Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Catfish are tough creatures and their skin is just as tough, but the meat is tasty and well worth it. There are a number of ways you can clean a catfish, but the one given here is the easiest.

To step

1. Gather the things you need. Gather a length of string, a pair of pliers (regular, not long nose pliers), a filleting knife, and a large knife, such as a butcher knife.
2. Make sure the fish is dead. Not only is it humane to pay attention to this, but it will also prevent you from getting a wound. When in doubt, cut the tail to drain the fish.
3. Carefully cut through the skin behind the gills only. Remove all viscera from the fish, being careful not to damage it with your knife. Then remove all the fins at the base (use the pliers to hold the fins while you cut).
4. Hang the fish by the gills on a tree branch or anything else suitable. Cuts through the skin along the center of the back in a downward motion.
5. Pull the skin off from the head with the forceps. It may take you a while to get it right, but you will get better at it with practice.
6. Remove the skin up to the tail. Cut off the tail if it has not already been removed and cut off the head with a large knife.
7. Fillet the fish from the tail up. Cut along the spine until you reach the ribs, then cut down from the top of the fish, next to the spine, letting the knife follow the ribs.
8. Prepare the catfish. When both sides of the fish are filleted, there is no end to the recipes and dishes you can make or create.

Tips

• Keep your knives sharp. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.
• Catfish taste better when caught in clear water.
• Catfish do not have scales and can be eaten with skin.
• Special pliers for skinning catfish make this job easier. They can be bought for little money at fishing tackle shops.
• If you are good at filleting the rib portion, you can fillet the catfish without stripping it of its organs first.
• To avoid irritating puncture wounds while handling the catfish, you can remove the fins first. Surgical scissors are an excellent tool for this and if you use them, your knife will be less likely to dull.

Warnings

• Watch out for the traces of the catfish, on both sides of the fish at the fins behind the gills. Younger fish are sharper, and if they pierce the skin, they can cause a painful puncture wound and infection.
• Be careful with knives - always make a cutting motion away from you, and use the tongs to hold the fish as needed.
• Some catfish species can release a dangerous poison through their tracks. Make sure you know what kind of catfish you want to catch so you can take the right precautions.

Necessities

• Gloves (preferably made of leather)
• Tang
• Knife
• Rope