# Catfish - yall Pullin' or slicin'?



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Been skinning catfish for years but started slicing the skins off with a knife last year and believe I am now fully converted and am hanging up my skinning pliers. I guess I'll still skin the small ones that I don't fillet. So what does everyone else do??


----------



## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Put mine in a wood chipper. Come out in perfect fish and chips size.


----------



## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

Yep, filet the skin off like a scaled fish. Like you said have to skin the small ones but I really don't catch many small ones fishing live bait.


----------



## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

Skinning pliers on an angled board with a hook. 
Commercial fisherman have mastered this procedure over decades at fish houses.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Skinning cats are for the birds. I skinless fillet them, takes me mer seconds. This guy knows the game.
https://youtu.be/ZfyGpmmVl1g


----------



## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

I watched the video, counted the many steps and noticed the significant and numerous knife functions. 
After watching the video, I believe that using the tried and proven process of wringing, hooking, stripping, heading and gutting is still faster and safer, but that's just my .02

(I don't think you could use the process in the video effectively or efficiently on butter (yellow) cats, mudcats or the average blue cat. Now I'm wanting some fried catfish, swamp cabbage and some cole slaw. :yes:


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Too many steps.in that video. No need to swap knives either.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Agreed. One knife is all that is needed. You should be able to do it in less than a minute per fish..


----------



## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

never skin them, just cut them down with a good fillet knife and slice the skin right off.


----------



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Always skinned them first, but we usually fry them whole. Seldom keep a cat over 2 lbs.


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I liked the belly meat method in the video. I been making a mess of that. Bought a 9"dexter fillet knife last night mainly for filleting crappie. Is it weird that I can't wait to have some fish to clean? Some of my own - not yours! lol


----------



## Donut slayer (Jan 16, 2009)

Emerald Ghost said:


> I watched the video, counted the many steps and noticed the significant and numerous knife functions.
> After watching the video, I believe that using the tried and proven process of wringing, hooking, stripping, heading and gutting is still faster and safer, but that's just my .02
> 
> (I don't think you could use the process in the video effectively or efficiently on butter (yellow) cats, mudcats or the average blue cat. Now I'm wanting some fried catfish, swamp cabbage and some cole slaw. :yes:


U forgot cheese grits.


----------



## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

I usually fillet mine unless someone wants a whole squealer, then I'll skin it.

I learned a trick that might be helpful when taking the skin (of any fish) off a fillet; I try to leave a little skin attached to the carcass at the tail to begin the separation, but sometimes I cut through the tail skin, leaving me with trying to hold the skin down with my fingernail to start the cut. The older I got, the more irritating that got, so I learned to hold a kitchen spoon (teaspoon) by the fat end and hold the fillet down with the handle of the spoon. Knife blade slides down the spoon handle - fingers out of the way - happy, happy,, happy.


----------



## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

I'm to lazy for either. All mine go back these day's.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Its almost lunch time. That little flathead I caught hit the grill with some steaks last night. Today hes my skinned lunch. Counting down the minutes until I eat him...


----------



## Emerald Ghost (Mar 11, 2008)

Donut slayer said:


> U forgot cheese grits.


 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slap me on that one Donut Slayer !


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I'm almost scared to ask but what is swamp cabbage?....not Palm pulp!


----------



## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Boneless fillets are all I know!


----------



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Try'n Hard said:


> I'm almost scared to ask but what is swamp cabbage?....not Palm pulp!


It's the heart of a palm tree.


----------



## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Shark hook nailed on a tree to hold their lip then I pull it off with skinning pliers and a knife. But I only keep the big ones.


----------



## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

hjorgan said:


> Always skinned them first, but we usually fry them whole. Seldom keep a cat over 2 lbs.


Anything under 2 lbs is bait..


----------

