HOW TO CLEAN A FISH SKULL | Northern SNAKEHEAD fish skull

How to clean your own fish skull. This episode of Geek On The water covers the 10 steps in cleaning fish skulls. The fish species featured for the skull in this video is a Northern Snakehead, that weighed 12 lbs when harvested. Preserving your own fish skull is a great way to remember a special catch. There are multiple methods of cleaning a skull but the method used here is one that I am continuing to adjust. I made this video for those that want to make their own fish skulls, but to also hear what you all might recommend be changed in future versions.
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[@kountryboy1989]

Awesome job!!! Love rebuilding & preserving fish skulls!

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Thanks did you find anything in the video to be different than what you do?

[@kountryboy1989]

@@GeekOnTheWater Actually; you were spot on. That's how ya do it! I'm sure you can add hinging wires or something to disassemble it like a transforming skull for educational purposes. I've done that. Very tedious but worth it. It's cool to preserve in clear epoxy resin with an underwater scene as well.

[@eric9245]

Hell yeah dude I’ve bass fished my whole life and finally made the switch to the fly few years ago and that’s been my top goal snakehead and then a Muskie! And I’ve been wanting to get into mounts just for 🐍 your vid was right in time for me dude thanks for the info.

[@whiplash4301]

Hi, I was looking for this kind of video. I will try apply your tecnic to other fish like tuna and salmon´s head. Thanks for the video

[@varun009]

Spearo here. Always wanted a euro mounted swordfish. Thanks for the info, much appreciated. Subscribed.

[@whitethundalettuce6499]

Great vid very impressive

[@cptswagger]

Def! Gonna try this on my pike today! Thanks!

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Oh man dm me your results on IG if you can, I’d love to see those results

[@devinchristy9969]

I just caught my first one which is a 8 pounder I can’t wait to try thanks for the idea!!!

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Good luck. You’re welcome.

[@Jewelvonmayhem]

BADDAAAZZZZZZ!!! I'm gonna cook a big green spotted puffer who's been in my freezer for years. His teeth are amazing too. Thanks for the cool vid!

[@robertmcdonald2279]

Messaged you this past summer waiting for those shirts to be available. Definitely going to make a few fish skulls.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Robert Mcdonald I remember! What species are you thinking? And I’m working out details on a way for everyone to be able to order the shirts online to make it easy for everyone 👍

[@namiehitomi7297]

This was made on my birthday :D

[@susandeese7179]

Awesome! Now just need to get my head wrapped around that...LOL

[@minnesotaangler2753]

just found a 50" musky, I'm going to try it out!

[@uchiha_shisui682]

I'm about to attempt this on a 45lb flathead skull I've had sitting in an ant bed

[@joshuasullivan16]

Snakeheads fascinate me to no end. These fish are like something out of a 50s B movie.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Well great news for you is they made several b movies on them in the early 2000s 🤣

[@LiveLinerFishing]

Subbed. Great vid. I can't wait to try it

[@GeekOnTheWater]

MD Fishin thanks for the sub. I look forward to seeing how other guys skulls turn out. You gonna do the same species or a different one?

[@LiveLinerFishing]

@@GeekOnTheWater northern, if i can catch one big enough!

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I’m sure you’ll get it done!

[@ElfenLiedPhsycoFan]

Yo, I got a bullseye snakehead in my freezer lol so this is perfect XD

[@wittyfpv]

u can peroxide it again to help with the yellowing. also instead of baking it if u slow boil it with dish detergent it will help leach out the fat from the bones that causes the yellowing

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Great tips!

[@mikeralston5713]

Will simmering make the bones brittle?

[@wittyfpv]

@@mikeralston5713 low heat simmer will do very minimal damage, you will hardly be able tp tell the difference

[@Frogfruit88]

Good job 👍

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Pemancing Kampoeng thanks

[@PositiveManifestation-Love]

Love From Saginaw MI

[@jayfishandshoot7147]

Nice snakehead shirt

[@lordllewellynofdarkdelight2613]

COOL! Agreed badass. Le shared. :)

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@callumdolten7486]

I caut my first fish two days ago its a rainbow trout i want to preserve the skull so thank you for the help

[@bodhi143]

Great vid I caught a 50 lb pacific halibut in Alaska and and it’s been frozen in my freezer for a year. I brought it home with the intention of doing this very thing. Any advice. All I’ve heard is they have a lot of small bones. Heard there skulls look really cool and prehistoric. Thanks for the vid

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Oh wow a halibut has to turn out awesome. Send me a message on IG if you ever do one!

[@tracksandtrucks]

Hey there! Awesome and helpful video! We are fisherman and I kinda have a small skull obsession 😂 anyways, with the cooking the heads in the oven, will this stink up the house? And not the good fish stink, like when you’re baking them to eat. Please let me know 😊 thank you!

