FILLETING CATFISH

[TubeDude]

[cool]It always amazes me how many anglers still believe you have to clean catfish by first nailing their heads to a board and then stripping the skin off with a pair of pliers. Still others struggle with making a series of cuts and slices around the fish...gradually working the flesh away from the bones.

Some catfolks have learned that Mr. Whiskers can essentially be filleted just as you would fillet almost any other fish. However, due to some differences in their bony structure and the type of skin (non-scaly), there are some little differences that can be addressed with the pictorial sequence below.



Three candidates for the fillet board...all about 3#. You can fillet cats from about 10 inches to a hundred pounds. Filleting large cats is more like butchering a hog, but can be done.



Use a stout fillet knife or an electric. I prefer the electric for the "slabbing" process. It slices through the rib bones of these smaller cats, although big ones are much tougher. Continue all the way down and cut the fillets loose, instead of flipping over and skinning as with scaly skinned fishes.



If I have several cats to fillet, I complete the "slabbing first...leaving the skin intact for the next step.



Catfish have thicker skin at the upper end of the fillet, so I skin them from the top down. I first cut the rib cage partially free...and then using it as a handle to complete the skinning...as seen in the next pic.



Make a cut down through the flesh, almost like the first cut in the filleting process, and then work the knife between the skin and fillet. Keep the blade pressed flat against the board and see-saw the knife toward the tail, until the fillet is completely separated from the skin.



REMOVING THE DARK FLESH. Once the skin is off the fillet, you can slice out the line of darker tissue, if you wish. These fish did not really have enough to adversely affect the taste, but larger ones often will. Begin by making shallow slices in toward the center with a sharp knife. Then, beginning at one end, fillet it right off the flesh.



For faster cooking and a crispy texture, cross cut the fillets into "fingers". Shake them up in a mixture of Bisquick and yellow corn meal...with salt, pepper and some cayenne (to taste). Cook them over high heat in peanut oil until brown and crispy. Then dip into sweet and sour, barbecue, tartar sauce or regular seafood cocktail sauce...or just squirt on some lemon juice and go munch city.

Catfish have a dense and oily flesh. They require more cooking than the delicate white fleshed fishes. Many people do not cook them long enough and do not like the flavor and consistence of the underdone catfish. A couple more minutes in the heat can make a lot of difference in the end product.

PS. Thanks, TubeBabe for posing for the pics. Actually, she can do a pretty fair job at the fillet board herself...but still "allows" me to do most of the knife and pan work.
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[Kent]

Looks easy when someone else does it who knows what they are doing. Thanks for sharing, and I will try your method on the next cats that I keep.

I also have a hunch you aren't going back to the camera that uses film anytime soon!
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[GOTS2FISH]

great post TubeDude
I thought maybe I didn't like catfish but after seeing this I believe I'll try it again.
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[LloydE]

Tube Dude!

Great instructions for filleting catfish! Thanks for sharing!

Lloyd
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[Kent]

Welcome to BFT Lloyd. It is about time you made your first post!
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[Shrimpboy]

I thought that those hands were looking a little too pretty to be yours!

Question on the "dark meat" you reffered too. Does that include that really oily, kind of orangish, spot that's near the dorsal fin? Man that's nasty if you leave that on!
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Whassa matta, Shrimpboy? You don't like my pretty pink nails? I wear them for catfish, but prefer dark red for largemouths and hot pink for trout.

The dark red flesh and the orange (when it occurs) are two different things. The dark strip along the lateral line is present in most fish. It is sensory tissue, used by the fish to pick up vibrations in the water...from predators or prey. It can have little or no adverse taste...or it can impart a definite nasty flavor to the fish...depending on species, size and water quality. If you find that the fish above a certain size...from certain waters...have an objectionable flavor, it will be a good idea to include this step in the preparation process (removing the dark strip).

