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badflash
06-07-2009, 07:47 AM
You have to watch this video!
[video:eamg27ho]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO56P4n5A24 [/video:eamg27ho]

So fast & Easy. I'm ordering the knife today!

badflash
06-07-2009, 09:50 AM
I just ordered the fillet knife and skinning pliers here:
http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fish-clean ... 86699.aspx (http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fish-cleaning-fillet-knives/022677086699.aspx)
http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fish-clean ... 23201.aspx (http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fish-cleaning-fillet-knives/050209023201.aspx)

tayl0r
06-08-2009, 10:48 AM
What is the little notch he cuts out at the very end?

badflash
06-08-2009, 11:04 AM
There are a bunch of tiny bones right there. You can feel them with your finger. That is why tilapia fillets look like a mitten.

tayl0r
06-08-2009, 06:20 PM
Good to know.

This video makes it seem pretty easy but, as my dad always says, "everything is easy once you know how to do it". I suck at cleaning fish but it's only from lack of doing it since I rarely go fishing. I'm sure after I clean a dozen fish in a short time frame I'll be pretty good at it.

badflash
06-08-2009, 06:26 PM
I've cleaned a bunch of tilapia by hand with a standard fillet knife. I see exactly what he's doing, so I know with a little practice it will be as easy as it looks in the video. Particularly slick is not scaling, and just removing the skin at the end, plus getting rid of those pesky little bones.

Now I need to find out how to make tilapia leather! I've seen it for sale, but have no idea how they tan it.

jackalope
06-09-2009, 06:36 PM
from what I saw, it looks like he's wasting a lot of the meat around the front fins ..... maybe he throws all the bones and wasted meat into a pot for fish stew or something .....

jackalope
06-09-2009, 06:43 PM
Now I need to find out how to make tilapia leather! I've seen it for sale, but have no idea how they tan it.

badflash, are you going into production of these :?: :?:

Clik ;) (http://www.zeenews.com/news394782.html)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

badflash
06-09-2009, 07:38 PM
I'm looking for a local tannery to work with. Right now I haven't a clue how to tan fish skin, but it seems sad to waste something like this.

jackalope
06-09-2009, 09:01 PM
I'm looking for a local tannery to work with. Right now I haven't a clue how to tan fish skin, but it seems sad to waste something like this.

This is just one quick Google -- "fish skin tanning" -- YMMV
Clik ;) (http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/fish-skin-tan-.html)
Clik ;) (http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/product/108271/fish-skin-tan1)
Clik ;) (http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/product/85000006/panfish-mounting-kit)
Clik ;) (http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/product/85000006/gamefish-mounting-kit)

Clik ;) (http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php?topic=31606.0%3Bprev_next=prev)

badflash
06-10-2009, 04:15 PM
Most of these are for taxidermy, and they are pretty costly. Looks like $2-$3 per fish. It can't be worth that...

jackalope
06-10-2009, 09:04 PM
Most of these are for taxidermy, and they are pretty costly. Looks like $2-$3 per fish. It can't be worth that...

I was just thinking that it might cost you a little to learn how to tan them ...... not mount them, but eventually, you'd be able to buy the solutions in bulk, thus making it much cheaper ;).

badflash
06-11-2009, 05:40 AM
I'm not planning to mount them. I was just talking the cost of the chemicals. Probably better to just salt the skins and ship them to a pro to get it done.

badflash
06-21-2009, 02:11 PM
I tried out my new fillet knife for Father's Day. Works great. There is a learning curve, but not too steep. With a little practice I can be just about as fast as the guy in the video...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c70/badflash/tilapia/P6220002.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c70/badflash/tilapia/P6220005.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c70/badflash/tilapia/P6220007.jpg

I use cold salted ice to kill them. You can see the bucket in the 1st picture. Work pretty nicely. Beats the heck out of any other method I've used to kill them. BTW- that cutting board is 15" wide if you are wondering about the size of these nile tilapia.

driver594
09-07-2009, 11:18 AM
This is great. Had an Aunt who use to skin catfish with needlenose pliers an a pocket knife. :P

badflash
09-07-2009, 03:13 PM
Yep. Catfish don't have scales, so it is easy to peel it off in one chunk. Tilapia are not as easy.

Now I just scale them, head them & gut them. I fillet them at the table with a fork.