Good Fillet Knife.

[bogwalker]

Who makes a good fillet knife that will hold an edge?

[DonkeyHodey]

Love my Cutco Fisherman’s Solution:  Oldie but Goodie.  Got it as a birthday present from pappy when I was a teen.--knife is now near 30 yrs old and it still has it's tip.  (I particularly love the adjustable/extendable blade.--Agree with Hookmaster about flex:  Extending blade gives more flex to it when skinning.)

 

(of note, I also keep a short, skinny rapala fillet knife in the tackle box to preferentially use when filleting bullheads--I use a different fillet techinique for bullies and cats…)

On ‎1‎/‎22‎/‎2020 at 11:46 AM, smurfy said:

oh and i got like 15 knives just for cleaning fish. my wife seams to think i have some sort of knife fetish!!!!!!!

I see no problem with that!.

(I've come to believe you can never have too many ever since the one time I found myself without my Cutco:  I Caught an unexpectedly nice mess of sunnies shore fishing.  Didn't have my fillet knife. (DOH!)  Filleted the lot with a stiff bladed paring knife. (only thing available.   Awful!)  The experience was such that the end result is that I now keep extra fish-fillet-blades stashed anywhere I may need them... (car, tackle box, mother-in-laws, as well as a few other spares just-in-case...)

[Wanderer]

4 minutes ago, DonkeyHodey said:

 

 

(of note, I also keep a short, skinny rapala fillet knife in the tackle box to preferentially use when filleting bullheads--I use a different fillet techinique for bullies and cats…)

 

Im still primarily rockin’ original Rapala fillet knives but I pair the 4” and 6” together as one.

 

The 4” excels on panfish and detail work like getting the last of the rib line out of any fish. The 6” handles the game fish and skinning all the fishes.

 

I showed up in group filleting party at Devils Lake last year with my trusty pair and was laughed at for the 4” knife at first but was just about begged for it by the end of the trip.

 

I tune up the blades of both sharpener/hone combo after each use.  Always ready to go.

[Mike89]

I have an older 4 inch rapala I like.. the handle is even different.. it's darker colored than other rapalas....  

[IceHawk]

Being we are on the subject of filleting fish. Curious how many fillet from head to tail and remove rib cage after fillet is off? this is way I learned as kid and still do it.  Or go from back down over rib cage to belly eliminating the need to take out bones  after.? Funny I know most guys do it the second way I'm the oddball and minority I'm sure but its the way I was taught and works fine for me and rather fast.  

[Wanderer]

I do it the second way.  That’s how I learned and what I’m comfortable with.  And I take my time - probably too much time in many peoples eyes.  But when I’m done the carcass looks like a G Loomis logo.

[eyeguy 54]

Bottom one is 35 years old. Cutco I got about 30 years ago. Still a great knife. Can’t throw the old ones away lol

[Xplorer]

I have a Cutco and a Rapala electric that I use 99% of the time.  

If I use the electric, I do it the first way, but I leave it attached to the tail to take off the fillet.   When I use the Cutco I usually do it the second way. 

I also have 2 regular rapalas.  One old wood handled 5” and a rubber handled 7” that I got my son to learn to fillet with.  The 5” gets used a ton in the house for all kinds of things. Used it last weekend to slice a veni roast up for making jerky.  It’s a sweet little rig that can get in all the tight spots.  

[Rick]

I'm same as you Icehawk

[smurfy]

2 hours ago, IceHawk said:

Being we are on the subject of filleting fish. Curious how many fillet from head to tail and remove rib cage after fillet is off? this is way I learned as kid and still do it.  Or go from back down over rib cage to belly eliminating the need to take out bones  after.? Funny I know most guys do it the second way I'm the oddball and minority I'm sure but its the way I was taught and works fine for me and rather fast.  

I fillet around the rib bones right away. And I have my own unique way of doing pike. Don't ask.

[Tom Sawyer]

Second, but would be willing to change if I owed a skins zit. Most of my fish are cleaned with a 6" rubber handled rap. Use a 4" for walleye cheeks, and also have a larger one for big northerns. 

 

Mmmm, those gills were good tonight. I did get a Cutco, for a gift a while back, decent knife. Just comfortable with the newer Raps, prefer rubber over the wood for handles.  I know I must have quite a few fillet knives, but none as old as that cutco eyeguy has....

That adjustment comes in handy for large gators on the Cutco. 

 

[eyeguy 54]

I use them to bone out and trim venny also.  Perfect knife for it. The electric I have found works nice on ribs. I think the cutco is probably about 35 years old also. Not 30. Had it sharpened a few years back by the rep here. Cool knife she said.

[leech~~]

3 hours ago, IceHawk said:

Being we are on the subject of filleting fish. Curious how many fillet from head to tail and remove rib cage after fillet is off? this is way I learned as kid and still do it.  Or go from back down over rib cage to belly eliminating the need to take out bones  after.? Funny I know most guys do it the second way I'm the oddball and minority I'm sure but its the way I was taught and works fine for me and rather fast.  

