Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: TheHunt on June 22, 2014, 05:07:53 PM

Title: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: TheHunt on June 22, 2014, 05:07:53 PM: Do people use these?

I went fishing with a buddy and he bleeds the fish and that is it.

He does not even gut it before filleting a fish and it super quick.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Mfowl on June 22, 2014, 06:18:15 PM: I have used one. They work great for the initial fillet job but you have to use a regular fillet knife to clean up afterwards. The other problem was that, depending on how many fish your doing, the battery would run out fairly quickly. I find it easier to gut my salmon and fillet them with a regular fillet knife anymore, haven't used the electric for a while now.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: MtnMuley on June 22, 2014, 07:46:20 PM: Those that know to use them right are very efficient. I've tried a couple times, and could never come close to the speeds I could fillet with a sharp knife. I personally like using good knives, but sure would like to become efficient with the electric for buckets of perch and panfish.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: cohoho on June 26, 2014, 09:08:47 PM: For Salmon no way, but maybe for the piles of sea bass- might come in handy... Why you gutting the salmon before filleting? Unless your doing it early to keep them cold??
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: KFhunter on June 26, 2014, 09:21:54 PM: I like em for spiny ray fish
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Mfowl on June 26, 2014, 09:32:13 PM: Quote from: cohoho on June 26, 2014, 09:08:47 PM
For Salmon no way, but maybe for the piles of sea bass- might come in handy... Why you gutting the salmon before filleting? Unless your doing it early to keep them cold??

Depending on how/where I'm fishing I like to gut salmon before I run back to the ramp. I will then fillet them at home. When they are gutted they don't make a big bloody mess wherever I am filleting them (yard or carport.) If I'm not too tired I try to fillet them at the ramp before going home but that's not always feasable. I also like to gut them because I can make a cleaner cut along the spine then go back and trim off the ribs and keep as much of that belly meat on the fillet as possible. When all I'm left with is a spine and head/tail I stick it in a ziploc for crab bait. I don't like sticking my hands into a bloody slimy bag of guts just to catch some crabs. Overall , gutting the salmon ahead of time just makes things easier for me later on.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: cohoho on June 27, 2014, 05:03:46 PM: Got it, makes sense if taking them elsewhere... My mind was thinking at the dock, gutting them then filleting, but I see where your coming from.. Either way they are eating good!!!!! :tup:
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Button Nubbs on June 27, 2014, 05:07:18 PM: Ill stick to my havalon. :tup:
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: C-Money on June 27, 2014, 05:28:28 PM: For larger walleye, rock fish or ling cod, getting through the ribs with an electric would be an advantage. For small pan fish, I can run one of those cheap red handled fillet knife like no tomorrow!
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: sirmissalot on June 27, 2014, 05:38:45 PM: I would challenge anyone to a race, I'll use a knife you use an electric. Sea bass or salmon, I'll bet I can beat an electric. I tried them for a while after seeing a guy use one but once you learn how to use a knife (and how to keep it sharp) there is nothing better.

I'll be in Westport next weekend if anyone's up for the challenge.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: cohoho on June 27, 2014, 11:09:37 PM: Quote from: sirmissalot on June 27, 2014, 05:38:45 PM
I would challenge anyone to a race, I'll use a knife you use an electric. Sea bass or salmon, I'll bet I can beat an electric. I tried them for a while after seeing a guy use one but once you learn how to use a knife (and how to keep it sharp) there is nothing better.

I'll be in Westport next weekend if anyone's up for the challenge.

It is funny as I can whack a salmon in zero time, but I hate doing sea bass!!! I guess dip netting 55 salmon at a time while in AK helped!!!
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Hunterman on June 28, 2014, 09:54:02 AM: Quote from: C-Money on June 27, 2014, 05:28:28 PM
For larger walleye, rock fish or ling cod, getting through the ribs with an electric would be an advantage. For small pan fish, I can run one of those cheap red handled fillet knife like no tomorrow!

