When you skin crappie do you use pliers or cut down side then run the knife between the meat and skin? Do you gut them first? I don't usually keep fish but I plan to catch some crappie and catfish this year and I ain't no good at cleaning them yet.

Hey -- Maybe, someone should put on a seminar or produce a video for cleaning crappie! Ha!

hey ducky! what lake do u usually fish alot? I'm in the mesquite area. so i hit hubbard quite a bit.

Duck Jerkey, how's it going? You are indeed one filleting fool. Yes elecric is the fix. Hey, if you hit CC this summer, don't forget me if you have the fish fever. I had a blast last October out there with ya. Tried North Ray Roberts today and had a good ole time, except for the waves a choppin. Ran into a few nice crappie. Take it easy.

jtc30
Jay

I'd be interested in seeing what your "white perch" actually is. I've always known a white perch to be a crappie and you are stating that they are different. Maybe you are confusing them with a sand bass or white bass

Scaling before filleting serves zero benefit unless you like to eat the skin. It actually hinders the second stroke of the electric knife because it lessens the rigidity of the skin. Like DJ, I also ice down my fish before filleting as it makes the process much easier.

I've never grilled or smoked a crappie before but if I was going to do so, scaling and leaving the skin on the fillet might be the best way to do it. Otherwise, I would always leave the scales on when filleting and just remove the skin.

FP...

If we grill them we leave teh scales and skin on when grilling.....We just pull the fish off the grilled skin and throw the skin away..

Crappie on the half shell is some good eats....although Redfish on the half shell might be a little better...

fishfrk22...I mostly fish: Hubbard, Cedar Creek, Lavon, Fork, and Lewisville. During the week is mostly all on Hubbard and Lavon because they are close.

Jay...yep, we'll definitely hook back up for some crappie.

Hotrod,

I usually cut their head off and then gut them before I take the skin off of them. Yep, I usually run the blade between the skin and the meat. The skin come right off of them and that pretty meat is ready for the grease. I usually cook mind in peanut oil.

barndoor