Cleaning Perch with an electric knife

[J.D.]

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Edited October 1, 2013 by J.D.

[W.W.IV.]

I'm sorry to say this but you waste a lot of meat.

[rw6788]

Agree. I use a electric knife but don't skin them until I trim the rib cage with the electric knife

[potsie225]

I do my perch the same way. What brand knife were you using. TY Doug

[jimski2]

The professional fish cutters in Port Dover would drown you in the harbor for wasting all that perch. They receive a packer of a hundred pounds of perch to clean and are expected to turn out fifty pounds of filets. Your quick butcher of a perch is a sin and you should apologize for putting this out.

[Chautauqua Tony]

Check this guy out.

[Chautauqua Tony]

Bad link. This should be the right one.

[panfisher]

Chautauqua Tony......Awesome vid. And the first link posted worked (for me). But that technique looks great. I'll have to master it! I've been using, since 10 years of age, a very tedious (slow and messy) and laborious and sometimes painful method of scaling and beheading that is at best a pain in the ass and hands. I can use either fillet knife or electric, but I prefer the end result of the scaling and beheading (gutting) method. I like the flavor with the skin on and bones in, as it is easy to peel away the fillets off the bone at the table. And the lack of waste is also important to me. But with Costa's Indian way, I'll gladly give up the skin to save my hands and time and not waste a lot of succulent perch meat like trying to fillet them does. But guys.....give J.D. a break. I know plenty of folks that fillet like that. He's showing a way that works for him. I've filleted like that too, but if I have the time I revert back to that slavery way that yields really nice results. Costa's way will definitely be the way I go on the next round of processing. Thanx...   !! BTW, any videos known of the butterflying method I've seen with perch, with some being what I would call tiny (maybe 4-5 inch whole) fish? I've seen these skinless boneless butterfly fillets (connected at the belly side) that waste almost no meat, in batches of commercially processed retail sold perch meat.....

Edited October 1, 2013 by panfisher

[Pequod1]

Well, I for one commend you JD. Nice job. And that is exactly how I do it.  Two reasons why, one is called arthritis and the other, my wife still can't figure out how to remove the bones while eating a fish after 35 yrs.

 Isn't the internet lovely  Where else can I guy get so much positive feedback.

[GAMBLER]

I do it the same way. That thin little slab you waste gets over cooked in the fryer anyways. Not worth the hassle.

[bigblue]

JD got it right in my books . Feed the cat if you are worried about the boney waste.

[Silver Fox]

Exactly how I and my buddies do it also and I'm not apologizing for it one bit because I'm no proffesional. My family is not going to wait all day for me to clean fish after I get home. Good luck to you!

Sent from my XT907 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Kevin J Legg]

JD,

I do it the same way and it's fast, BONELESS, and imo wastes very little meat and freezes well. I'd hate to tackle a cooler full of perch any other way.

[gokudl3]

Little hard on the guy as he is not a professional fish cleaner...that's probably how 95% of people clean them and thanks for posting. I can't wait to be cleaning those tasty little guys!

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app....Doug

[SHADE OF GRAY]

I cleane them the same way. Thanks for posting the video. There is so little meat wasted it's not worth my time. Pluse im no professional.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[panfisher]

Yeah, the fast fillet with electrics is nice and easy. And the cats do eat well.   But I, for one, am fascinated with that pocket knife method and can't wait to try it and hopefully make it work for me. Either way those perch are worth the effort. BTW, I have tackled a large cooler full the old fashioned "slave way" I described. But that is when I knew of no other way. And after a messy and exhausting couple of hours, and when  fried and eaten with the family at 3 or 4 meals......they seem to taste even better! Any way it's done, they are always worth it!!!

Edited October 2, 2013 by panfisher

[lost a lure]

Check this guy out.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pjTlFwQb7D0&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DpjTlFwQb7D0

"You snap the back of da head"

[lost a lure]

.......................

What happened to the video. Put it back on and tell these "professionals" to go piss up a rope. Maybe Jimski2 will fillet your perch for you. I must have watched a different video than the "professional"

Edited October 3, 2013 by lost a lure

[jimski2]

The "half fast cleaning" methods I do not use as I carry a cooler of ice at all times and my perch are immediately iced down as soon as they are off the hook. Since I am seventy years old I share my perch with friends, family and even some neighbors. After a long day on the water, I am too tired to clean the fish properly but the next day since I feel better, I get into cleaning a couple dozen that are left. These gives me four dozen filets that make up four dinners that I seal up and freeze in a plastic bag topped off with water that is frozen till needed. 

 

I hate to say this but if you insist on using an electric knife I see that the curved front blades do a better job skinning than the flat straight blades.

 

Too many fish in the freezer cuts down on my fishing time so help your friends out that are too old or have to work to get out there.

Edited October 3, 2013 by jimski2

[panfisher]

Good sentiments and actions jimski2.....   And keeping the frozen fish, however cleaned....or uncleaned (I've sometimes tossed fish in whole and unpackedged in the freezer due to lack of time for some reason), encased in water inside plastic bags or old clean drink cartons or whatever you like, works great. The water insulates the fish from dryness and freezer burn.....unless you still have a way old freezer made before the "frost free" freezer days. Those used to get caked with ice inside (even the refrigerator part) and had to be periodically "chipped" clear of ice or defrosted. They did serve to keep frozen items moist and of nicer quality though....So if any of you still have one of those old freezers around, keep them handy, plugged in somewhere to keep your ''long term'' frozen fish and game preserved. After you literally break the food out 3 or 4 years later, you'll find they really are in excellent condition...     Hopefully you might also have alternate electric power (wind or solar), as those old boxes can put a dent in your wallet come bill time.    But, good things are never free....one way or the other.. ..

[J.D.]

repost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH6G9YJbyQk

[bigblue]

Thanks for the post JD your video helped me make up my mind which electric knife to buy .

Edited October 11, 2013 by bigblue

[lineman49]

  Use electric knife on all my fish with very little waste.  Catch them, clean em, eat em, or freeze em never left overnight . Use the elec.,slow down a bit & get very little waste.

[strizzy]

repost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH6G9YJbyQk

Same way I clean perch, I just cut back at an angle toward the front of the head behind the fin to grab some of that meat as well.

[Absolut40]

Nice video.I clean mine the exact same way.