Who are the premium fish and game fillet knives?
- Thread starter JBoyette
- Start date
- Replies 39
- Views 1,017
I have some $50-$80 bubba blades that are okay. I prefer the $12-$15 dexter Russell white handle knives though. I don’t think the bubba blades are worth the money personally.
I have a couple Mora fillet knives I think I gave $20 maybe $25 for 15 or so years back and they are still the go to ones that work because they are razor sharp. There is a fancy “Classic” Mora that is well over $100 I’d love to own but I know sure as crappin’ if I paid that much for one it would be dropped off the cleaning station into the water, “walk off” or just plain lost.
fieldgrade
waiting...
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Charter Life Member
Benefactor
Supporting Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
I about cut my thumb off trying to cut a chicken in half on a backpacking trip fifty years ago.
Rapala filet knife. It’ll do the job if you can find one.
Rapala filet knife. It’ll do the job if you can find one.
Last edited:
Helpful hint … also DO NOT use a fillet knife to slice a bagel … my SIL did and it took over 20 switched to close the gash between her thumb and index finger. My fillet knives stay razor sharp … and now not in the kitchen!
Last edited:
For large fish like tuna and red snapper I use a
Dexter Russell Traditional 8" Butcher Knife 4691 012G-8BU
The blade shape is great and you don’t need as much flexibility as with a pompano or bluegill. For the little guys just use a 7“ rapala.Nah … for tuna you use a Maguro … a samurai sushi sword. No joke a 3 foot fish sword!
Suisin Tuna Knife
About Suisin Maguro Knife Each year, many visitors to Japan can count a trip to Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market as a highlight of their travels. At the market it is a special treat to see tuna purveyors wielding these impressive maguro knives. These lengthy knives are ingeniously designed and...
www.korin.com
Last edited:
Montana Knife company just released a filet knife. Actually drops for sale this Thursday. Based on the others I have, hard to see anything being better.
Infamous1
Well-Known Member
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Supporting Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
I will go against the grain here. I love my Bubba's. I have a heavy butcher style and a more "flexible" (and I use that term loosely) filet knife. I keep them at my shack on the coast. They stay sharp with light touch ups and are very corrosion resistant. They work well for me but I do toss my filets in a Yeti cooler while wearing Maui Jims....
Example....
Example....
Ikarus1
Avtomat Krishna-kov
The Dexters are what I use processing meat chickens. As long at whatever your cutting doesnt have hairy hide it works great.
For deer skinning I use whatever knife is sharpest at the time out of 3 or 4 fixed blades
Ikarus1
Avtomat Krishna-kov
Rapalas were good but now in the name of cheap all made in china now. That is when I found Dexters.
Still made in USA
Amazon product ASIN B0037XIMMK
Last edited:
Bought 2 sets of these for cutting up chickens. They are awesome.
Steven Raichlen 10-Inch Signature Meat Shears : BBQGuys
Get the most from your barbecue with tools by the award-winning author, journalist and television host, Steven Raichlen. This sturdy pair of meat shears with stainless steel blades is perfect for cutting meats into smaller pieces easily. Use these heavy-duty, drop-forged meat shears anytime a...
www.bbqguys.com
I’ve bought some of the Victronix knives from Cabela’s and been happy with them. If you want a good answer on a game knife I’d ask @thrillhill .
thrillhill
Assistant TO The Regional Manager
Staff member
Charter Life Member
Benefactor
Sponsor
Vendor
Multi-Factor Enabled
Thanks, about to run out the door for an unusual but planned exodus from the homestead to the city. I'll be glad to give my thoughts and OPINIONS about my preferences and experiences when I get back.
Average Joe
Just A Everyday Joe
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Benefactor
Life Member
Supporting Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
If you want a good answer on a game knife I’d ask @thrillhill .
This^^^
This^^^
And if you sign up for their text alerts (like I did) they will promptly text you at 8pm notifying you of the knife drop that happened an hour ago (7pm) and is already sold out!!!
It's 7 pm mountain. 9pm eastern. But they do sell out in a few minutes. If you are not on the site at 9pm for the drop, you are probably out of luck. And if you looked at 8pm eastern you got the general sold out tabs because they had not dropped yet.
I've gotten good at sniping them. I can be checked out in under a minute with the knife. If you really want one PM me and I'll set you up with a game plan. at 9:05 you might be too late. I spent 3 minutes trying to check out on one that was in my cart and lost it the first time I tried.
Last edited:
Ive been happy with this as a boning knife. If they make one similar that is more flexible im sure it would be a good filet knife.
