillet knife, but much much faster with the Electric.  I use the Rapala Cordless, just because that was the only one available when I was looking.

[jjannie]

We have used 2 Berkley cordless knives, both eventually failed so finally decided to get the Mr. Twister - we've never looked back.  Haven't found a cleaning station yet that didn't have an outlet we could use. We do bring along an extension cord just in case we need it. Sure makes quick work of a limit of perch - once you cut fillet to the tail flip and quickly remove the skin, then it fast to trim away the rib bones rib bones, and we've used it on everything from wiper and walleye to trout and kokanee. 

Didn't know they made a salt water version of the Mr. Twister, may have to look into it if the one we have ever needs to be replaced.

[RockyRaab2]

I don't recall what brand mine is, but it's the one that TubeDude recommended. It's a 110v model, and I carry both an extension cord and a small inverter that plugs into a 12v "lighter" socket either on my boat or car. (Edit to add: American Angler brand?)

If there's an outlet at the Jordanelle cleaning station, I have yet to find it. That was the first place I had to break out the extension and the inverter.

[dubob]

BUBBA!

I've used Rapalas & Twisters in corded and cordless.  Bubba beats them all.  I have this kit with 4 different blades & two batteries.  I don't need no stinckin' outlet.      There is none better.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Available at Amazon for $182.90 in the new, improved case.  Bubba Knife Set.  Be SURE to watch the video at this link.

[wiperhunter2]

If there's an outlet at the Jordanelle cleaning station, I have yet to find it. That was the first place I had to break out the extension and the inverter.

Not sure if it works or not but the last time I saw a guy using the fish cleaning station at Jordanelle he had his knife pulled into an outlet on the wall behind the station. Worse come to worse, you could run a long extension cord into one of the bathrooms there.

[Tin-Can]

I have an American Angler that I have used for about 15 years. It's strictly a 110 plug in model. I keep it at home the past several years to carve turkey and roasts with. My wife got me a Rapala set that is corded, but has adapters to plug into a vehicle or boat cigarette lighter, or clamps to hook directly to a 12v battery, and a long cord that plugs into a 110 outlet, to a transformer, then another long cord from the knife to a socket on transformer. It came with 2 blades, and has worked quite well on my boat, on the tail gate of my truck, or at a cleaning station. 

I do have to be sure I don't get the transformer or the adapters wet on the cleaning station, but the long cords allow me to put them well out of the way.

[Anglinarcher]

BUBBA!

I've used Rapalas & Twisters in corded and cordless.  Bubba beats them all.  I have this kit with 4 different blades & two batteries.  I don't need no stinckin' outlet.      There is none better.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Available at Amazon for $182.90 in the new, improved case.  Bubba Knife Set.  Be SURE to watch the video at this link.

I admit, BUBA is the one I use for hand fillet knife work.  I have a Bucks, several Rapalas, old and new, several other older brands, and the BUBA has the hardest and sharpest steel, for a hand fillet knife, except for one I made several years ago (no more forging for this guy, nope).  I don't know what steel the electric uses, but if it is the same, it is worth the extra money.

[dubob]

I admit, BUBA is the one I use for hand fillet knife work.  I have a Bucks, several Rapalas, old and new, several other older brands, and the BUBA has the hardest and sharpest steel, for a hand fillet knife, except for one I made several years ago (no more forging for this guy, nope).  I don't know what steel the electric uses, but if it is the same, it is worth the extra money.

I also have the 7" tapered flex knife and the 9" flex knife on the boat.  The 7" gets used for skinning filets and the 9" gets used for tough bones like in wipers.  And I always allow guests on my boat to clean all the fish caught using them so they can see the advantages of owning their own set. 

