cleaning a fish

[jonnyp22]

anyone know a good step by step site on how to clean a largemouth bass? i caught a 2 lb 10 oz'r today and i tried to clean it with a ****ty websites instructions, it came out okay but im sure there is a better site where i can get more meat out of it?? any suggestions?

[pig n jig]

Sorry, I don't think I will help you kill something that I spend so much money and time on fishing for. Put your self in the point of view of a fish. How many times would you like to be caught and released ? If it meant your life, I bet the answer isn't going to be in the single digits. P N J

[Dyas]

Yeah catch at least 5 or 6 keepers before you go and kill it................

[JigHead1121]

An easy way to "clean" a bass? Put him back in the water. No need to use soap. Let him swim away....the water will "clean" him. Let 'em go so they can grow!!!!

[chuck n]

Hey them bass are real lucky. When's the last time you shot a deer, pheasant, duck or rabbit and let it go? LOL

[Rodman_Rob]

I make a cut just behind the gill plate down to the spine, I then cut along the spine the length of the body ending just before the tail fin. I then cut from the tail to the anal area. Try not to puncture the rib cage, otherwise you'll punture the organs dragging it into the meat, which you don't want to do. I then lift the soon to be fillet and get an idea where the rib cage is and make small cuts and slices to make the fillet as thick as possible and as close as possible to the ribs. The first side is always the hardest as you don't know EXACTLY where the rib cage is until you remove the first filet. After hte first filet is done, you'll have a better idea how far over and down you can go without puncturing the rib cage. You'll always end up with a lopsided filet, the area where the ribs are will always be on the thin side while the meat at the top of the fish will always be nice and thick. Coat in some flour and fry using medium heat and olive oil, perfect filets every time.

And no, I don't mind eating a nice bass every now and then, the way I see it, they're just competing with the trophy bass for bait. The more bait for the trophy, the bigger she'll be on the end of my line. Of course trophy fish go back, dinks stay on the shore (only in lakes with small baitfish populations).

[jonnyp22]

thats what i say, i dont eat every fish i catch, but whats wrong with havin a good meal every once in a while, is everyone on this site a vegitarian??? lol, any more suggestions on ways to filet a fish? does anyone know a website with step by step picture instructions?

[River stumps]

Johnny PP! There are are several sites on the web that will illestrate how to fillet a fish. Go to google (then how to fillet a fish) Hope this helps you. And happy fishing.

[flachristopherkeene9]

mmmm..... yummy

[JB]

I started out fishing for one reason, to put food on the table, however I didnt target bass.
Actually all I wanted for years and years were bluegills , they were plentiful and easy to catch, and tasted great!
Once I started learning to bass fish the guy that showed me the ropes was very much into eating all types of fish, bass included, but
I think during the early 80's around here there was a tremendous revolution among anglers, they caught onto catch and release the bass, I think mainly because grandpa and fathers in the 60-70s used to show off the HUGE bass on stringers, killing them, and down the road anglers started to realize that the biguns were no more! A change of attitute helped and still is helping keep the balance of bass in most waters here, now the crappy and cats are sought for food, and your occasional lowlife will still bring home a bass to fillet

[jonnyp22]

well, considering this is a bass fishing website and im a bass fisher, i woulndt be asking about a catfish or perch on this site. i dont see why you have to resort to being such scumbags as to getting mad over a dead fish, if you want to cry about a dead bass being eaten then do it somwhere else, no one here is interested in your explanation on the evolution of fish, i asked a simple question and it required a simple answer, so stick to the clown work.... lowlife

Thank you river stumps and everyone else that contributed to helping me out!

[River stumps]

Johnnyp! Don't let the trollers get the best of you. You seem like a good person who is on this board for a good reason, and that is to learn things about this sport. FYI, I have no problem with anyone eating what they catch, whether it be bass, catfish or anyother types of fish. I have been fishing for forty years and at one time I was eating everythig I caught, but now that I'm getting age on me, it's better for me to release, than it is taking a chance on cutting myself while trying to fillet a fish. You hang in there and do what ever it takes. Happy fishing.

[fishing_sniper]

if you dont like a good fish meal wit hush pupies somthin bad wrong ok fishing is jus like hunting you need to cull the pop every once inna wile they can over populate just like deer if u cry out against eatin fish u might as well fight huntin too and then when we caint keep no fish and kill no deer and they all over populate and the inter population of fish deer and plants is gone we can sit around and wonder why but imm go I DID MY PART BUT IM ONLY ONE MAN i caint eat all them fish and deer ok to the subject

i jus ct right behind fin an go to the spine cut straight dont the spin to the tail without cuting it off flip it over and cut the fillet off the skin that gits about all the meat if ur careful and get close to the spine and skin

[pig n jig]

I don't care if you eat everything in the water where you fish.I don't want to hear it when you post that your having difficulty catching alot of fish like you used to . The way that I preferred to clean a bass is to gut it, cut the tail and head off, slit the top of the back, get a pair of pliars, pull the skin off , then pull the dorsal fin out.Soak the fish in a pan of water (per every gallon of water put a table spoon of salt and a table spoon of baking soda)refrigerated of course, take the fish out rinse it off under cold water and pat it dry with a clean towel before rolling in a beatened egg and then rolled in a sifted flour containing coarse black pepper and brown sugar(enough pepper & brown sugar to see it visibly in the flour) put in a preheated oven 400 degrees 30 -40 minutes or until it is browned and meat flakes off easily with a fork.Happy eating and remember I'll be trolling in this site from time to time. P N J