Why would you cut through the ribs on a ling cod :dunno:

Hunterman(Tony)
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: sirmissalot on June 28, 2014, 02:16:34 PM: How do you fillet a lingcod? I do it the same as a salmon, down the spine cutting through the ribs and all, flip it over and fillet the ribs off. Fast and easy.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Smossy on June 28, 2014, 02:28:54 PM: IMO not much can beat the Havalon Baracuta for filleting small/medium fish (from krappie to large salmon) Razor sharp, Replaceable blades at a low cost. :tup:
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Smossy on June 28, 2014, 02:31:57 PM: Quote from: cohoho on June 26, 2014, 09:08:47 PM
For Salmon no way, but maybe for the piles of sea bass- might come in handy... Why you gutting the salmon before filleting? Unless your doing it early to keep them cold??
Why wouldn't you gut your salmon before filleting? When I'm getting ready to head home gutting is the first and only thing I do until I get home.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Hunterman on June 28, 2014, 06:08:40 PM: Quote from: sirmissalot on June 28, 2014, 02:16:34 PM
How do you fillet a lingcod? I do it the same as a salmon, down the spine cutting through the ribs and all, flip it over and fillet the ribs off. Fast and easy.

I cut down the spine (like everyone else) to the ribs, but not through them. Then cut the meat away from the carcass. I don't like cutting the guts. Or do you gut your lings?

Hunterman(Tony)
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: C-Money on June 29, 2014, 09:35:05 AM: I Fillet as follows, (and would be easier with an electric on larger fish cause of the ribs) Cut down to spine behind gills, turn knife and follow spine threw rib cage, down to tail fin, remove meat from skin, repeat on other side. Remove rib bones from fillet, and pin bones (salmon/trout)

I zipped through a good pile of perch last night with my red handle fillet knife. We had one 16" walleye, and I thought of this thread and getting an electric while cutting through those ribs. On a good mess of walleye, it sure would be nice to be skilled with an electric.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Camo on June 29, 2014, 10:40:29 AM: Wife bought me an electric last x-mas. I will say that for my Feb/Mar walleye fishing, it allowed me to keep fish that I would not have kept in the past. More hassle than it was worth. However, for salmon I'm still using the Havalon.
If I was seriously looking for a faster way to fillet salmon, I would consider going this route:
How To Fillet A Salmon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ReqdTswIc#ws)
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: fisheral87 on July 01, 2014, 02:13:18 PM: I used a 8" boning knife when I worked as a deckhand. I currently have a buck folding fillet knife. I would not use an electric knife for soft scaled fish

If you gut your fish or not, (I don't) I would never suggest cutting the head off as it gives you a great way to hold the fish in order to run your blade down the spine of the fish and doing so will dull the blade faster. Also, it is my opinion that you should not use a sawing motion, particularly salmon, you run the risk of creating "waves" in the meat and leaving meat on the carcass.

If you are primarily working with hard scaled fish I could see the electric knife being a better option, but I would still lean towards the straight edge knife for quality of cutting.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: sirmissalot on July 02, 2014, 06:27:07 AM: Gutting is usually unnecessary when you're filleting them. I usually end up gutting them out in the water though, since the boat is bloody already I go ahead and gut them, it keeps the ice cleaner because there's less blood, so I can use the same ice in the fish box several days in a row. Plus it's much less messy when we get back to the dock and it's time to fillet. No blood and no guts saves clean up at the dock.

The guy in that video fillets almost the exact same way as I do, other than I keep the head on, and I leave the collar on, that's my favorite part I feel it's a waste to leave it for the crabs.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: sirmissalot on July 02, 2014, 06:30:50 AM: Gutting is usually unnecessary when you're filleting them. I usually end up gutting them out in the water though, since the boat is bloody already I go ahead and gut them, it keeps the ice cleaner because there's less blood, so I can use the same ice in the fish box several days in a row. Plus it's much less messy when we get back to the dock and it's time to fillet. No blood and no guts saves clean up at the dock.

The guy in that video fillets almost the exact same way as I do, other than I keep the head on, and I leave the collar on, that's my favorite part I feel it's a waste to leave it for the crabs.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: huntnnw on July 02, 2014, 06:49:06 AM: I for one dont want to pack guts home and filleting at the river is illegal
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Blackjaw on July 02, 2014, 07:33:43 AM: Electric fillet knifes are nice if you have a bunch of walleye to go through because you don't have to sharpen your blade every 3-4th fish.
Title: Re: Electric Fillet Knife
Post by: Dhoey07 on July 02, 2014, 07:36:37 AM: I gut my salmon and steelhead because i fillet the fish from the inside out. Takes longer but you get a lot less wasted meat than the guy on the video