# cleaning a bluegill



## kvernum3

Basic question here,, how do u clean a bluegill. do u have to scale them, and if u do how<< or do u just have to fillet them?.?.?


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## muskat

I like to scale them and cut off the heads. 
From there, you can smoke them (mmmmmmm) or fry them.
Excellent eating.


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## kvernum3

how do u scale them?


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## muskat

You can pick up a fish scaler at any of your local sporting goods stores.


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## Field Hunter

They're really good to smoke.......hard to light though. :lol:


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## fox412

You can just scale them with a knife cut the head, fin, tail and lose the guts. Good eatin


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## muskat

> They're really good to smoke.......hard to light though.


Unless you have an acetylene torch.


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## Sunnfisher

Scale them first. Then cut down behind the head almost to breast. With the tip of your knife extend the cut on each side back around the vent. Discard the head and guts. For many folks that's all. I like to chop off the tail then cut on each side of the top and bottom fin and with a plires, pull the fins. That way when they are cooked you just slide a fork between the halfs and they come apart and you can lift out the bones with luck all at once.


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## eyecatcher

I never scale my gills as the kids don't like em with the skin on but I do filet every one. I use a cordless fillet knife from Rapala and can whip out a limit in very short order.


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## chris towne

kvernum3 said:


> how do u scale them?


go against the way of the scales witrh a spoon.


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## fishunt

I simple take gills and guts out and put lemon, butter and garlic on it and wrap with foil and throw in bbq for 20 minutes yummy good... after u open and u can easy peel off the skin and eat meat with fork yummy


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## rockinmichigan

First I take a knife and scale them, saves me a couple bucks from going to a store (that money could go towards buying worms used to catch bluegills). Then I wack the head off, and then I cut along the sides until I'm about a half inch from the tail, then I cut the tail off. That's basically it.


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## Madison

I fillet my sunnies.. Start at the top of the fish and slice down following the backbone as close as possible to about half way and then push knife tip all the way through and finish out to the tail. Go back to the front of the fish and continue to cut down until you hit the rib cage. Once at the ribcage, you'll want to pull the meat back just a tad and expose the extra set of bones (kinda like y bones but not). Next you'll want to pry the bones outward by pushing the tip of your knife just under the bones and peel outward (your basically prying/cutting the meat away) by tilting the knife outwards. ONce you get around these bones, continue down follwoing the rest of the ribcage and around, maximizing the amount of meat you get.. The finished results are a completely boneless perfect fillet of fish with virtually no waste.

I know it looks like a lot of work but once you get good at it, it goes fast...


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## Fossilman

I fellet everything...............


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