fillet bluegill, alive or dead?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - fillet bluegill, alive or dead?

Posted: 5/7/2017 5:12:59 PM EDT

We are fishing out the blugill in our one acre pond, they are overcoming. But it occurred to me that I have never actually cleaned a fish. Two hours later im back from bass pro with a fancy new knife, and armed with YouTube knowledge. but i ask you, does one kill the fish before filleting, or is it done while flopping. Since we are eating everything we are killing im not concerned about the ethics of getting the fillets, I just want to know whats the best method. And yes I know I should already have been cleaning fish since I was walking, knee high, and in diapers, but i dont; excuse my shame - educate me.

Posted: 5/7/2017 5:28:18 PM EDT

[#1]

I take the spine of my knife, and hit them in the forehead a few times.
That was how I was taught.

Posted: 5/7/2017 5:29:23 PM EDT

[#2]

Dude. Kill the thing first.

First off, that knife is sharp and I don't want a flopping fish while cutting.
Second, regardless of if it feels pain or not, kill it before cutting the fucker open.

I used to keep about 12 inches of a broom handle to wack them before cleaning them.

Posted: 5/7/2017 5:31:37 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
I take the spine of my knife, and hit them in the forehead a few times.
That was how I was taught.

View Quote

This

You can also kill, scale, clean. Dust with flour and fry.

Posted: 5/7/2017 7:35:58 PM EDT

[#4]

Bluegill fillets,the best.

Posted: 5/7/2017 10:52:28 PM EDT

[#5]

Iki jime

Basically, you take an ice pick, awl, or sharpened screwdriver, jam it into the brain and give it a couple swirls to kill the fish quickly.

Best way to kill snapper after catch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hNo_EVZlsk

Here is the brain location on a bluegill for reference.

Attached File

Posted: 5/7/2017 10:57:43 PM EDT

[#6]

Yes, you kill it. To do otherwise is needlessly cruel and an affront to god.

Posted: 5/7/2017 11:14:39 PM EDT

[#7]

We throw them on ice for several hours before cutting them.

Flopping will get you a mess if doing it indoors.

I use an electric knife to get the filets off the fish, starting at the tail, hold it with a few fingers of one hand, then run the knife up to the gills along the backbone. Then same for other side.

Now do the same with the filets to get the other side's skin off.

Then I use the actual filet knife to cut out the rib cage bones.

Posted: 5/8/2017 1:04:22 PM EDT

[#8]

Does the ice kill them or just slow them down? Only curious thats all.

Posted: 5/8/2017 1:08:31 PM EDT

[#9]

We stun them, then gut them quick. Never tried to do it with out stunning them first

Posted: 5/8/2017 1:17:16 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
Does the ice kill them or just slow them down? Only curious thats all.

View Quote

Slows them down.

Posted: 5/9/2017 9:41:47 AM EDT

[#11]

I don't clean most of them until the next day anyway so they are dead and cold. If its a river fish, I just do it live.

Posted: 5/9/2017 12:25:58 PM EDT

[#12]

Interesting... I've always just thrown bluegill back. But to answer your question, kill it, scale it, clean it.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - fillet bluegill, alive or dead?

Outdoors » Fresh Water Fishing

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