How To Fillet a Texas Bass

Largemouth bass are a popular and tasty sport fish.

There are several varieties of bass native to the waters of Texas. Among the true bass are the striped, yellow, white and hybrid striped bass, most of which live in salt water. In fresh water rivers and lakes, the largemouth and smallmouth bass are both common, with the largemouth being especially prized as a sport fish. They are all excellent fish for the table, with firm white flesh and a delicate flavor. They can all be filleted and cooked in the same fashion. Does this Spark an idea?

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Bass
Large sheet of paper
Sharp fillet knife
Tablespoon or scaling tool
Cutting board

Instructions

- 1
  
  Place the bass on a large piece of clean paper, and scale it using the blunt side of your knife, a tablespoon or a fish-scaling tool. Fold up and discard the paper, then rinse the bass under cold running water.
- 2
  
  Lay the bass on its side, on your cutting board. Lift the pectoral fin, the one directly behind the gill plate. Cut at a diagonal until you contact the backbone, with your knife angled further forward at the top to get the muscles at the back of the head.
- 3
  
  Turn your knife blade to the horizontal, without removing it from your first cut. Slice the length of your bass from the first cut to the tail, cutting only about halfway through the fillet.
- 4
  
  Lift the cut portion of the fillet from the bones and make a second cut, reaching over the entrails to slice through the belly. Run the knife the length of the bass, leaving the fillet attached at the narrow end, where the tail begins.
- 5
  
  Cut down through the flesh at the tail, until your knife blade reaches the skin. Holding the carcass with the other hand, turn your knife horizontally and push it between the fillet and the skin until the fillet is freed. Angle your blade toward the skin, to avoid wasting any flesh.
- 6
  
  Slice off the rib bones by carefully sliding the knife underneath the bones and taking them off in one piece. This will leave a boneless fillet. Repeat for the second fillet, then for any remaining bass. Cook immediately or package for refrigeration or freezing.