Filleting Bream (Blue Gills)

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[@Hawkeye9107]

Great video- After scaling them I make a cut just behind the head thru the back bone then stop. Take the head and pull down. All the guts come out cleanly w/o touching them! Only been doing it this way for over 50 years!

[@patrickt1087]

Yeah, my Papaw showed me both of these techniques when I was younger (40+ years ago). I had started cleaning fish on my own at age 13. We made a descaler using two or three metal bottle caps screwed to a wood handle with the open sides of the bottle caps facing out. It worked great for removing scales. Typically, we only filleted large catfish or bass. We left small catfish, crappie, and bream on the bone with scales, head, and guts removed.

[@field2feast]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

[@MikeCrawch]

You can also bury what is leftover of the fish after you fillet them. Makes good soil for that little garden you got behind you.

[@terrygorwood]

Great video. I'm in Florida surrounded by blue gill. Thanks for the tips. Keep them coming brother

[@woody1977321]

I've had lots of good times on the Trinity River cleaning catfish here in Texas brings back memories - I am a pro cleaning catfish with an electric knife but never messed with the crappie style fish - enjoyed the video!

[@roberterisman766]

Wow you missed so much meat right above the head. That's the thickest and most flavorful part of the bluegill. Instead of cutting straight up and down behind the gill start with the tip of the knife behind the gill and curve your cut to go right above the eye. Then turn and angle the knife to cut along the spine in one continuous motion.

[@FeaturedFlick]

I always do it the traditional way, just seems like doing a filet wastes so much good meat.

[@barbecueddeer395]

No there is no meat wasted filleting fish. That’s a proven fact

[@24acresofparadise]

Yeah, I don't do anything but gut them and cook them whole. Don't need to even scale it, just cook it over charcoal and it's delicious. Easy prep and tasty!

[@charlescarlson8283]

Dig a hole in the garden and put the guts in it. Free fertilizer.

[@9929kingfish]

That’s what I do. I don’t understand why people would do it any other way? To me it’s common sense to bury them in the ground.

[@frock5255]

Average fillet conversion for bluegill is .295 pound of fillet per 1 lb bluegill. Experienced person will get .35 but not much more than that! Weigh your fish before cleaning and weigh fillets after cleaning. Anyone with less than .29 conversion weight is wasting fish.

[@johnfuller882]

Thanks for posting these vids! Very helpful

[@whatifikilledyou]

Those heads make great jugline bait for catfish

[@ninjagodzilla6402]

Gar

[@punkgaze]

love your vids, always informative with lots of great ideas

[@rarehub4258]

Thanks man, I live in south carolina and there is a creek full with bream.

[@daltonsmith1382]

All that wasted meat on the fillet :(

[@tiffanysantana7333]

Dalton Smith I said the same thing. But also that chunk of meat just behind the head, the shoulder area.

[@fyrebugg9354]

@@tiffanysantana7333 I cut well forward to where meat gets thin on head and cut down to belly in semi circle and carve as close to back bone as possible. A lot more meat that way.

[@woobly98]

I like your technique of taking the waste and freezing it till trash day. I use your technique with everyday waste food.

[@jimmme5880]

You're a good teacher. When I scale, I cut each side of the dorsal fin and pull the dorsal bones out with a pliers. I also like the spoon for scaling, but not on large sunnies, then I use a scaler.

[@LoganWeilerIII]

Terrific guidance! Thank you!

[@russellmartin7672]

Thanks for the Video and the tips!!!

[@field2feast]

You're welcome. Thanks for the positives.

[@slackerintegra]

Just wanted to drop you a line & say I've watched all your video's and have subscribed. You do a great job! Keep it up! Can't wait for more videos! You should try some on Pike, Walleye, Musky, etc...If you're ever in Wisconsin send me an email, would love to go fishing with you.

[@buckwildranch7401]

I couldnt find your video you referenced at the end about cooking them

[@field2feast]

Thanks.

[@field2feast]

That's a meal for royalty.

[@Jovush]

Keep up the good work. Thanks

[@part1801]

The only thing I'd say is start closer to the head since there's a lot of meet there, and yes I've scaled my share of crappie and bluegill and my dad did the cutting. I like the tails when we leave them whole.

[@bass_slayer2355]

Thank u for the advice. I'm new to falaying the fish,.. always messed up.

[@tigerhitt]

Good Video..

[@EventHorizonADP]

Very helpful thank you for uploading

[@handlesrstupid123]

U missed all the meat jes

[@dmfc593]

I am just getting in to catching and killing my own food. Your videos are great. It seems very easy so we will see!