Infamous1
Well-Known Member
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Supporting Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
Lol yup Bill is the cutlery guy. I'm more of the basic prison shank type guy.
Here is my favorite cheap filet knife hack....
I love catfish. I have seen a hundred ways to clean them. Filet is my go to way and
I use an electric bread knife from the thrift shop. Works unbelievably well and is only $3. I have a couple of them I utilize. I can have the fish thoroughly cleaned and in the grease while he is still flopping.
Phil Wilson, he’s a custom maker but made several collaborations with Spyderco. His South Fork design looks like a great all around fish and game cleaning tool. He makes several Filet knives too.
On a general purpose hunting knife I’ve not found a favorite. I’m a steel nut and have tried a bunch. One that really impressed me is the Spyderco Serrata in cast 440c. It’s blade has micro serrations and will hold an edge on game like no other fixed blade I’ve used. I’m intrigued but don’t have any of the Bark River knives. I bet @thrillhill could give you a good rundown on them in this role.
I could go on but most is just about what I have an have tried. To be honest a Buck Vanguard from the Alaskan Guide Series at Cabela’s in S30v would be hard to beat as a GP hunting blade.
On a general purpose hunting knife I’ve not found a favorite. I’m a steel nut and have tried a bunch. One that really impressed me is the Spyderco Serrata in cast 440c. It’s blade has micro serrations and will hold an edge on game like no other fixed blade I’ve used. I’m intrigued but don’t have any of the Bark River knives. I bet @thrillhill could give you a good rundown on them in this role.
I could go on but most is just about what I have an have tried. To be honest a Buck Vanguard from the Alaskan Guide Series at Cabela’s in S30v would be hard to beat as a GP hunting blade.
For fishing whether that be small fish, flounder, or red drum, Dexter Russell as mentioned above. The Bubba blades are all handle and marketing. The steel is crap and dulls quickly where you hit bone trimming the fillet off. You can get a good edge on it, but it doesn't last past a few fish. I gave up with it and use it as a utility blade.
https://www.dexterrussellcutlery.com/Fillet-Knives In the V-low and Sani-safe handles. The wooden handled ones seemed to be a different blade.
The V-Lo handles are nice if you find yourself doing a lot of repetitive cleaning. The only issue with the V-low handles is that they don't stay in the white plastic sheaths. I had to add a bunjee loop.
I have 2 in the V-lo handles and 6-8 in the Sani-safe (stashed between boats and truck). Steel seems to be the same. The blade lengths I prefer are the 6" for larger fish and breaking down pork shoulders as well. For skinning a fillet, I prefer the 8" to allow for the push and sweep, removing the skin sans flesh.
The Bearded Butchers seem to talk pretty highly of the Victornox stuff, but I have no experience.
https://www.dexterrussellcutlery.com/Fillet-Knives In the V-low and Sani-safe handles. The wooden handled ones seemed to be a different blade.
The V-Lo handles are nice if you find yourself doing a lot of repetitive cleaning. The only issue with the V-low handles is that they don't stay in the white plastic sheaths. I had to add a bunjee loop.
I have 2 in the V-lo handles and 6-8 in the Sani-safe (stashed between boats and truck). Steel seems to be the same. The blade lengths I prefer are the 6" for larger fish and breaking down pork shoulders as well. For skinning a fillet, I prefer the 8" to allow for the push and sweep, removing the skin sans flesh.
The Bearded Butchers seem to talk pretty highly of the Victornox stuff, but I have no experience.
Last edited:
Wasn't gonna say nothing, but the 'lectric knife seems to be the go-to 'round here, 'least for the meat fishermen. I can imagine if yer working yer way through a couple limits of crappie or white bass, you'd be glad for the assist.
We always used electric knives for anything we weren't filleting, which was mostly crappie by the hundred.
Pops used a cheap off brand filet knife for the off chance we sliced up some bass. In for info.
Here are some Bubba on sale:
www.academy.com
Bubba Fillet Knife | Academy
Make incredibly accurate cuts with the Bubba Fillet Knife, which features a straight-edge blade made of high-carbon stainless steel for strength and durabili...
www.academy.com
RR
....glutton for punishment.....
Staff member
Charter Life Member
Benefactor
Sponsor
Multi-Factor Enabled
Here is my go to though.
Mercer Culinary M23850 Millennia... Amazon product ASIN B00MJ0A64O
Excellent quality at low price.
