# cleaning catfish



## Scott Schuchard

I've been fishing for cats for as long as i can remember but never brought anyhome too eat do to the fact that i do not now how to clean them . Just wondering how do you guys get the job done?
thanks


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## Turner

slice the skin around the head behinde the fins and grab it with a skinning pliers and peal in down to the tail. Gut, cut the head and fins off. Batter and fry.


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## Scott Schuchard

well that sounds easy enough


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## Burly1

Fillet them from the back of the ribs to the tail. The meat you miss along the backbone won't amount to much. Channel cats of about a pound make the best eaters. Good fishing, Burl


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## Starky

I've seen people nail their heads to a tree. This seems to make skinning them a little easier. I would say that fish in the 12 - 16 inch range are the best eating. When they get bigger they have a lot of fat in them.


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## b_grover

We used to fish for Channel Cats in Virginia, and I now live in ND. I fillet catfish the same way I would fillet a walleye, except there are more bones. 
Depending on how you plan to prepare the fish is another thing. If you want to beer batter it, then soak filets for 4-6 hours in beer. Regular batter? Buttermilk or fruit juice for 4-6 hours depending on the batter. 
My favorite way to prep kitties is to gill and gut them, add tomato, basil, mushroom, onion, olive oil, salt and pepper in body cavity, wrap in foil, grill 10 min per inch. Great!!


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## JEDJR

I HATE cleaning catfish. My wife and I rented a cabin on lake north of our home and fished for a week, we must of caught between 350-425 fish with about 150 or more being catfish, blues and channels. We threw em all back, got finned 3 times!! :x


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## Madison

Peeling them has been my method.. I like the 15-20"ers for frying and the big cats I save for the smoker..

Also with the smaller ones I leave all the bones in them , once done frying one pull and every last bone comes out nice and easy...


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## PanfishHunter

I do what Starky suggested. I cut the skin around the head and nail to a board or tree. Then take skinning pliers and peal back skin. Cut the fillets from the end of the rib cage to the tail.

:sniper: PanfishHunter


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## Mojo^

Starky said:


> I've seen people nail their heads to a tree. This seems to make skinning them a little easier. I would say that fish in the 12 - 16 inch range are the best eating. When they get bigger they have a lot of fat in them.


Yep, I've used a board with a nail in it that had the head sharpened to a nice point. Just slap the cat onto the nail, make a couple of quick cuts around the gills and go to work with skinning pliers.


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