BloomingtonMike
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2004
- Messages
- 788
- Tractor
- John Deere 3320
I laughed when you got the .22 handgun out! Hilarious!
I have cleaned hundreds of catfish in my life. I learned how I do it from my dad. I clean them so there is only the rib cage and back bione left in the meat - no other bones. Read on if you want to know how.
Brace yourself - We skin them alive (guess the pain I causes started with the hook to the mouth - all in perspective I guess). I use the dorsal and pectoral fin spurs (we call them horns) to help me hold the fish. With a sharp knife slice just behind the skull plates (point out like diamond bones just behind the pectoral horns) just deep enough to cut the skin - not into the flesh. Go across both sides and up and over the top of the head. Angle back under the fish. Use skinning pliers and pull the skin back towards the tail - working somewhat evenly from side to side. Holding the fish over the top of the head with you left hand and using fingers using against the horns. Once the skin is removed there will be the belly skin left - very tough skin. Grab that skin and pull it towards the head as far as it will go. Cut around the skull plates and all the way around the fish (ill cut behind pectoral horns but in front of dorsal horn) - fip the head up, break the spinal cord, twist and remove (at this point the fish is now dead for those that are counting). Slit the belly and gut - clean the fish out real real well. Take the sharp knife and slit the remaining fins parallel to the fins - deep enough to clear the bones. Start at the rear of the fin and pull forward, the fins will come right out. Sometimes you have to break the dorsal horn, do that and remove. Cut off the tail or leave it if you like (sometimes people like to keep them on the fish. If you keep it on trim the top and bottom fat that is by the fin - I prefer to just remove it. Depending on the fish's size you can keep the fish whole or cut into pieces. I like to keep the rib cage pieces seperate from the tail pieces. I also soak the fish overnight in saltwater and then freeze. Many ways to skin a cat-fish this is just how we do it in our family. Enjoy.
I have cleaned hundreds of catfish in my life. I learned how I do it from my dad. I clean them so there is only the rib cage and back bione left in the meat - no other bones. Read on if you want to know how.
Brace yourself - We skin them alive (guess the pain I causes started with the hook to the mouth - all in perspective I guess). I use the dorsal and pectoral fin spurs (we call them horns) to help me hold the fish. With a sharp knife slice just behind the skull plates (point out like diamond bones just behind the pectoral horns) just deep enough to cut the skin - not into the flesh. Go across both sides and up and over the top of the head. Angle back under the fish. Use skinning pliers and pull the skin back towards the tail - working somewhat evenly from side to side. Holding the fish over the top of the head with you left hand and using fingers using against the horns. Once the skin is removed there will be the belly skin left - very tough skin. Grab that skin and pull it towards the head as far as it will go. Cut around the skull plates and all the way around the fish (ill cut behind pectoral horns but in front of dorsal horn) - fip the head up, break the spinal cord, twist and remove (at this point the fish is now dead for those that are counting). Slit the belly and gut - clean the fish out real real well. Take the sharp knife and slit the remaining fins parallel to the fins - deep enough to clear the bones. Start at the rear of the fin and pull forward, the fins will come right out. Sometimes you have to break the dorsal horn, do that and remove. Cut off the tail or leave it if you like (sometimes people like to keep them on the fish. If you keep it on trim the top and bottom fat that is by the fin - I prefer to just remove it. Depending on the fish's size you can keep the fish whole or cut into pieces. I like to keep the rib cage pieces seperate from the tail pieces. I also soak the fish overnight in saltwater and then freeze. Many ways to skin a cat-fish this is just how we do it in our family. Enjoy.