Just for the record, I have caught larger trout from many waters that were terrible tasting until I filleted them and removed the dark strip. Largemouths, stripers and wipers are all potential candidates for a "stripectomy" too. An overnight soaking in a mild salt water solution...or milk...can also help mellow out adverse flavors. There are a lot of old family recipes for this stuff.

The "orange" spot is an accumulation of oily tissue, unique to larger members of the catfish tribe...expecially where they are able to feed on crustaceans, like crawdads. It is usually a sign that the fish has been feeding well. But, as you have discovered, it don't taste like grade A butter.

The strong taste is actually a concentration of the flavor unique to catfish. Some people love it. Others can't stand it. Cutting out that area of a large catfish will usually not sacrifice too much meat and will improve the overall flavor of the rest of the fish.

The method of cooking can have a big effect on the final product on your plate with catfish too. Like most oily fish, frying them will help extract some of the fishy tasting oils into the cooking oil. And, if you fry them almost to the crisp stage, you will notice that in the last couple of minutes of cooking, the flesh shrinks about 10 to 29 percent, as it gives up that final bit of water and oil.

That's one of the guidelines I use to determine if my fillets are truly done...or only browned on the outside. Your fryer suddenly changes from being full to having the pieces of fish floating around in the hot oil with plenty of room. If you serve them up with the middle of the fillets not completely cooked, you will have more moisture and also more of the "catfish flavor". Cook them thoroughly and you get a delectable nutty flavor that definitely doesn't taste "just like chicken".

That's why I cut larger fillets into finger strips. They definitely cook faster and more completely...and you can use your fingers to dip them in whatever kind of sauce you like

If you get a chance to hit Saguaro on your next trip down, I think you will be favorably impressed with the taste of our local cats. The lake is pretty clear, year-round, and the fish are mostly sight feeders. They hit lures and live shad during the day, and most of the standard baits at night. But, they live clean, in clean water, and they dine on mostly live food. I have never eaten a bad fish from Saguaro.

By the way, there are a lot of good recipes for cooking catfish, besides frying. For the health conscious, they are great when oven baked in a "shake and bake" coating. Again, just be sure they are completely cooked before serving. They can also be chunked and added to fish stews. In fact, I have made a couple of pretty good batches of catfish chili. The main idea is that using veggies, sauces and other seasonings is a good way to make them more appealing to folks who might otherwise not like the unique flavor of this species.
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[fisherman]

Tubedude,
I was just wondering if anyone filleted catfish this way? My buddy was just asking me if I knew how to do it this way, and the first person I thought of was you. I'll have to give this method a try. I still use the skinning pliers method.

I also cutt off the dark meat and lateral line. I recently tried soaking the fillets in milk for a few hours before cooking and was very impressed, I'm trying it again today with alittle spicy tempura batter.

Thanks for the filleting tips and pics!
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[hustler898]

Thanks for the info! I'm going to filet the cat I caught this way. Until now I really didn't know how to accomplish the task [blush]

Al
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[tightline]

You do a great job TD. Maybe you should right a book. And pay for your fishing addiction.
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Happy to share, and glad you like it.

I've written a couple of books about fishing and tubing, but there's not enough sex and violence in them to make them best sellers.
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[FlyFishingMoose]

Good Job Tubedude! I've been doing it the hard way all these years! effective but difficult. Thanks again for the demo.
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[loanfish]

Ive been filleting them like this for a while buti had no idea that soaking them in milk would neutralize that weird flavor, and i had no idea where that flavor came from. Thanks TubeDude for that helpfull info. Thats what this board is all about![]



GOOD FISHIN TO YA'ALL!!!!!!!!!
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[leaky]

Dude,

The fountain of info. does it again. I am pretty much self taught on most of these things and appreciate the cleaning and cooking hints. I've been cleaning the hard way and look forward to trying this out. I love to eat those cats!!!! I'm wondering if I can use a good meat knife to do the first cut since I only have a "cheapy" fillet knife that dulls quick and I don't have an electric out in the field? P.S. I've never tasted any portion of the fillet that was "bad/strong". Most of my cats are caught in moving water, i.e. Snake River, does this have something to do with it?

