How to Filet a Crappie Fish
Crappie and other pan fish are a favorite of anglers everywhere. Caught mostly in the spring, crappie is often the first fish of the season to hit the frying pan. Only one tool is needed to fillet a crappie: a long, thin, flexible knife. With practice, anyone can fillet a crappie in just a few minutes. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Lay the fish on a flat surface.
-
2
Angle the knife away from the head and cut behind the top fin to the backbone of the fish. This fin is called the pectoral fin.
-
-
3
Move the knife along the right side of the backbone, touching the ribs but not cutting them.
-
4
Make a slice into the flesh of the fish near the vent and cut the fillet away from the tail.
-
5
Carefully cut the fillet away from the ribs.
-
6
Cut through the skin of the stomach to remove the first fillet.
-
7
Repeat to remove the fillet on the opposite side of the fish.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
This process can be used to fillet any type of fish and is especially useful for larger pinfish.
Keep the fillet knife as close to the bones as possible when filleting fish. This will keep waste to a minimum.
Crappie fillets can be breaded and deep fried, breaded and pan fried, or cooked without any coating in a skillet or oven.
