Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

How do you guys clean panfish


Recommended Posts

Just wondering what some different ways to clean and cook up some crappies. I typically fillet them and fry um with some shore lunch. And I'm tired of filleting them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep im tired of it too, but its the only way to go for me. Tried to train in the wife but she wouldn't go for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this is what we do when we are at the cabin in the summer, still the best way to do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought of buying a scaler, but after seeing the cost of some units i stay with filleting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard of people removing the scales,cutting off the head, and baking the whole fish. Then picking the meat off with a fork. Anybody do this technique, if so, what kind of oven temps and how long?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my father-in-law does this with panfish and doesn't bake them, though, he cooks them in a skillet in a little oil and season them up over medium heat, turn out okay, but for me I fillet them out, can be a pain but so much better IMO

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just fillet them and cook em on the stove.

If your tired of filleting them, try using an electric knife once and see how you like it. Using one for me has cut my time of cleaning in half. Cut the ribcage right out of the fish and remove it when you remove the skin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i have the scaling pale and is great. only use it on sunfish. i do clean some sunfish whole but filet more. there really isnt any other real way to clean pannies but to filet them. by the way i think that scaling pail is worth every cent it costs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Electric knife is the only way to go! tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, hold on!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Couldn't agree more...an electric is a god send.

IF the crappies are big enough here's a good recipe.

Remove the head and tail fin. Slit the belly from the anus to head and pull out all the good stuff. Rinse it out well. Put a little salt, pepper, lemon juice and italian dressing in the cavity. Cook up some wild rice and stuff that in too. Tie it off w/ poulty string and bake for about 6-8 minutes per side at about 450 degrees (depending on the size you may want to place each fish in tinfoil and vent it. steams them up real well). The skin will peel right off. It's a little tougher for crappies, like i said unless they're big. But we use this for Lakers and 'Eyes all the time. It's hard to beat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fillet the bigger fish but for sunnies I first scale them with a spoon. Then I cut the dorsal fin, tail, then the head off(head last because it makes a nice "handle" while you do the rest). I then just stick my finger in the ribcage and pull out the innards in one quick swoop. Wash them all and when you fry/bake them if you put your fork on the spine and slowly lift up, it separates the two halves. You can then just grab the spine and lift it off the fillet and it takes most of the bones with it. All that leaves is the ribs and the sharp bones where the dorsal fin was. Brush the fork across that area to swipe them away and stick the edge of the fork under the large ends of the ribs and pull them all out at once. It sounds like a tedious process but it really only takes seconds and you're left with all the meat. So all in all, 3 sunnies this way fills you up as opposed to maybe 6 or 7 filleted(sp?)out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fillet and cut the skin from the meat. I have 3 kids, and there is nothing worse than kids trying to deal with fish bones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I USUALLY FILLET THEN COAT WITH FLOUR AND FRY IN BUTTER. LATELY HAVE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERNET COATINGS. POTATO FLAKES, CRUSHED RITZ CRACKERS, CRUSHED CORN FLAKES. SO FAR THE ONE THAT TURNED OUT BEST IS THE LEFTOVERS OF ALL OF THESE COMBINDED. FRYING WITH THE BONES IN IS THE BEST, BUT A HASSLE. IF I END UP KEEPING A BUNCH OF SMALL ONES, I'LL DO THOSE THAT WAY CAUSE THEY DON'T NEED TO FRY AS LONG TO COOK THROUGH.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i agree with the people who said electric knife. you will do some butchering on your first fish, but it wont take long and you will be a master at it. there is more than one way to clean with an electric, i do one side of the fish from the tail to head, and the other side head to tail. its very fast when you get going, i can go from fish in bucket, to both fillets in bowl in about 40 seconds. about cooking them, we mix crackers with the shore lunch, one box of SL, 2 sleves of saltines, and lemon pepper, and some other seasonings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

there are a few good demo's on filleting every sort of fish on youtube. my favorite and quick crappie recipe is dip fillet in whisked eggs, then coat with potato buds. fry in butter till golden brown, salt n pepper each side. yum! i enjoy walleye with out batter, fry in butter with some lawry's

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.