Best Lake For Fish For Practicing Filleting?

[Spazzums08]

Hey guys, what I meant by that title is that I'm looking for a lake where I can get a bunch of slightly smaller than average keeper panfish to practice filleting on. I'm pretty good, but I'd like more experience, and don't want to waste 9-12 inchers. I'm thinkimg a lake where I can get a bunch of 7-9s? If anyone else has a different suggestion please let me know!

[Dave B]

If you just want practice filleting, I would hit Rainbow or Cub lake.

[Spazzums08]

I'm not familiar with those two, where are they?

[UncleKes]

Spazzums! What part of town do you live in? Email me at [email protected] I ought to be able to put you on a few lakes like that! God knows there are few lakes in the Metro area that have big fish anymore! I have fished most of the metro lakes over the years. I need to know where you live so you don't have to drive 40 miles one way to get there. Email me!

[blackdog1101]

I made myself fillet plenty of small sunnies at first, and now I'm oretty good at filleting most any fish. If you can do a nice jog of filleting a small sunnie, you can fillet about anything.

[fisherman-andy]

I don't even bother fileting small fish. I make some skin break cut with a filet knife on the fish and use a needle nose plier to de-skin the fish. That way you lose no meat. Work great on larger fish too especially Catfish.

I although I will filet a fish I believe that keeping the large bones intact gives the meat better flavor. Especially for soup.

[jigginjim]

Dave those were secret lakes.

[MOBY RICHARD*]

You guys are givin' away my best secret lakes!!!

[Fishnblood]

Dave b.....hahahaha.."where are they?"...hahahahaha..Sorry man that was hillarious!

Spazzums, if you need help filleting (not sure if that is spelled right) if you just google "how to fillet" there is alot of awesome info with pics and step by step info. I personally wouldn't just catch fish to practice on. Not flaming you or anything just my 2 cents

[Thunder]

Here's a great video: http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1137745788&channel=627279558

I learned something from watching this -- I've been leaving a lot of shoulder meat towards the head by not making my initial cut an angled cut.

also, I have had a really difficult time filleting pannies lately. I keep catching bones near the head where the rib cage starts, and I can't seem to get up over the rib cageto get the belly meat.

I wonder if part of my problem is that the fish are ont he smaller side?

[blackdog1101]

Thunder, I take the ribs and all off with the fillet, then remove the rib cage from the fillet, then remove the fillet from the skin. Lots easier then trying to fillet around the rib cage.

[fishingforester]

One thing that has at least made me more efficient, and at least as proficient as a normal fillet knife, is an electric fillet knife. Buzzes through bones quickly and takes the skin off clean.