Catfish question

[HORN-HUNTER]

What the best way ta skin a cat (not a four legged)?

[Kiel]

I was taught by a guy they called "Catfish Hunter". I think Hunter was his last name.

He would hang the cat by its head (string through the mouth out the gill in the other gill and out the mouth). He slit the tail all the way around then broke the spine at the tail to let the fish bleed. He then slit around the head and behind the petoral fins and grabbed the old rusty pliers and started pulling the skin down toward the tail. It is a rough job, but the fresher the fish, the easier it is to skin. After skinning it he CAREFULLY slit the belly and removed the gall bladder (orangish brown sack usually filled with bad juice). If you puncture the bladder it ruins the meat! Then he proceeded to remove the guts and snap the head off.

I have never been able to do it quite as neat as Catfish did, and sometimes have to use a knife on the backside of the skin to help it down. Hang the fish high enough so you can use your body to help pull the skin.

The other way to do it is to nail the head of the fish to a board, after you bleed it. I find this method to be much more cumbersome with big fish, I'd rahterhang it. It does work well with smaller cats less than 4-5lbs.

EDIT: Skinning the fish before you clean it will allow you more of a yield. If the belly is slit the meat there gets torn off with the skin.

[indianahunter83]

also if you briefly dip the catfish in boiling water the skin peels a whole lot easier.

[Oneshot7]

not at all take a sharp filet knife and cut down the backbone then leave a little bit at the tail and filet the meat off of the skin

[farmcntry]

ORIGINAL: Oneshot7

not at all take a sharp filet knife and cut down the backbone then leave a little bit at the tail and filet the meat off of the skin

Ditto.

I only skin small mudcats. Anything larger get's the filet knife.

[stretch56]

ORIGINAL: Oneshot7

not at all take a sharp filet knife and cut down the backbone then leave a little bit at the tail and filet the meat off of the skin

this is the best way to skin catfish a lot easy-er & a lot faster

[JoshKeller]

i just buy them at the store for a few $'s and all thats done for me.[8D]

[sandilands]

Sorry JKeller, they don't sell catfish where I live. They sell walleye. There really aren't that many people that eat catfish in MB. I use a filleting knife, take the meat off the backbone at the rib-cage and when you get to the arse slide the knife through the whole way and fillet as a normal fish, flip the boneless fillet over and take the skin off with the knife too. Then on a fish with a big head, I take what I call the cheeks, best part of the fish. I cube the cheeks and batter in bread crumbs and seasoning and then deep fry.......mmmmmmmmmm, catfish

[Kiel]

Dang I have been doing it the way I posted for years. I have to go catch some to try that backbone bit. Well, I guess I'll wait for the thunderstorms to go away first.