[@Sentraxion]

Trying this now, but with a mackerel skull

[@exerzplanty7719]

Hey I hope you reply. Can I put a Red snapper jaw in my fish tank without coating it in white stuff? The jaw is pretty clean and had been left dry for years(3years).and also what does the white coating do?

[@MaxS535]

Did this with a catfish. Turned out really good. Keep the clean bones in a tub of water with dish soap for at least 3 days. The water should be warm and it will make it VERY white

[@GeekOnTheWater]

That’s a good tip! Thanks for watching, I have a few more species I want to try soon.

[@fostermcbride3024]

I do the same thing. Even once all the meat is off there is oil in the bones. Soaking in dish soap pulls those oils out. Good move!

[@dyurow]

How long did you keep the skull in the peroxide?

[@sageexotics1589]

Gonna try this on a walleye... I’ve cleaned plenty of skulls but never a fish so I’m a big nervous about damaging the delicate bones haha

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Just take your time and let me know if you have questions

[@johnarrones5396]

How long do you leave it in the peroxide for?

[@christopherch7307]

Aqua Silk .... pool supply company 27%peroxide ..... propper ppe. Have you tried an instant pot? Oven may be baking in the Grease. Remove as much meat b4 boiling / cooking...... white bone creations on you tube can give you some ideas as well that you can adapt to your process.

[@joelageose7018]

Can you boil fish skull? Like a deer European mount?

[@benjaminburtt8418]

How would you do one with the skin preserved too?

[@bohanzhang984]

Hi! Great vid man, do you know if costco peroxide liquid will work for these?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Not familiar with it sorry

[@wicked-one5440]

I use regular peroxide. Put a small amount in a bowl. And bones on a tray. Then use a baster to drizzle the peroxide over the bones and leave on the sunlight. Will get you good results.

[@engeenir7440]

How long should it soak in peroxide?

[@northshoreoutdoors8685]

How hot and how long do you bake them for?

[@irismikroulh7447]

heyy :) great video very helpful! I have a few questions, first things first, is it safe to have a bone displayed at home? cause I've heard that there is a possibility it'll grow bacteria and such.. and also last year I found a bone at the beach, it's a part of a spine and I'm suspecting it's from a dolphin (I've been working in making a whale sculpture and the spine bones look very similar but it's way smaller in scale to a whale's), do I apply the same method to this bone as well? because the one I found is pretty clean and dried from the sun and it's already very white! do I need to do this method or am I good to go?

[@bloody_rainbow3928]

For the first question if you make sure to not leave it damp for long periods of time and clean it thoroughly it should be fine. I have quite a few bones from animals that I've had for years and non have developed mold I even have one that still has flesh on but it's kept in an airtight water free area so its fine (it died from Dehydration in a neibors window sill so it's kinda naturally mummified) . The biggest risk of keeping bones is contracting disease so make sure you have no open wounds and be extremely careful handling the body before and well cleaning.

[@bloody_rainbow3928]

For the second question it's illegal in many places to keep dolphin bones even if sourced ethically so check local laws

[@zuzu4578]

I recently found a fish skull that had been buried in the sand and the recent winds dug it up- I was wondering how I should go about cleaning that? It kinda stinks so I would rather not bake it inside my house If I don't need to- is that something I could do over the fire?

[@john4x4]

Nice job. I will let you do mine. Cool shirt also.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Thanks. Ha where are you located? The shirts will be available soon to order for anyone interested.

[@john4x4]

@@GeekOnTheWater I fish the South Jersey and Philly area for my snakes.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Oh nice I’m in Va.

[@nicolascruz4009]

@@GeekOnTheWater where in Virginia? Stafford County...?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I live in RVA but fish all over the state? You in Stafford?

[@bankmaster5104]

Will it work for any fish

[@FreeSpear100]

Did the head turn yellow after a while?

[@clarencesiason8349]

can thi sbe done to a stingray body?

[@flyguymike5247]

I have looked for a video like this for a while. I have done some research and some people use a bug to eat the flesh away. What else are you using to get that meat off? At 4:47 that jaw is picked really clean. Are you using any tools or anything? Do you think boiling it would be easier? I know some people do that with deer skulls. Does this process smell badly because of the blood and what not cooking for a half hour?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

In my opinion the most advanced and easy way (as far as increasing chances of perfect preservation) is to dermestid beetles eat all the meat. However that requires time, financial investment, and even more knowledge to do well. The approach and this video is more for your every day guy who wants to preserve their own special catch. The only tools I use are brushes and picks. It takes a while to clean well but if your patient it can be done. I would not boil any fish bones as they are typically less dense and have an increased chance to disintegrate. I’ve even heard shark jaws will disintegrate if boiled. I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have more questions

[@flyguymike5247]

@@GeekOnTheWater Thanks for the insight! Tight lines man

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Fly Guy Mike no prob, thanks for subscribing. My hope of this channel is to help other enjoy their time in the water

[@fostermcbride3024]

I think it smells great. If you do it fresh you can eat all the meat off haha.