[crazy]Leaky

[TubeDude]

[cool]Hey, Leaky, my man. Those cats from the Snake think they are bass or trout, the way they eat...and hit lures. Coming from that cold, running water, they are about as good as any cats in the country. And, as you suspect, the running water has something to do with it. They use more energy holding and swimming in the current, so they do not accumulate as much oil and fatty tissue in the abdominal cavity. They are lean and mean. I think you fish around the Swan Falls area, but further down the river, where it slows and widens, you get more deep holes and big cats...some with the oilier flesh.

As far as using a big butcher knife, here is a pic I posted awhile back, of my custom made fillet board and some of the knives I use. You will note both on the far right and the bottom left that I have and use big butcher knives. They are especially good for hacking through the tough ribs on Mr. Whiskers. On big old flatheads, I actually use the cleaver to chop through the first two or three heavy ribs, before bringing in the butcher knife.



As always, a sharp knife makes the job easier and less dangerous to the person using it. There is an old saying that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one...and it's true. With a sharp knife you just kind of guide the blade through the job. With a dull knife, you have to apply lots of pressure and are more likely to slip and cut something besides the fish.
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[leaky]

Dude,

As usual, you're right on target, thanks!!!!!!!!!!! You are exactly right as to area, also. I catch those guys in between pulling in the bass! Is it better fishing for those cats further downstrream? Don't necessarily care about size, although it wouldn't hurt, just some to take home for future meals. I'm pretty happy where I fish unless there's a good reason.

[crazy]Leaky

[tomegun]

Hey Hey Hey, wait a minute! Keep those sharp objects away from the "Bass", they are toys-not food!!! Catfish, Perch, Trout, Walleye, and others are for eating. Leave the "Bass" alone, pliers to remove hooks are ok...DO NOT HURT THE BASS. You can weight and measure them (bass never complain about their figures). You can take their pictures(bass always for the camera). But don't hurt them unless you want to sleep with the fishes...[]
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Hey, Mr. L., I haven't fished the entire length of the river, but I would guess that the best place for cats is wherever you can find enough willing ones to keep you busy.

As you know, there are a series of dams and diversions along the Snake. Wherever you find tailwaters, rapids, falls, headgates or anything else that kicks up the flow and the oxygenation, you will find active cats. They ain't called "channel" cats because they wear "Channel Cat #5". (sorry) One of my favorite ways to fish cats, wherever they congregate in fast outflows, is to cast jigs up into the current and let them bounce downstream. In the Snake, that gets you both smallmouth and channels...especially if you tip the jigs with a bit of 'crawler or fish flesh.

I used to have an aunt that lived in Homedale, Idaho...and I have had business dealings across the river in Nyssa and Ontario, Oregon. That has allowed me to wander up and down the river on both sides in that area. I have never caught more than the average two to three pounders there, but I have seen some "gorillas" and have seen pictures on the walls of local tackle shops of cats up to thirty pounds that have come out of there.

The water is slower and deeper in that area, and most of the locals just "chuck and chance it", with whole nightcrawlers or a big piece of sucker meat. I doubt they catch any more fish than you could farther upstream, and I know thay don't have more fun on their heavy gear than you do with your smallmouth tackle. That is, unless they hook into one of the big white sturgeon that sometimes suck in baits intended for catfish.
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[hedgesd]

I guess I sleep with the fish. I love the taste of bass it reminds me of some of that killer fish and chips you can only get at the harbors. I'd rather eat a nice big bass then a trout any day. I've noticed that the meat is almost like cod; flaky, white and moist meat.

Thanks for the info Tubedude I've always wondered if this filley would work but never tried it. It's close to what I do with trout exept for I pull the skin of and cut that small section of bones out. Unless it's a really big fish.
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[tomegun]

Taking Bass over 12 inches is illegal in Utah, it is called poaching. But, anything under 12" is fair game. Please put back our breeding stock.
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