Fish Knives
Recreation Salt Water Fishing.
How to clean a salt water red fish caught in the Indian River Lagoon.
What Knife to Use
My Fish Knives
This set of knives, I have used for a decade or more. Most of them were gifts or I found them along my way. My family owned a Trailer Park on the shores of Lake Huron (one of the Great Lakes) situated in Ontario, Canada. The red handled fillet knife made by Normark and the Golden Tiger pocket knife were left behind, by the fire pit, by campers.
The carved homemade bone handle knife, the rough wooden handle fillet knife, the black handled Normark knife and the Russel boat knife (pictured beside the bone handle knife with the brown leather case) were all gifts from friends.
The ones I use most of the time, are the Normark knives. They have a six inch stainless steel flexible blade, that is easy to fillet fish with. They also have a sharp tip that can puncture the skin easily. I always skin my fish instead of scaling it. If you remove the skin you are also removing the strong fishy taste from the fish meat when you cook it.
My favorite fillet knife is the rough wooden handle knife and you can tell by the photo, I use it the most. The difference is the curve of the blade. It is comfortable in my hand and I can control the five inch blade better ,down the back spine of the fish. The blade is built into the wooden handle and secured by two rivets. You can purchase one of these fillet knives at any bait store. There is no brand name on the knife.
How to clean a red drum fish.
Cleaning a Salt Water Red Fish
Cleaning fish can be an easy chore ,if your knives are kept sharp. Believe it or not, you will slip off the fish and cut your self faster with a dull knife than a sharp one.
Some people use a fish fillet board with a clip on it to hold the tail firm while they clean the fish but I think it is easier to clean the fish with the head on, on a flat surface.
You make an incision directly behind the head, just behind the gills . Make sure you cut the fish all the way through the whole side and push the knife down until you feel the backbone of the fish with the knife. Then, turn the knife to the right and making sure the knife is through the whole of the fish side, saw back and forth with the blade of the knife down the spine to the tail of the fish and sever this side off from the fish.
You can see the picture below of how the fish should look like. Now turn the fish so that the tip of the tail (on the side that has been severed off) is the starting point and go from the tip down the skin with your knife to remove the meat from the skin. It takes a little patience to get your knife between the skin and the meat but once you get started just hold the skin tight in one hand and sea saw the knife down the skin to remove the meat. Hold the skin tight ( with your left hand ) for leverage and the work is easier. Re-peat for other side.
I also save the red fish head and throw it in a crock pot to make soup. Just add celery, onions and carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme,for fish head soup. Have you ever ate fish cheeks they are the pearls of fish meat to eat. Awesome. My neighbor ate the eyes but that was something I could not do.
Always keep you knives sharp. I use a wet stone and a diamond steel to sharpen my knives. I have pictured them here to show you the stone has two sides a rough side to start with and a smooth side to finish the job. Always drag your knife from the bottom of you knife to the top to sharpen and the video below shows how in much more details.
How to sharpen your knives.
When do you sharpen your knives?
Tie Your Salt Water Fishing Bobber Weight And Hook
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Great Salt Water Fishing Tips For Florida Fishing
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This hub contains an index for salt water fishing tips, rules and fishing fun for the whole family. Included are how to set up your salt water fishing line, knives , and how to cast net for bait fish
Salt Water Fishing Hooks
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Using the proper salt water fishing hook for what you are fishing for will give you more hits with better results. Also the correct way to bait your hook video.
Comments
Suzzy Cue - You brought me back to those lazy summer days fishing with my Grandpa and Dad. Although this is a useful hub, it reminded me so much of these two great men. They took their fishing seriously and had a collection of "cleaning" knives as you do. I would sit and watch the process while they concentrated on cleaning our catches of the day.
By the way - fishing on Lake Heron - wow! how awesome a place to be enjoying the sport.
Thanks for the memories my friend.
Lots of good information here and well written. Voting UP.
I had no idea about putting the stone in water before i start to sharpen. Thank you so much..
Great job and very well written hub:)
I loved this very useful hub. Voted up and useful my friend.
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