I guess that I am a purist. I like to keep my fish alive and fresh until I filet them. That means that I have to have a good hold on them when cutting. I have tried various electrics and I find that I keep my fingers away from the holding the fish tightly because of the fear of losing my fingers. The live fish sometimes don't like the process and try to leave the table. Makes a real mess. One friend I fish with complains that I should let the fish die so that he can use his electric. I weighed the difference between fresh filets and this friend...and I don't take him with me much anymore.

I use my trusty long rapala filet knife. I keep a sharpener with me to hone the blade. I can hold the fish tighter. Works great for me and it is much easier than charging or connecting. I am getting much faster. Practice helps.

Alien you do know that all catfish have a soft spot on there head, use your knife and find the hole and slide a piece of wire in the hole and turn it, hits the brain and the fish is dead 15 seconds tops.. I don't clean dead fish either.

I am still a manual knife guy myself. The electrics are faster and if I have a mess of fish and a time limit I get out my electric which happens to be an American Angler with 9 in Mister Twister blades.

Yet I have a 8 inch Fiskars knife I sharpen it with a steel as I work and drink a beer or two. Nice way to end a trip, if I can finish in less then an hour I stick to my Fiskars, if there is any real rush or if I have like a pile (last year I had 14 kitties, a sandie limit and 8 crappie from one trip) I go electric for time reasons.

If I had all the time in the world to do stuff I don't think I would ever plug in a knife. There is something primal and connecting about a real blade in real flesh. Not in some twisted way either just you know our forefathers did not use electric fillet knives.

Kind of the same reason I shoot black powder cartridge and I bow hunt and shoot a 45-70. Connection with the past is a big part of the outdoors,

the secret to not burning up an electric knife while cleaning large numbers of fish is to have 2 of them ... switch out back & forth from one to the other so that they can cool off

TXBO, thanks for the tip. I use the AA electric knife and I agree totally; the blades are too thick which causes one to waste fish.

Although I am no electrician and can't explain it to you. I would watch using anything other than eletric fillet knife made for fishing. The others are not grounded properly. I have got quite a tingle using the others made for kitchen use.

I have cleaned using both and like both for certain situations such as using a regular fillet knife for large yellow cats.

AA with twister blades are only way to go.IMHO
some people (my dad) likes his fish whole and skins 'em. seems like alot of work but like any method with practice..you can whip 'em out fast.
I prefer electric, alive or dead. they don't seem to care when the buzz comes for them

I am an Electrician, and as long as your knife is plugged into a GFI Receptical You will be fine. All the cleanning stations I've been to that had power were GFI. Just make sure you do the same at home.

Catfish Addicton...there's some dam good advice.

well said micheal

Santa Clause didn't bring me no fillet knife!!!

mister twister (green and yellow one)