[@toddhaire2057]

Hey brother I watched your vid and do u sell any of your work I'm very interested in buying one if so since we don't have snake heads round my area

[@joncannaday250]

Did it smell after?

[@MrCamel132]

Would you be able boil instead of bake Does it make a difference

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Boiling can be done but I reccomend for larger game like deer and bear. Most fish species are to fragile to boil without losing desirable features in my opinion. But the Snakehead could be an exception to the rule as the are a very bony skull as you can see

[@filippoferrati7991]

How much do you leave it in the cream?

[@leroyhyson8107]

Have you changed any of your steps? I’m going to give it a try.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Leroy Hyson no I have not! Full send!

[@leroyhyson8107]

Geek On The Water I just put the head in the oven.

[@leroyhyson8107]

Are you on Facebook? I live in Gaithersburg, MD.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Leroy Hyson yes and instagram

[@adiabrown6450]

I want to crystalize one. Would you recommend doing that?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I think it would come out pretty BA

[@Ramon.Santiago]

Im in the middle of my first snakehead skull and theres these black bloodlines in the top and some pieces. Cant seem to get them out. Currently sitting in hydrogen peroxide too, let it sit overnight

[@benedictcozzi723]

I need this shirt! Where can I get it! Great video BTW.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I’m gonna use a website to let everyone order them directly through it. I’ll reply to your comment with the link when they are available. I’ll also make a video explaining how to get them 👍 Glad you like them just as much as I do

[@kingfisher9071]

Nice how much are the T Snakehead tshirts? I also want to buy one.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Dan Mai when I know the exact cost I’ll share but I think it’s right around $20

[@justinkeith3624]

That was the pan warping from the temp lol

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Haha yea it scared me good!

[@federicorampin3300]

if i let the fish decompose can i extract the skeleton as well ?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

A common practice for a whole skeleton preservation is to bury the fish and cover the area with wire mesh... this lets ands and worms clean the bones and mesh keeps critters from digging it up. I like this but it takes several months of course

[@karolinakiwicreations5738]

I'd love to know how to make an entire skeleton..:)

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I’ve been contemplating a video on a full skeleton but think I would choose a smaller specimen for that endeavor

[@namiehitomi7297]

Are you able to use a goldfish skull even tho it’s really small?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I’m not sure, give it a try

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I’m not sure, give it a try

[@namiehitomi7297]

Geek On The Water :D I have 4 goldfish and if they will pass I wouldn’t dare to handle to just flush them 🙏 or bury. And I saw how you did this and i see other people do like cow skulls and it feels so honest and respectful to not let an animals life go to a waste. I respect your work 100% and thank you for commenting.

[@skybird8291]

Do you have to clean and whiten them often or is it just once and that's it?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Just once and the longer you let them soak in the peroxide the better the whitening

[@skybird8291]

@@GeekOnTheWater cool thanks😃

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Sky Bird no prob, you contemplating doing a species?

[@skybird8291]

@@GeekOnTheWater One day I plan on getting into it but for now I'm trying to get all the information I can

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Feel free to always ask questions. I’m no expert but glad to help

[@705king]

Do pike

[@tonysbones2813]

Can they be beetle cleaned? Anybody know?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Tony's Bones yes just a lot more prep involved, a healthy beetle colony takes work to maintain

[@danielclifton42]

Have you ever used food grade hydrogen peroxide? I’ve got a bottle at home and I’m wondering if it will work.

[@GeekOnTheWater]

I have not. If you try it let us know

[@danielclifton42]

Geek On The Water will do. Thanks!

[@Ociloc]

I don't think you should cook it. It can push grease into the bone and make the bones softer. Overall your specimen doesn't last as long

[@codyfrederick4212]

I wamt an shirt

[@jasondressler563]

Beetles are quicker and easier and if you plan on doing this more and more it would surely be worth it to you to just buy a colony

[@pablol1378]

Beetels take months don’t they

[@GeekOnTheWater]

Beetles are not quicker.... they would probably take a few days to a week to eat all the flesh and you also have to maintain and build a healthy colony. I’ve researched it thoroughly and desire to do it.... but compared to this method, quick is the last thing I would call using dermestid beetles

[@anndean1659]

S

[@robertmoniez4031]

Why this LOUD music??????????

[@rodneynielson9784]

Good video. But the music is way too loud and annoying!

[@codyfrederick4212]

Lol a shirt

[@xro5841]

Looks like a rip off of the Jurassic Park Logo

[@GeekOnTheWater]

100% that was the idea

[@samwilcox503]

How long do you leave it in the peroxide for?

[@GeekOnTheWater]

This one was 72 hours. But just keep checking till bones are as white as you want