 

One thing that's interesting being at a Seasonal resort all summer is watching how so many folks clean and fillet their fish in the cleaning shack.  And all the different fillet knives folks have. You can really pick-up some good hints.  I'm probably more like Wanderer in that I just spent hours in a boat catching these fish. I take my time to do the best job I can at filleting them out.  I do marvel at one of my buddies pan fish filleting.  Freaky-fast and clean! 

Edited January 24, 2020 by leech~~

[gimruis]

I had a really bad accident with a filet knife when I was a teenager and to this day I have a phobia of filet knives.  I have permanent damage to the nerves in my thumb because of it.  So lately I have just been releasing all of my fish...

Edited January 24, 2020 by gimruis

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I had a really bad accident with a filet knife when I was a teenager and to this day I have a phobia of filet knives.  I have permanent damage to the nerves in my thumb because of it.  So lately I have just been releasing all of my fish...

 

Don't stop eating fish if you like them. Live and learn!

 

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[Getanet]

I personally use a Rapala electric to get the fillets off, then a regular wood-handle Rapala fillet knife to remove the rib cage and skin.  But the real reason I'm chiming in is to ask if anyone has seen this video of how to fillet a perch in 10 seconds?  Doesn't really seem to matter what knife you use with this technique - although I can't really tell if the rib cage was removed or not:

 

 

[Mike89]

interesting and I say the rib cage is still in the fish.....

[DonkeyHodey]

1 hour ago, leech~~ said:

Don't stop eating fish if you like them. Live and learn!

Although I support a wise person who knows their limits:   phobias/Nerve damage are nothing to mess with.

 

Gimrius:  Catch and release is nothing to be ashamed of!  I salute you!

 

IceHawk:  I do the "back down over rib cage" way--It kinda works as a "one size fits all" method that works whether it's a sunny, wally, norty, bully or even "weird" fish I've been experimenting with eating of late like suckers/redhorse (They're surprisingly good!)

[eyeguy 54]

1 hour ago, Getanet said:

I personally use a Rapala electric to get the fillets off, then a regular wood-handle Rapala fillet knife to remove the rib cage and skin.  But the real reason I'm chiming in is to ask if anyone has seen this video of how to fillet a perch in 10 seconds?  Doesn't really seem to matter what knife you use with this technique - although I can't really tell if the rib cage was removed or not:

 

 

Lol. 80 seconds and full of bones. I would have two done and boneless

[leech~~]

33 minutes ago, DonkeyHodey said:

Although I support a wise person who knows their limits:   phobias/Nerve damage are nothing to mess with.

 

Gimrius:  Catch and release is nothing to be ashamed of!  I salute you!

 

 

Yeah, never implied they weren't, or suggested someone should be ashamed. I did offer a solution, I thought?

[eyeguy 54]

Few years ago I started cutting the rib totally off meat and all on panfish. Gets the tiny bone out also that I don’t like to chew up. Such a small amount of meat is wasted and mostly breading any way. 

[eyeguy 54]

An example of some crappies smoked yesterday. Call me crazy but I will just eat another fish instead of the thin slice of meat

[Hookmaster]

If I fillet using option 2, I usually lose some belly meat. Option 1 I get all the belly meat but I take the ribs out a different way than most. Rick at Highbanks Resort showed me. I'll have to post a video because it's too difficult to explain. Now I'll have to go fishing!!

[gimruis]

On 1/24/2020 at 11:43 AM, leech~~ said:

 

Yeah, never implied they weren't, or suggested someone should be ashamed. I did offer a solution, I thought?

 

Ya I suppose I could use a blade proof glove.  On occasion if I'm with someone that is willing and able to clean a few fish, they'll do it for me.

 

That photo by eyeguy with all his knives kinda freaked me out.  If there's a serial finger chopper on the loose, we'll know who the guilty party is.

Edited January 27, 2020 by gimruis

[Mike89]

hope you don't see all the knifes I have then!!!  but good luck to you!!  

[leech~~]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

That photo by eyeguy with all his knives kinda freaked me out.

 

Are you sure you didn't mistype your Avatar name?  (Grimace)   

[HenryEGreen]

There are many options available. You can choose one of these: https://www.sportsmanfinder.com/blog/best-fillet-knife

[leech~~]

10 hours ago, HenryEGreen said:

There are many options available. You can choose one of these: https://www.sportsmanfinder.com/blog/best-fillet-knife

Never hit links on the internet unless you want bugs!  

With that said. The best filled knife I ever owned is the Leech Lake. Runs through a Walleye in about a min!

[smurfy]

arent Morey's walleyes cleaned for you????

 

J/K..........yep one of the best knives out there!!!!!!!!1

[smurfy]

Yea I've got a few fish cleaning knives!!

[Kettle]

I buy a new 9 in Rapala every year and sharpen it on a wet stone by the time I get through open water season, cleaning birds with it and hardwater season it's pretty thin and time for a new one. Might actually get a cordless electric soon