How to Clean a Catfish
Catfish, which are sometimes called "bullheads," are very common in most North American freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and canals.
Catfish are easily recognized by the barbels, or feelers, that look like cat whiskers on their faces. These barbels are harmless, contrary to what many people believe. They are used only to help the fish locate food, and contain no spines or venom. Catfish are brown or gray topside with white or yellowish undersides, and can grow to about 2 feet long.
Since catfish seldom come near the surface and their coloration is muddy, they're difficult to see in the water. They do not have scales like other fish and there is a special technique for properly cleaning them.
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Instructions
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1
Locate the catfish's adipose fin. It is on top of the fish, back near the tail.
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2
Use the fillet knife to make an incision into the skin behind the adipose fin. Cut the skin along the back, under the adipose fin, toward the fish's head using a single stroke until the blade reaches the dorsal fin. This is the second of the two fins on top of the catfish, and is located just behind its head.
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3
Cut downward behind the head through the fish to the backbone. Remove the knife from the fish.
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4
Bend the catfish's head downward to break the backbone. Apply just enough force to cause the spine to break without removing the head completely from the fish.
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5
Insert a forefinger into the fish by reaching over the end of the spine and into the ribcage. Grip the area very firmly.
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6
Slowly begin to pull the fish's head toward its tail. The skin remains attached to the head, so a steady, continuous pull will peel away the skin, head and viscera, freeing them from meat.
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7
Place the fish on a flat surface so that it's lying on its side. Make a fillet cut the length of the fish to slice the meat from the backbone.
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Repeat Step 6 for the other side of the fish. Carefully examine both fillets for bones. The bones of the catfish are thin and very sharp.
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Tips & Warnings
Angle for catfish only in the cleanest bodies of fresh water, as these fish will have wonderful taste and texture. Specimens caught in muddy waters tend to taste like the mud. If you're still fishing when you clean your catfish, store the 2 fillets properly, and toss the remaining waste back into the water. The other fish will appreciate the easy meal.
Avoid contact with the sharp barbs on the catfish's pectoral fins. These defense mechanisms are loaded with poison, and for humans the "sting" is comparable to a bee sting. The fish's "whiskers" are harmless. Please always make sure that the catfish is dead before you clean it. Not only is it humane, but likely to keep you from being "finned" by a struggling catch.