Mercer Culinary M23850 Millennia... Amazon product ASIN B00MJ0A64O
Excellent quality at low price.
thrillhill
Assistant TO The Regional Manager
Staff member
Charter Life Member
Benefactor
Sponsor
Vendor
Multi-Factor Enabled
From the way I understood the OP's question, we're talking about a couple different knives or knife categories, or even "task categories".
What's "the best" or "premium/top of the line" fillet or fish processing knife/knives and what is the best/premium knife/knives for processing deer or elk sized game?
I'd like to explain the way I'm looking at these questions because that informs my answers.
Knives are a lot like guns in this regard.
Let's say that I have a $500 PSA AR-15 with a $200 Holosun optic on it. I shoot paper at the range out to 100 yards and and hit some steel targets out to 200, maybe once every other month or so. I then take it home and clean it, and put it away wet. I don't take any classes or compete or have any trained background. One day a coyote shows up in the edge of my farm yard at dusk and I pop him with that PSA. I'm proud of that rifle, it did what I wanted it to do just fine.
I'm on my local gun forum and I hear that @JBoyette is a respected tactical rifle instructor. He recommends a Wilson Combat AR-15 because it's a premium rifle. But it costs 4 times what I paid for my PSA. I save my money and get one because I want to be better at doing AR-15 stuff. And I can't have a WC AR with a Holosun on it so I save up and get an Aimpoint.
I go back to the range several times over the next few weeks and proudly shoot my Wilson Combat premium rifle at the paper. I can't tell any difference at 50 and 100 yards. I don't hit the 200 yard steel with any more or less regularity than I did with the PSA rifle.
Now I feel kinda bummed that my shooting is not any better even though I dropped a lot more money on my gear. I feel hoodwinked. Those guys that recommended this stuff are just gear snobs, fan-boys, shills for their favorite brand. I'm kinda irritated in fact. This premium rifle didn't help me do anything better than I did before.
So yeah, if that's all your gonna do with your rifle, or all you expect from it, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE between the high-end rifle and the "budget" rifle.
It's almost EXACTLY the same with knives.
Let me skip over fish for now and go straight to deer and elk sized game processing.
If you only kill one or two deer per season, you are NOT gonna see ANY performance difference between a $30 Walmart skinning knife and a $300 Bark River. NONE. (Until you go to sharpen them that is, and let's be honest, I have a lot of friends who will do that then buy another $30 knife next season instead of learning how to properly sharpen.)
But one or two deer per season is not how my family rolls. Our meat processing season was kind of light this past winter. We only did 15 deer, 2 goats, 6 racoons, 2 snapping turtles, 76 squirrels, and I lost track of the chickens, geese, ducks, and rabbits. I didn't do any hogs last winter.
This kind of use is where YOU WILL notice a difference between bottom and top of the line.
Much like you would notice the difference between the PSA and Wilson Combat if you all of a sudden started shooting 20,000 rounds a year, taking classes, competing in 3 gun, wallowing around in the mud the blood and the beer, etc.
As mentioned I do REALLY like and appreciate Bark River knives. I appreciate their handle geometry, and I love their steel, specifically their CPM-3V steel, but there are certainly lots of other steel options in their lineup.
My favorite game processing knife is the Ultralite Bushcrafter (ULB for short). I have 3 of them.
The ULB is a small knife. The more my knowledge base and experience increased over the years, the smaller my knife got. To a degree, it is my knowledge and experience that allows me to go faster than most everybody else, to "do it better" than a lot of folks. Not my knife. To a large degree anyway. If I wanna "go fast" and still be precise I need CONTROL. So yes, on this knife, the handle is larger than the blade (in the knife world this is the equivalent of not putting a $200 scope on a $2,000 rifle). Speed + control.
What the extra money buys me is not really how long it stays sharp. The harder a steel is the longer it will "hold an edge", but conversely it's harder to sharpen. The heat treat on the 3V steel from Bark River allows me to clean a deer from start to finish, and then simply strop it, and it will once again be sharper than any production knife you have EVER handled.
If you don't learn about sharpening, you are wasting your money buying high-end knives for these tasks.
So, my premium game processing knife, if I can have only one, is gonna be a Bark River Ultralite Bushcrafter. I wouldn't hesitate to clean anything from a racoon to a bison with it. And I've done fish as well, but we'll get to that.
Below is a picture of the Ultralite Bushcrafter below a J-frame .38 for size reference.
The knife above the J-frame, is the Bark River Mini Kalahari Sportsman.
