[WilliamH]

What type of fillet knife do you prefer for the large fish? How do you go about cleaning a large fish? I can fillet a trout and the "just legal snapper" but the larger fish seem to throw a wrench in the works.


William

 

[DISSipator]

Well for instance lets say you have a 25 lb. snapper to fillet.

I would use a regular fillet knife and cut from back to belly right next to the head as you normally would. Then start at the top fin and fillet down to the rib cage. The take a large serrated knife to cut through the rib cage. Then continue filleting in the normal manor.

I use this same technique for all large fish with heavy rib cage bones.

 

[CHARLIE]

Big fish big knife Small fish little knife

Charlie

 

[Instigator]

Knife's not the point

The old saying "It's not how deep or wide the well, but how you dip the bucket" applies here. Spend a little money on a good knife that is comfortable in your hand, learn how to keep it sharp and learn how to use it on different fish. You don't have to break the bank to get a good knife either. Most restaurant supply places have several brands of commercial fillet knives in different lengths. Handle a few and pick the one that feels best. Most people are not going to be able to discern the difference between the different steel blends so don't worry too much about that. Once you have your knife it's time to pay attention to the most important variable in the equation, the fish. Even bay fish can benefit from different techniques. Flounder obviously, but drum and reds need more attention than trout. Sheepshead and triggers drive most fishermen crazy and they're really two of the easiest to process once you know where the zipper is. Another factor is the projected use of your catch. If you plan on a fish fry then the traditional "toss em on the table and slide the knife through guts then meat" method works fine. However, if gravlax, fish carpaccio, ceviche, tataki or sashimi is what you have in mind then Japanese style fish cleaning is definitely the way to go. Granted, processing a 100 lb YF is more like butchering a deer than filleting a trout, but you don't need a big knife to do it. You just need to be aware that different fish species have different internal anatomy so the same technique doesn't work the same on everything. If sheer speed is important to you, spend an hour taking notes at the head boat dock when the professionals are filleting. You won't see many electric knives there, just great knife skills. They get a good yield off the carcass but generally toss the throats and cheeks away, which many folks consider the best part. If you frequent Japanese run sushi joints ask the chef when he processes his fish and if he would mind a spectator. You can learn more from 30 minutes watching a skilled sushi chef than you could imagine. There's too much information for a post, but I published a pictorial article about this in the February 2002 issue of Saltwater Sportsman that has details for typical fish, but not tuna or other special species. If you want specifics about a particular species zap me an email and I'll be glad to give you a hand.

 

[Bueno Suerte]

I gave up the fillet knife for big fish and went with a 8" Chicago Cutlery carving knife.