[@field2feast]

Be patient, the hardest part is having your first successful hunt. After that, you know your game and expect success.

[@rodricksmith3879]

Thanks

[@grammoore3348]

very informative, thanks.

[@39camper]

springs here let's get to trout fishing

[@timmcquaig711]

That sure as hell aint the old school way.

[@hondaman991]

you should use the remains of the fish for your garden if you have one!

[@handcannon1388]

It appears that you are missing at least 40% of every fillet. Try performing the back cut first; with your blade more parallel to the backbone, - make sure you go all the way to the skull. Then make a more s-shaped cut around (not just behind) the gill cover. After the epiplural ribs (y-bones) are cut through (at the top of the rib cage), remove all the meat from the cage down to the belly. After that, turn the knife and remove the entire fillet from the rest of the tail section. After removing all of the fillets, skin them while holding the very end of the fillet with a fingernail or table fork. this allows the entire fillet to rest flat, and gets the meat from much nearer the end of the fillet. Properly done (and with much practice), this method will yield a carcass that can be seen through in all previously meaty areas - except for the rib cage, of course. With practice, it can be done on fish 4-5" long or smaller, if you wanted to. I have made a video since originally posting this comment which may better illustrate my method. Just click on my name and visit my channel.

[@davidm3126]

What about the big chunk of meat at the head. Cut at angle and the fillets will be bigger.

[@donniedickerson8077]

SLOWLY BUT SURELY ,WE GETTIN THERE lOl 🐡🎣

[@edgardochavez1275]

That's a waste of fish

[@christophermetz1550]

Not really. He got just about all the edible parts off with very little waste. The only part he left was the belly meat but you don't want to eat that on bluegill anyway because that's where heavy metals collect.

[@jamesspiess5710]

ur missing a bunch behind the head!

[@tiffanysantana7333]

I thought the exact same thing. Just a slight angel behind the head and then straight down.

[@bethmeadows2828]

You need to cut clear down across the fish. You are wasting the filet.

[@billkendrick5209]

you are losing all the meat on the head. fry them whole the tail is good eating

[@lukkyluciano]

bill kendrick fuck wasting your time on that

[@beckem4574]

i always just spoon the eyes out, cut down the stomach to gut it and pan fry it whole

[@AdamJManauf]

come on man, everybody knows that walleye are the best tasting fish! Great video though, thanks!

[@monacagreen3026]

Why waste all that meat

[@jo3d1rt391]

I notice you don't go over the rib cage? Whys that? Just wondering, not criticizing. It's not a lot of meat your missing, but there is a little more down there. Don't wanna waste that good food ;) haha

[@rubbnsmoke]

You missed a big chunk of meat at eh top of the head. You should cut on an angle forward to get that meat you missed. You'll have wasted a lot of meat on a mess of fish if you fillet all your fish that way. And don't even get me started on how cut the entire belly out of the ones you scaled and gutted.

[@justmax36]

Ya know, I get filleting bigger Bream, but with a generally small fish like that, why in the world would you waste so much meat?? Not sure if that was just a "quickie" filet job on that first fish, for time sake or if you really do throw away that much meat every time. I really hope it was just a half assed quickie job just to show folks the general way to filet. But for those who watch this, please don't waste fish like that! Its kind of like going hunting, deer, hog, etc..and just cutting out the back strap (filet) and throwing the rest way. Sorry, but I just cleaned about 35 blue gills for my cousin and her son and no, I didn't do 1 fish per minute, but I did take my time and the filets did utilize every possible bit of the fish without bones that was possible. But honestly, when you're dealing with such a small species of fish anyway, I recommend just scaling, heading and gutting, that way you get every bit of meat and don't waste any!

[@jrock1520]

Wow that's a huge waste of fish...

[@marduck111]

personally with such a small fish it is to much of a waste to filet i always just scale'em even the small croakers and small white trout just get so much more meat

[@field2feast]

marduck111 I fillet them because some of the folks I feed aren't used to bones, but I agree, scale 'em, gut 'em, bread 'em, and fry 'em. thanks for the comment.

[@JohnSmith-uc7tj]

Waste of meat....fry with bones....bone comes out in 1 piece

[@themike97_58]

Unless we're talking large trout, walleye, or any northern, I prefer to eat my fish whole. Filleting such a small fish is a terrible waste of tasty meat that can easily be picked clean off the bone if cooked whole.

[@garrisonswain6439]

They are just too boney e.e

[@wg8847]

You are wasting lots of meat just behind the Head..