We have 4 of those. They belong to my wife and stay in her kitchen. She does most of the "bird" killing and processing. She also makes all the final cuts on the mammal meat. They look like a fillet knife, and can be used as such, but they are not as flexible as what most folks think of in that regard. Hell of a good knife to have on the homestead. In the field, not so much.
The picture below is a selection of some of my favorite and most used knives when it comes to food processing.
The blue handled one on the top was a Frost branded knife made by Mora. It was geared towards commercial fisherman. I take it when we go King Mackerel fishing. We are usually just cutting them up into "steaks", not filleting. It cost $25 at the time I bought it.
The black handled "swept back skinner" looking knife below the Mora is a cheap ($12 maybe?) Cold Steel that I clean the majority of my fish with (will explain that shortly).
Below that we have the Bark River ULB on the left and a Mini Kalahari Sportsman on the right.
Below those are the J-frame for size reference and to the left of that we have 2 versions of the Benchmade Meatcrafter knife. Looks like they are fillet knives, and they could serve as such, but that is not how we use them. They are more of a "deboning" knife in our lineup.
And the weird looking knife on the lower left is the now discontinued Benchmade Nestucca Cleaver. It allows me to cape the hides super fast without punching through.
Being around the homestead lets me approach a processing task with multiple "specialty tools". That's what they are after all. Tools. You wouldn't try to take apart a car with only a flathead screwdriver. Why on earth would you try to take apart an animal with just one knife? At home anyway. In the field it's obviously different. I'd carry one or two knives and handle the task just fine, but it takes longer.
For processing fish, I'm not really the guy to ask about "premium" knives. I do it quite often. But not to the degree that other folks do. Plus I do things different than the "average white man" nowadays.
I very rarely fillet. I go the "poor people" route on most of my fish (catfish and some saltwater being the exception). Below is an example of what I mean.
When I come home with a mess of bream, crappie, and even a bass or two, I don't fillet. I get a spoon, yes a big spoon from the kitchen, and scale the fish. Then I cut the head off (not always), make a little slit in the bottom, and pull the guts out (PLEASE save the guts and heads for garden fertilizer! LOL).
And for that, 90% of the time I use that goofy looking Cold Steel. I rock it through the spinal cord and then cut my slit with it.
When it comes to filleting I would certainly defer to @Infamous1 in a heartbeat. I only clean one or two catfish here or there. I'm slow but thorough. If I got into a dozen plus I'd probably hit him up and ask him if I could swing by his place so he could show me how to go fast. And we know what @Bigdave0924 does for a living, and we've all seen @chiefjason pictures. I would defer to guys like that in a heartbeat when it comes to equipment choice.
So all that to say, my premium game knife is the Bark River Ultralite Bushcrafter.
There are lots of other good options out there.
There are very few legitimate "right vs. wrong" answers here. It varies by need, perceived use, and skill level.
Great example, within the context of this discussion, there are also $20 Mora knives that would get me through the apocalypse in fairly confident manner. But only because I have the knowledge to sharpen even with "field expedient" supplies! LOL!
If you are not gonna learn how to sharpen, don't spend $300 on a knife. Buy 25 Mora Companions and use them until you are dead.
Just like tactical AR-15 use discussions, in the game processing world, knowledge and experience is generally more important than gear.
Good gear can compliment knowledge and experience.
If any of y'all want to learn in-person about knife sharpening or game processing, hit me up. Folks are always welcome to come out and visit. And I love passing on what little knowledge I've accumulated.
What's "the best" or "premium/top of the line" fillet or fish processing knife/knives and what is the best/premium knife/knives for processing deer or elk sized game?
I'd like to explain the way I'm looking at these questions because that informs my answers.
Knives are a lot like guns in this regard.
Let's say that I have a $500 PSA AR-15 with a $200 Holosun optic on it. I shoot paper at the range out to 100 yards and and hit some steel targets out to 200, maybe once every other month or so. I then take it home and clean it, and put it away wet. I don't take any classes or compete or have any trained background. One day a coyote shows up in the edge of my farm yard at dusk and I pop him with that PSA. I'm proud of that rifle, it did what I wanted it to do just fine.
I'm on my local gun forum and I hear that @JBoyette is a respected tactical rifle instructor. He recommends a Wilson Combat AR-15 because it's a premium rifle. But it costs 4 times what I paid for my PSA. I save my money and get one because I want to be better at doing AR-15 stuff. And I can't have a WC AR with a Holosun on it so I save up and get an Aimpoint.
