How to Skin a Cat(fish)

[Ole WV Coot]

Catfish are sometimes tough to clean or otherwise mutilate for the pan. I've seen them nailed to a tree, chased across the yard and a sink full of blood, none of it belonging to Mr. Fish. I don't know if it's general knowledge or not but you can kill that sucker(catfish) by using the point of a knife and poking a hole between it's eyes and taking a straw, or blade of grass insert it in the cut and kinda spin or move it around. The fish will be dead, dead and stiff as a board. Now you can make your shallow cuts, pliers and skin away. The main thing is to get it dead and stiff enough to skin.

[Rick]

I've skinned a catfish or two in my day and never knew that. Good info!! Thanks!

[crashdive123]

I think I'd be dead and stiff too if somebody poked my eyes out, stuck a stick in there and scrambled my brains. But, good to know - thanks.

[jrock24]

How deep do you have to poke it?

[Swamprat1958]

Filleting is a whole lot easier

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

I always peg thier head to a board with an ice pick. i just drive it right in there until the board holds it. then i make my shallow cuts and pull the skin off with a pair of pliers.

[Schleprok]

I just filet them off the bone, slight flip, then filet off the skin.

[Ole WV Coot]

Filleting around here is a two man job. Need a two man crosscut saw for anything over ten inches(between the eyes, the way we measure). Flipping one over would require two good men with a backhoe and chocks. Just the little knife stab and weed or whatever kills the fish because I don't like to hear them scream and stiffens them to make the skinning easier.

[preachtheWORD]

I have skinned and filleted dozens of catfish and have probably been witness to hundreds.

We whack 'em right between the eyes with a hammer or some other handy blunt object. If you do it right, it kills them instantly, or at least knocks them out cold.

I learned to skin and fillet catfish from my Dad. He always hangs them on a string by their lip and skins and fillets them that way. A lot of people lay them down on a board, but Dad (and I who learned from him) always hangs 'em. This is not the easiest way because you always have to keep the fish steady with your other (non-knife) hand. Clean-up is much easier though - any blood, guts, slime, etc. falls right on the ground. All you have to do is clean your knife.

After filleting, I almost always "trim" the fillets, especially if it is a large fish, or if it is a mudcat (i.e., flathead catfish). I trim off the silver "inner skin," the "mudstreak" located along the lateral line, and any flesh that is tinged with orange. You lose quite a lot of meat that way, so you wouldn't want to be so picky in a survival situation, but the meat you have left is white and very clean tasting. You totally get rid of the "muddy" taste.

Man, I am hungry for catfish right now!

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

the hopi would use the skins for "bags" to hold/store the dried fish in. in korea the people do the same thing with pigs (natural skin containers) the protective leather keeps the food safe from insects and microbial activity. the skins are useful in survival they dry stiff and stay togather. try to dehydrate your fish (bones removed) in its own skin.you will see how convienient the method is.

[OICU812]

I never had a problem with dressing out a cat, it was always the "noodle'in" part that gave me the most trouble. Besides just catch a stringer of bass and be done with it!

[Rick]

any blood, guts, slime, etc. falls right on the ground. All you have to do is clean your knife.

And your shoes and pants.....just sayin'

"noodle'in" part that gave me the most trouble

Uh, no.

[snaplink]

Hi first post. I used to have the same problem, The way I solved it was the cat was the last fish cleaned. While doing the others I would take a pot and start boiling water, took the cat stringer and all put in the sink pour the boiling water over the cats kill'em quick and also get the slime off then fillet as any other.

[Alexander]

I only ever tried nailing them to a tree.. o.0.

[Mountain Man]

Hi first post. I used to have the same problem, The way I solved it was the cat was the last fish cleaned. While doing the others I would take a pot and start boiling water, took the cat stringer and all put in the sink pour the boiling water over the cats kill'em quick and also get the slime off then fillet as any other.

Now that's an interesting idea.

[Rick]

Welcome snaplink. Why not fish over at our Introductions section and tell us a bit about yourself?

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...splay.php?f=14

[Ravnari86]

Personally I kill em by simply jamming the knife between the eyes and twisting. It was always the simplest. I always make sure it gets deep enough to go through, and give it a good twist.

As for preparing em, I typically filet to separate the meat from the bones, but leave the skin of the back in one piece. It's a bit tricky to do, but they drape beautifully over a small stick that way so I can smoke em dry, or cook them.

[toughsord]

hit them in the head with a hammer and they wont put up a fight. then you can just nail them to a tree and skin them. have bucket or toat nearby and just load the fish straight of the boat.i advise doing it near a creek so you can just throw the bones and guts down into it. but kill the catfish before you take it to the tree. getting horned while nailing it or it sacraficing a lip to get of the nail will have it in the ditch and into the water.

[Ole WV Coot]

I don't carry a hammer, nails or boiling water. Guess twisting a knife blade would work. Skinning is quick & easy, killing with a blade of grass or even a toothpick does work. You DO have to punch a hold with a knife blade unless you go in from its ear. Just give it a try whether you fillet or skin and see how fast and stiff it gets.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Never bothered to try and kill one... Just hoist fish under 30 with the right hand and lift 156qt. cooler lid with the left and repeat untill full. Ice'em down good. They will all be dead by the time I reach home everytime. I usually break 100lbs total weight. By the way the number one blue catfish destination is a rock throw from my house. HHEH! Skinning them is no big deal I use a lockback pocket knife and some channel locks. I fillet them. I don't lie them on their side for filleting like a striper or bass. I do it with the belly to the board, no nail or nothing just grab hold in the gill and have at it. Simple to me but then I was raised near the Pearl River in MS. Maybe I will do an instructional...LOL Catfishing is my favorite fish ever.