hogleg Loc: Bakersfield Calif.

I want to start catfishing at lake Isabella ca but I don't know how to clean a catfish I've been told not to clean em like trout can someone set me on the right path

flip

Just fillet as you would with scale fish

Deano from Reno

Drive a nail thru the head on to a board or tree cut around below the head then grab the skin with plier’s the pull skin off fish

Video Bob Loc: Norfolk, Va

There are several ways to clean a cat fish but what has always worked best for me is to drill a hole thru the head of the cat fish so you can nail it to a post or tree. Next rite behind the gills make a cut around the head of the fish just enough to break the skin. With that done clamp onto the skin with a pair of pliers & pull downward. After you get the fish skinned you can filet or what ever.

sam patitucci

gut cut off fins and tail leave on head freeze whe ready to cook take out of freezer wait till kin thaws cut round head through skin hold head peel skin off frozen fish with pliers easywhen froze thaw cut off head cook

heatsekr1 Loc: Cambridge Ohio

Hi you can actually google catfish cleaning - it will show you how to easily do it with a electric knife - Hope that helps - good luck

john chinn

blue cats,and flatheads are a little cleaner fish than channel cats ,but all can be cleaned to rival crappie in taste. Not bragging, but normally catch my limit when we go out on Grand Lake here in Oklahoma. I buy a aluminum ball bat at a garage sell and use it to kill my fish with before filleting. Learn to fillet with a quality electric knife. The most important part is to turn your fillet over and remove all red meat.then remove all silver skin residue. leave nothing but pure white meat.Don,t give up you will catch on. My wife helps me and we can do a 8 -10 pound blue in about a minute and a half. I cut the yellow of the channels. We put on many fish fries for charities and everyone swears it,s crappie they are eating.

Video Bob Loc: Norfolk, Va

Thanks for the info John Will log the info in my Catfish folder

cspencer2 Loc: North Carolina

To skin a easy way is to boil a pot of water dip catfish in boiling water a few seconds the skin will pull off . I do trout this way also. Then you can cut up for cooking.

rappearle Loc: Adamstown, PA

I wondered the same thing about 5 years ago when I was fishing the St. James river in FL. I went on line and came across a video 'How to clean a catfish in 30 seconds' I thought no way. I watched it and there it was. It did not include gutting it but that was not needed because he flayed it using an electric knife. So, I had an electric knife and thought I had to try it. I didn't rush and was under a minute. Just google it and several will come up, even one for 15 seconds. I assume you could do the same with a good knife. Good luck.
Randy

Video Bob Loc: Norfolk, Va

Seen that video Amazing Can't wait to try it when the weather breaks so we can get back out there

plumbertom

There's more than one way to skin a catfish.
With smaller size cats, I usually just fillet them like any other fish.
With larger fish, I like to cut around the head and under the pectoral fins and down each side of the dorsal fin. Very shallow cuts just through the skin. then using a pair of skinning pliers (cheap at any sporting goods) I grasp the skin at the head and pull it off regrippng on either side to remove it evenly and in one piece. That will usually leave the belly intact on the gut still to be removed.he fish andCut again under the head through the meat and along under the ribs to remove the belly steak. when you get to the anal vent cut it off and trim out the anal fins. Then fillet it off the bone from the dorsal fin to the tail, I normally leave the ribs on the spine but you can also cut them off and cook the fillets with the rib bones in and pick the meat from them.
Isabella produces catfish in good numbers once you find them. Try where the Kern runs into the lake and spreads out the current. Fish along the edges of the current in calmer water. My best luck at Isabella was using chicken livers. Use a small patch of gauze or cheesecloth to make a wrap to keep the liver on the hook and don't worry about hiding the hook in the bait, catfish don't care.
It also has a great crappie fishery when the water is up but a boat is key to catching them.
Don't overlook the trout in the lake either.

booop56

Can't tell you anything what above told you. It's what my daddy always done, nail them to a tree, cut skin behind the head, get a pair of pliers & strip the skin, what they didn't tell ya, is some skin tougher than others. Sometimes skin slips out, so be careful!

robertwelton3366

I don't skin mine like most people. I use an electric knife. I remove each fillet from each side, then laying it skin down with the knife sideways I remove the skin from the fillet. Easy peasy.

cheqaumegon bay roe co.

THE BEST WAY IS TO SKIN IT MAKE SLITS BEHIND HEAD THEN WITH A PLIERS PULL SKIN TOWARD TAIL CUT FINS AND GUT FROM ANUS RREMOVEING ENTRAILS .