Sounds like i might have to watch you skin one i just fillet watched my dad all the time skin them and try to get every last morsel off them but it took forever

Come November, you can watch, if you come over at RB. Yes, takes a bit more time, but Jeff & James will vouch for me that you get a heck of a lot more meat, if you are willing to take a bit more time.

I may even set my old big VHS video camcorder up there at the fish cleaning station there at Running Branch (most of the rope overhead under the tin roof tied to the rafters, is mine from previous years, as I would string the big ones across up high), so I can record it on VHS, then transfer to a DVD. Jeff has always wanted me to put these things on a tape or DVD so he could watch all of my moves & hear my description as I go.

looking forward to it

I fillet and remove the skin and every month or so I smoke about 6 pounds. For smoking I soak the fillets in 2 cups of white wine, half cup lemon/lime juice, half cup soy, 2 tablespoons sugar, overnight in the fridge. I arrange thicker portions on the top shelf under the dome lid and thinner portions directly over the water pan. Smoked catfish is always a big hit. I believe I could be elected if I gave it away in a political compaign.

Fillet,fillet,and fillet. Hey "Jorne" smoked cats sounds good, thanks for sharing. I am going to try that.

skin and filet, fry and eat. Simple.

I do all three.

I fillet them Part of the filleting process on any fish is to flop over the filet and remove the skin as well imo If it looks like a fish or has the skin on i just cant stomach eating it!!!! I smoke my Salmon, All other species gets a dry coating of cracker meal, frying magic,Uncle bucks, Harold Ensley ect anything other then sand (oops i mean corn meal) and in the hot grease they go.

I will volunteer as a judge, just give me one minute to get there!!!!!

I filet and remove skin with filet knife. Use a cut glove on your holing hand and get through em fast and without worry. Throw the glove in the washer or even dishwasher if you have a smaall enclosed section. it's ready to go next time.

On larger cats I remove the belly meat and freeze them until I have enough to make cajun cat fish cakes and serve with spicy shrimp sauce. Yum. There is some good meat on the belly below the ribs. Restaurants sell them as catfish nuggets. Be sure to skin the stomach cavity lining. The larger belly pieces from 4-7lb cats make great fish sandwiches too.

I'm gett'in hungry.

Fillet them. No need to skin them. That's like plucking a dove before removing the breast.

x2

Many of us who clean a lot of fish do not skin them, because we don't see the benefit of doing so. Sure you save some flesh, but most of the toxins are near the skin anyhow, might as well take a small sliver of that off with the skin.

Learned to skin'em as a kid-
These days I-

yeah, release to the fryer!

^ i think you missed that lol.. there are people that will actually cut fillets of the cats as soon as they catch them, then watch them swin away with no meat on them.