I go back to the range several times over the next few weeks and proudly shoot my Wilson Combat premium rifle at the paper. I can't tell any difference at 50 and 100 yards. I don't hit the 200 yard steel with any more or less regularity than I did with the PSA rifle.
Now I feel kinda bummed that my shooting is not any better even though I dropped a lot more money on my gear. I feel hoodwinked. Those guys that recommended this stuff are just gear snobs, fan-boys, shills for their favorite brand. I'm kinda irritated in fact. This premium rifle didn't help me do anything better than I did before.
So yeah, if that's all your gonna do with your rifle, or all you expect from it, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE between the high-end rifle and the "budget" rifle.
It's almost EXACTLY the same with knives.
Let me skip over fish for now and go straight to deer and elk sized game processing.
If you only kill one or two deer per season, you are NOT gonna see ANY performance difference between a $30 Walmart skinning knife and a $300 Bark River. NONE. (Until you go to sharpen them that is, and let's be honest, I have a lot of friends who will do that then buy another $30 knife next season instead of learning how to properly sharpen.)
But one or two deer per season is not how my family rolls. Our meat processing season was kind of light this past winter. We only did 15 deer, 2 goats, 6 racoons, 2 snapping turtles, 76 squirrels, and I lost track of the chickens, geese, ducks, and rabbits. I didn't do any hogs last winter.
This kind of use is where YOU WILL notice a difference between bottom and top of the line.
Much like you would notice the difference between the PSA and Wilson Combat if you all of a sudden started shooting 20,000 rounds a year, taking classes, competing in 3 gun, wallowing around in the mud the blood and the beer, etc.
As mentioned I do REALLY like and appreciate Bark River knives. I appreciate their handle geometry, and I love their steel, specifically their CPM-3V steel, but there are certainly lots of other steel options in their lineup.
My favorite game processing knife is the Ultralite Bushcrafter (ULB for short). I have 3 of them.
The ULB is a small knife. The more my knowledge base and experience increased over the years, the smaller my knife got. To a degree, it is my knowledge and experience that allows me to go faster than most everybody else, to "do it better" than a lot of folks. Not my knife. To a large degree anyway. If I wanna "go fast" and still be precise I need CONTROL. So yes, on this knife, the handle is larger than the blade (in the knife world this is the equivalent of not putting a $200 scope on a $2,000 rifle). Speed + control.
What the extra money buys me is not really how long it stays sharp. The harder a steel is the longer it will "hold an edge", but conversely it's harder to sharpen. The heat treat on the 3V steel from Bark River allows me to clean a deer from start to finish, and then simply strop it, and it will once again be sharper than any production knife you have EVER handled.
If you don't learn about sharpening, you are wasting your money buying high-end knives for these tasks.
So, my premium game processing knife, if I can have only one, is gonna be a Bark River Ultralite Bushcrafter. I wouldn't hesitate to clean anything from a racoon to a bison with it. And I've done fish as well, but we'll get to that.
Below is a picture of the Ultralite Bushcrafter below a J-frame .38 for size reference.
The knife above the J-frame, is the Bark River Mini Kalahari Sportsman.
We have 4 of those. They belong to my wife and stay in her kitchen. She does most of the "bird" killing and processing. She also makes all the final cuts on the mammal meat. They look like a fillet knife, and can be used as such, but they are not as flexible as what most folks think of in that regard. Hell of a good knife to have on the homestead. In the field, not so much.
The picture below is a selection of some of my favorite and most used knives when it comes to food processing.
The blue handled one on the top was a Frost branded knife made by Mora. It was geared towards commercial fisherman. I take it when we go King Mackerel fishing. We are usually just cutting them up into "steaks", not filleting. It cost $25 at the time I bought it.
The black handled "swept back skinner" looking knife below the Mora is a cheap ($12 maybe?) Cold Steel that I clean the majority of my fish with (will explain that shortly).
Below that we have the Bark River ULB on the left and a Mini Kalahari Sportsman on the right.
Below those are the J-frame for size reference and to the left of that we have 2 versions of the Benchmade Meatcrafter knife. Looks like they are fillet knives, and they could serve as such, but that is not how we use them. They are more of a "deboning" knife in our lineup.
And the weird looking knife on the lower left is the now discontinued Benchmade Nestucca Cleaver. It allows me to cape the hides super fast without punching through.
Being around the homestead lets me approach a processing task with multiple "specialty tools". That's what they are after all. Tools. You wouldn't try to take apart a car with only a flathead screwdriver. Why on earth would you try to take apart an animal with just one knife? At home anyway. In the field it's obviously different. I'd carry one or two knives and handle the task just fine, but it takes longer.