[SkunkedAgain]

Okay to start off I admit I never keep more than 10 -15 fish at a time (in fact I hardly ever keep any fish), my family simply don't like fish, except for me... But I've found that once T.D. taught me how to fillet and I quit worrying about getting every morsel of meat, I can hand fillet them almost as fast as I can clean up my electric knife after... So I, 9 times out of 10, just use my hand fillet knife and power through them. But it didn't use to be that way. I was two hours on a couple fish, but good instruction can definitely help cut your timeline... I know Pat uses the electric most of the time, but his techniques apply to the hand knife as well and that's what I do and it works great. I do have a stiffer blade so I can cut through the bones without much difficulty (except on heavy boned fish) anyway if you have a chance to see Pat at the cleaning station go watch him do a few, but don't blink or he will be done... Good luck... Jeff

[Mildog]

Well here’s my two cents worth and it is worth that! I have tried about everything out there from Sears carving electric (40 plus years ago) to rapala, American angler, Berkeley, twister and more even sold one of those brands and had samples of plug in and rechargeable. I don’t think I have used the Bubba,
May have used a buddy’s once, if I did it wasn’t remarkable enough to remember.
With that said a tool is only as good as the operator! With a manual keep it sharp and get a quality knife, it will be worth it. You need to learn how to get the most out of any fillet knife and use it properly. I have watched people destroy many fish fillets with electric and conventional fillet knives at many a fillet station.
I’m not sure I can dispute Dubobs opinion that the bubba is the best. But I can tell you from a cost benefit standpoint, I can get about 6 Mr twisters for the cost of the bubba! I have a $9.95 inverter I can use with 12 volt battery and my truck has an outlet so I can plug in extension cord to use it most anywhere I need. I have filleted many thousands of fish with many different manuals and electrics . I have burned out 2 Mr twisters in 25 years, trashed a few others sooner. The Mr Twisters have worked very well, the chisel tip blade is excellent for cutting out cheek meat and starting the cut in tough skinned /scaled fish. For the cost I can fillet for the rest of my life with my Twisters and never spend as much as a Bubba would cost me and it works very well in my opinion! I saw them on sale a few years back and I have a spare in waiting, probably last me the rest of my angling days! LOL So cost benefit analysis for me says Twister! But, if you are loaded like Dubob (just joking a bit) buy a Bubba, I’m sure it’s great too.
Ok that was probably more like 24 cents worth but get a good electric learn to use it you will be happy. Keep a good manual around they are still very useful. I still fillet kokes and trout with a manual most of the time. I have a great Kershaw Fillet I have had for a long time that has done me well and salmon trout halibut and more!
Now go fishing and catch some fish to fillet!!

[BearLakeFishGuy]

I reluctantly keep white bass and bluegills because it takes so long to filet them since I do not have an electric knife.   How much time do you save and shall I break down and buy one? Any suggestion on a low cost one?  I caught about 20 perch and it took me 2 hours to filet them.

I have used electric fillet knives for 30 years now.  I use them as part of my job and used them in grad-school to clean, literally, over 10,000 perch!  Anyway, needless to say, I've used them all.  If you use them a lot, then you will want a plug-in 120v knife.  The battery powered ones eventually discharge and are heavier and bulkier and most don't have the "torque" needed to fillet large fish like cutthroat, lake trout, halibut, whitefish, salmon, etc.  Also, there is a BIG difference between "PRO" models compared to regular models, even in the same brand.  The American Angler PRO series is hands-down the best.  A close second is a Bubba Pro series.  The Mister Twister models don't have the power to fillet the larger fish and overheat easily if you're doing a bunch of fish.  The battery powered models are heavier and harder to hold when doing a bunch of fish too.  The Pro series have so much more power (torque) and go right through large salmon and other larger fish with ease.  I also like the thinnest blades you can find (which are typically sold separately from the blade the knives come with).  I've burned up Mister Twisters (3 of them in grad school) and even two Rapala and American Angler (regular models).  Here is the knife I'm happiest with:
Amazon.com : American Angler PRO Electric Fillet Knife, Stainless Steel : Fishing Knives : Sports & Outdoors
Here is the blade that works really well on smaller fish as well as larger fish compared to blade that come standard with the knife:
American Angler Pro Titanium Shark Blade (americananglerusa.com)

[Mildog]

Bear Lake fish guy has great points, big difference in what you are filleting, as well as how many at one time. The toughest punishment I put on electric knives is when we fillet 50 plus 4 to 5 lb stripers at one time at Lake Powell, battery ones as he mentioned struggle and don’t have the torque get hot and haven’t lasted well. I still use my Twisters with inverter on the Houseboat and they have held up, but it doesn’t get a steady diet of that. Mostly perch, walleye wipers catfish etc and have done well with them and they have held up for me.
Lots of good info and advice on this thread, great stuff!!