Bruce10892 Loc: Northeast Ohio

Thanks for sharing that with me

FourchonLa. Loc: Fourchon Louisiana, South Louisiana

Bruce, FYI, see above my reply is your reply quoted. Hit the quote reply button below the message field when you reply to someone. That way everyone knows who you are replying to. 👍👍👍

Fishing Frank Loc: Ohio

I use the Bubba electric fillet knife. It works better than any cordless version. It never loses power like cordless knifes. It works on all fish, bluegill to huge walleye. Make the investment and you'll be glad you did! It comes with 4 blades and a case. I go through the bones of the rib cage and stop before I cut off the tail using the remaining skin to help hold the fillet as I finish the other side of the fillet. Just cut away the rib bones with your manual knife and you have completed the process. It is very quick and easy and lets you clean all the fish you need. Good luck!

Catfish hunter Loc: Riggins idaho (Paradise)

You won’t regret it. I use an old sunbeam household electric knife at home and can fillet 30 perch in about 15 minutes. I bought both of my boys the Bubba blade pictured above and they love it. I have a Berkeley electric I carry in my truck that plugs into the cigarette lighter but I’m gonna get a Bubba cordless. Sure makes filleting things at the end of the day way more enjoyable. Especially bass and walleye.

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

When i went striper fishing my my future SIL his dad has a cleaning station on his dock. I couldn't believe how fast n neat he could clean fish with electric knife. 👍👍

Joe Beaderman Loc: Adams Nebraska

Electric or battery powerd fillet knife, best thing they ever came out with. Will never go back to a straight fillet knife.

harleypiker Loc: WA

I use both but go to a regular blade when feathering out the "Y" bones of pike or "I" bones of walleye. I like the smaller electric knives like rapala or berkley. But beware the Bubba cordless. Its a full handful to hang onto and cuts viciously. I cleaned part of one pike last week and gave up when it cut through the skin in a wink. Probably work good for tuna, elk, etc. I suppose practice would solve it but when everything else works....why bother. It's for sale!

Pounding banks Loc: South Central Texas

Bubba electric, but it's almost never used because i catch, take a photo, and release. Crappies on the other hand i keep.
Bass, never keep.....

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

Agreed, but I have both. When I have a ton of fish , like a double limit of crappie or a bunch of walleye, I'll sometimes use the electric to break down the fish and finish rib removal and skin removal with the fillet knife. I can do this work with the electric, but i feel the manual blade is more precise with less waste.
speeds it up quite a bit.

For just a few fish , it isnt worth the bother breaking out the electric.

I too have the trusty rapala knife, had it for probly 20 + years and use it for everything. it lives in my kitchen and gets used for fish from time to time. If the blade is really dull, it can be tough to reestablish. Once you get it sharp, then its easy to maintain with ceramic sticks.

I also have a bubba blade 9 inch flex and a bubba interchangable blade set. i really like these. There is a 7 inch ultra flex in the set that makes getting walleye cheeks super simple, and it works great on perch.

As for the fillet glove, recently bought one and love it. wish id have gotten one years ago

hacksaw Loc: Pasadena, Texas

I use an electric fillet knife and I love it. The blades are thin and flexible and I don’t lose as much meat and I have fewer bones. On small fish I use a Rapala 9” knife.
Hack 🇺🇸🍺🍺

Larry75k Loc: Northeast Georgia

A battery/electric fillet knife will probably change how many more fish you decide to keep and clean. I know you said you only keep what you eat, I assume you mean you keep what you are gonna eat right away?

I started using electric knives about 15 years ago and it changed how I look at it now. I live and fish on Lake Hartwell in Georgia for the last 7 years, and also fish the South Carolina side for the last 18 years, and do some part time guiding for crappie and hybrids/stripers.

We have averaged cleaning around 1800 crappie and hybrid/stripers.
I average around 85 fishing days on the lake for the last 7 years. I keep a log of everything,( only way I can remember). I fish on average 55 days personally/family and the rest guiding others. I catch and release little more than half on my personal trips.

It’s about 80% crappie and 20% hybrid/Striper with about 15 walleye mixed in each season. ****The walleye have started showing up more the last 5 years, but not in any numbers.****

I say all this for this reason… I used to not let people keep any more than they themselves wanted to clean. I got tired of cleaning fish after 8 hour fish day in the heat or cold. I started dreading it.

Well I ended up helping them anyway because I let them use my fish cleaning table and knives, normal fillet knives and electric.

So I just started letting people keep their limits as long as they helped me clean, or payed me to clean em. I quit dreading to get back to the dock with 2–3 limits of crappie because I would start with the electric knife and let them cut the rib cage out with manual knife. Even with a novice fish cleaner helping me , we can clean 60 crappie, wash and bag in about 45 minutes give or take.

I have compared it many times with people cleaning manually. The guy with the electric fillet knife (especially if he gets good at it) will be about twice as quick as the manual… normally.

Sorry for the long winded answer, but was trying to tell a story that could explain what kind of difference a electric knife makes when it comes to cleaning numbers.

Last thing, if you are just gonna clean 8-10 fish or less each time then I would just keep doing what you have been. Unless those are large fish then it still saves time using electric.

Bottom line is you can’t go wrong with a good electric/battery knife. I see absolutely no downsides. But always keep your manual for rib cage removal and fine trimming, or as a back up in case electric/battery knife dies.

Good luck

Paddyj Loc: S E Michigan Lake Erie

Maybe just a sign of old age but I have been using a Rapala for many years, keep it sharp and have never had a problem. Never needed to be "touched up" before finishing days catch, then about 2 or 3 minutes with good diamond steel, ready for next catch.

Dehy Loc: Jacksonville, Florida

I have used the Rapala Lithium Ion knife for many years. My first lasted 11 years before I had to replace. The battery lasts for months and blades are readily available. Price is less than Bass Pro’s or Bubba knife. I use the knife to cut the filet and remove the skin.

MAS fish Loc: Peoria,IL

Try the Edgemaker Pro sharpener. They are easy to use and will keep your Rapala very sharp.
Reasonably priced and made in the U.S. lifetime warranty. Check out their web page, I usually buy direct from the company. Around $16 and shipping.
MAS fish

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

Heck of an input!!