How to Clean a Fish

You've played, now you must pay. Before you enjoy the sublime taste of fresh-caught fish, you have to clean and prepare it. It's an easy process, and a necessary one.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fish
• Boning Knives
• Cutting Boards
• Fish Scalers

1. Wash the fish using fresh tap water. Avoid cleaning fish with lake or stream water, as it can sometimes contain contaminants.

2. 

   Remove scales by scraping the fish with a fish scaler or the dull edge of a knife. Use short strokes from tail to head. If you plan to skin the fish before cooking, this step is not necessary.

3. 

   Make a cut from the gills to the vent.

4. 

   Remove the entrails with your fingers. Check the cavity carefully to make sure everything's been removed.

5. Rinse the cavity well.

6. If cooking the fish whole, remove the dorsal fin by cutting along each side of it and carefully pulling the fin out with pliers.

7. Wash the fish inside and out with cold, fresh water. Store the fish covered with clean ice that can drain from the container as it melts.

Tips & Warnings

• It's best to clean fish as soon as possible after they come out of the water.
• When storing cleaned fish on ice, don't allow melted water to touch the fish. Drain or discard the excess water as the ice melts.
• Store the fish with the cavity facing down, so that water doesn't pool in the cavity.
• Don't trim the fins before removing them, because bones at the base of the fins could be left inside the fish.

Who Can Help:

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[weidow1]

on 6/9/2009 why do my yellow worms in bass have fish around them??? I have been cutting the fish from around them and filleting the worm... if i forget small pieces of bass will it hurt me?

[mikeygeee]

on 1/10/2009 to bigldj4365 you must clean and gut your fish before freezing to prevent bacteria from growing and spoiling your fish.as these organism live inside the fish stomach.
mikeygeee&<{{{<

[bigldj4365]

on 9/28/2008 I caught a 19 inch small mouth bass the other week end. I didn't have time to clean it. I put it on ice as soon as I got home. Then later I put it in the freezer....by that point it was semi-frozen from the ice. I didn't take the guts out of it....will it be alright to clean it and eat it at this point...or do I just through it away....
bigldj4365@yahoo
Thanks...Larry

[MikeK]

on 6/30/2008 The yellow worms (a.k.a, yellow grubs) are parasites that don't hurt humans, according to what I've read at the state fishing websites. In any case, they're killed by thorough cooking. As for me, I flick 'em out as I'm cleaning and press on.

[treal]

on 6/18/2007 why does bass have yellow worms in the fish when i clean them? do i just get rid of the fish or throw is out..... well they hurt you if i happen to miss a few? let me know or just e mail me at [e-mail] and advise what to do with the yellow worms in my bass fish