After some trial and error, I can fillet a sandbass in 5 minutes. Is this still slow? After my first few attempts, this seems rather quick. I cut behind its head over the gills and along its back, then cut the meat away from head to tail. I end up with two decent pieces of meat. Is this correct? Any other tips would be good.

Has to suit your style and taste. Sounds like you are doing manual. For a good guide with a good electric knife...maybe 30 seconds. Go figure.
Oh and watch out for those fingers!

30 seconds!! I would love for someone to teach me how to do that! I start to throw them back when I get 10 or so because I am looking at an hour to clean them. Seems like on the smaller fish that an electric knife would be hard to get all the meat.

"Seems like on the smaller fish that an electric knife would be hard to get all the meat".

Heck, that's why you keep more than 10. Sandbass are so plentiful, it don't hurt to waste a "little" meat (don't take it the wrong way).

Honestly, with a good electric fillet knife, you would be amazed how quick and easy it is with practice. Gaurantee that I can clean 25 by myself in less than 30 minutes (rib cage and all).

I agree with Longeye!!! I can clean a limit in 20 to 25 minutes no problem.

30-45 seconds a fish if I get in a good groove. I get ALOT of practice! Start with a manual and then move to an electric.

Oh, I am going to have to get one of those! Can someone explain what cuts they make? Will a cheap wal-mart knife do the job or will I need to spend some real money to get a good one? Thanks for the help.

30 seconds is a little faster than me, but I can do one in a minute or less. Here's how I do it, noting I'm right handed:

- Fish laying flat with head to the left, top fin towards me

- Electric knife blade right behind gills, down to backbone, from the top of the fish to nearly the belly (takes practice, more difficult on smaller fish)

- At the back bone, turn the knife parallel to the fish's orientation (flat) and go straight down the length of the fish NEARLY to the tail (important). Do NOT go through the backbone at any time.

- Stopping with about 1/2" to 3/4" of meat left to the tail, flip the fillet over the tail. This should look like you just opened a door to the fish, with the hinge point at the tail

- Keeping the knife flat against the cutting board, start at the tail "hinge", go down the length of the "flap" which is now nothing more than fillet, ribs, and skin. The skin of the fish is amazingly tough and you can basically apply plenty of pressure to prevent leaving wasted scraps on the skin. Go all the way to the big end of the fillet and the fillet should be free of the skin. Lay the fillet to the side. Flip the fish, repeat for the other side.

- With the fillet on the cutting board, make a curve cut at a 45 degree angle to take out the rib section in the fillet with as little waste as possible. Over time, you can feel and see the rib section easily and not waste any meat. Repeat for second fillet.

I hope this helps. It would really help to watch a video or see someone do it. I learned by watching my dad clean hundreds of fish as a kid. He can do them faster than me, probably 30 sec or so, while telling a story and drinking a beer... amazing.

electric knife makes a world of difference. Rapala has one at Walmart.

Just what Rooster said!

Oh yeah, just a note. The above is the only way I've ever filleted fish, and there are probably equal or better ways. In January I caught a 26lb Blue Catfish and "attempted" to use the same method. It worked for the most part, except that a 39" fish when filleted length-wise and opened up is now about 6' long... so I had to get a giant board as a cutting surface. And the fillet was so tall that my knife wouldn't clear the other side, so I had to make two passes when separating the skin from fillet. But for small fish I think it works good.

Sounds like I will get an electric fillet knife! I was sure excited at the 5min fish and was showing off to my better half just how much meat I was able to get off of each one. Keep in mind I am teaching myself all this stuff by trial and error.

LKTTU,

Check your pm's!!!!

All electric knives are not equal either. More money does not mean better. If all you are doing is whites, a regular electric knife from the kitchen section at walmart works better than most of the "fishing knives". If you will be doing a lot or bigger fish, mister twister makes an electric knife that is amazing (never gets hot). You can also interchange the regular blades and even 9 inch blades for the big fish.It is blue and white and can get it at most academy stores esp in Houston for under $30.The pirhana blades that come with it slime up easy so I use the regualr blades. Fish cleaning stations at the ramp are great but at home I just use a 2x10 between some saw horses w/ 50 gallon trash can underneath and makes clean up very easy. Another thing that I saw a guide do once that helped shave even more time off is make the cut along the ribs while the fish is still on the skin w/ the electric knife then when you cut the meat away it goes stright in the bowl without getting it dirty.

30 seconds max with an electric knife, that includes cutting the ribs out