hey all, quick question. im gonna go hunting soon in the afternoons after i hunt turkey and wanted a quick, detailed way of gutting the fish, skinning him and being able to eat him right there at the camp...? i want to be able to do the wholle process right there. im sorry for asking a simple question, but i have never really ate a fish i caught, and would love to eat myself a trout. im sure its pretty easy,i have seen it done just never done it myself. also, can really any fish be eaten...bass, trout, etc or are some not worth the time? thanks for the help fellas.

This is gonna be kinda tricky to explane how to cleana fish but ill gove it my best shot. I cut the fish from the Butt Hole up to the boney part under the jaw. Then rip the guts down from the tail part. Then i cut the head off the fich right behint the front fins by the mouth (I cant remember what they are called right now). When you cut the head off all the guts should come off with the head. They you have a blackish red line of crap up around the spine. You need to get all (Or as much as possible) out of the fish. It seems to be easier to use your thumb nail and push it fromt he tail to where the head used to be. Make sure you got all the membrane crap out of the fish then iwrap it in aluminum foil with some seasonings and a little butter and cook until done. When they are cookes the you unwrap them and peel back the skin and the meat should flake right off of most of the bones.Its not as hard as it sounds. Pretty much any fish can be eaten but they are harder to clean sometimes. Bass and Panfish it is usually easier to fillet them then just clean them like a Trout.

retaks, considering you cant show me any pics, that is a great explanation, it really helped alot. im gonna print this and take it with me tonight. you said put in aluminum foil, if im cooking on a grill will that work as well? it sounds like it cooks it good, but can it be done on a grill? thanks alot

Yea we do them on the grill alot. When we cathc them and bring them home we clean them and wrap them as i explaned and put them in the freezer. If they are smaller fish you can put 2 in a wrap of foil. If you could have posted this earlier i could of took some pics. I went and got my 5 for the day this morning.

Gutting
To gut the fish, you need, of course, a sharp knife and a good smooth work surface. You begin by inserting the knife tip into the fish's vent and move the blade up along the belly to the head. Be sure to keep the knife blade shallow so you don't puncture the intestines. Then, spread the body open and remove all of the entrails. Cut off the head and rinse the fish in clean water. You’re hungry already, aren’t you?

Scaling
To scale a fish, you’ll need a good flat surface, a fish scaler or a large spoon. Begin by holding onto the head and rake the scales from the tail toward the head. Remove the scales on both sides of the body. After you remove the head, gills, guts, and fins, you can cook the fish with its skin still attached. Small fish, like bluegill and crappie, are usually scaled, cleaned and then cooked whole.

Skinning
With certain types of fish, like catfish, you’ll want to skin them. With a catfish, you’ll want to snip off its spine before you begin as a safety precaution. You start by cutting through the skin behind the head and the pectoral fins. Using pliers, remove the skin from the body, pulling from the head toward the tail. Taking the head in one hand and the body with the other, break the backbone at the head. Pull the head and guts away from the skinned body. Then give it a bath in clean water, and voila! It’s ready for the pan. But, don’t forget to remove the bones just before you eat it.

Filleting
If you’ve caught a large fish, like a bass, you will want to fillet them instead. A filleted fish has its skin and all of its bones removed before cooking and scaling. Be sure to have a fillet knife handy.
Begin by laying the catch on its side on a flat surface. Slice its gills and pectoral fin down to, but not through, the backbone. Without removing the knife, turn the blade and cut through the ribs toward the tail. Use the fish's backbone to guide you. Turn the fish over and repeat the steps.
Next, insert the knife blade close to the rib bones and slice the entire rib section of each fillet away. Then, with the skin side down, insert the knife blade about a 1/2-inch from the tail. Grip the tail firmly and put the blade between the skin and the meat at an angle. Using a little pressure and a sawing motion, cut against – not through – the skin.