For processing fish, I'm not really the guy to ask about "premium" knives. I do it quite often. But not to the degree that other folks do. Plus I do things different than the "average white man" nowadays.
I very rarely fillet. I go the "poor people" route on most of my fish (catfish and some saltwater being the exception). Below is an example of what I mean.
When I come home with a mess of bream, crappie, and even a bass or two, I don't fillet. I get a spoon, yes a big spoon from the kitchen, and scale the fish. Then I cut the head off (not always), make a little slit in the bottom, and pull the guts out (PLEASE save the guts and heads for garden fertilizer! LOL).
And for that, 90% of the time I use that goofy looking Cold Steel. I rock it through the spinal cord and then cut my slit with it.
When it comes to filleting I would certainly defer to @Infamous1 in a heartbeat. I only clean one or two catfish here or there. I'm slow but thorough. If I got into a dozen plus I'd probably hit him up and ask him if I could swing by his place so he could show me how to go fast. And we know what @Bigdave0924 does for a living, and we've all seen @chiefjason pictures. I would defer to guys like that in a heartbeat when it comes to equipment choice.
So all that to say, my premium game knife is the Bark River Ultralite Bushcrafter.
There are lots of other good options out there.
There are very few legitimate "right vs. wrong" answers here. It varies by need, perceived use, and skill level.
Great example, within the context of this discussion, there are also $20 Mora knives that would get me through the apocalypse in fairly confident manner. But only because I have the knowledge to sharpen even with "field expedient" supplies! LOL!
If you are not gonna learn how to sharpen, don't spend $300 on a knife. Buy 25 Mora Companions and use them until you are dead.
Just like tactical AR-15 use discussions, in the game processing world, knowledge and experience is generally more important than gear.
Good gear can compliment knowledge and experience.
If any of y'all want to learn in-person about knife sharpening or game processing, hit me up. Folks are always welcome to come out and visit. And I love passing on what little knowledge I've accumulated.
OP
And that, is the value of CFF. Thank you @thrillhill
if you were to scale, filet, fry those bream, instead of eating just 5, you could eat 15 of them. Trust me on that one.
But then you would be tossing some the best part- the fins!
The tail!!!!! If you're good, you keep the tail on one fillet. We scale, then fillet
Speaking of skinning knives I want that new benchmade meat crafter they released not too long ago. My local sportsman’s warehouse has one in the showcase I just can’t bring myself to spend the $ to clean 2 or 3 deer per year when a dexter Russell does the job just fine.
Last edited:
I have filleted a couple
this is best- Victorinox 5.3813.18
though a Gerber Muskie is tough to beat
this is best- Victorinox 5.3813.18
though a Gerber Muskie is tough to beat
I guess growing up poor, we just would never waste anything that could be eaten by filleting. Plus some were so small... if it got on the hook, grandma would keep it. She would say "You eat butter bean don't ya? Well it's bigger than a butter bean..." Kind of like hogs, the only thing we didn't eat was the squeal! And like @thrillhill said, a big spoon or a mason jar lid to scale it with. Grandma had a big old wooden cable spool in back yard just for cleaning fish, shucking corn, eaten watermelon...
I guess only filleted we had were the few time we would eat out at the beach, either trout or flounder. But if we caught either when fishing it was eaten whole. Except eels- they were cut up into 3-4 inch lengths and fried. "Freshwater hotdog" is what my uncle called them.
I guess only filleted we had were the few time we would eat out at the beach, either trout or flounder. But if we caught either when fishing it was eaten whole. Except eels- they were cut up into 3-4 inch lengths and fried. "Freshwater hotdog" is what my uncle called them.
This is what I use. A Cutco fillet knife
www.cutco.com
Fishermans Solution® | Fishing Knives & Fillet Knives by Cutco
Features an extendable, flexible high-carbon, stainless steel blade, pivoting sheath/gripper, built-in line cutter and hook sharpener/sharpening stone. Adjustable blade locks into position from 6" to 9".
www.cutco.com
Ok so I looked and got it wrong... Buck alpha hunter. Good heft great grip when things get messy. Holds an edge and touches up easily.
Buck 278 Alpha Hunter Folding Hunting Knife 3.5 420HC SS Drop Point
The Folding Alpha Hunter features the same modern lines as the fixed blade version, but it folds for easy pocket or belt carry. Features finger grooves...
www.midwayusa.com