HOW TO SAFELY fillet fish while still fishing

[Chiro Alex]

Sometimes there is a lull between action/bites on the water---so---why not clean your fish/fillets while waiting IF the water is calm--does anyone clean their fish while trolling and What set-ups do you use Safely??

 

[Derkd9]

I think I’m the only one on my boat that understands the importance of watching the rods.. whether in a lull or not lol

Maybe I could convince them to fillet the fish???

 

[hvyhaul]

Not normally during fishing, but at the end of the day before running in.

 

[tailfeathers]

If it's calm I sometimes will filet the fish while someone else watches the poles and the autopilot drives. I have a cutting board that mounts in a pole holder.

 

[Reel-ist]

No experience here. I butcher some of them standing still on terra firma. I can't, for the life of me, imagine the job I would do with little "walleye chop" thrown into the mix. Y-I-K-E-S! Besides, I would miss all the fish tales being told around the cleaning table at the launch when I got back in.

 

[G.Mech]

Mine get cleaned and bagged either while we fish or on our way in every time. Electric knife, cutting board, never really been concerned. I just take the fillets off and do the rest at home though. Doing the finesse work would be difficult if it's rolling.

 

[Twister]

That's how I do it. Bleed in kill tank/live well . Then fillet leaving the 2 fillets joined at the tail for ease of counting . Skin + ribs left on. Then straight on to ice. Live fish to chilling meat in minutes. Tastes way better than leaving them sit in 80 degree water all day.

 

[garbageman]

Just a reminder that if you clean fish on the water the fillets must be easily counted and identified by a CO.

 

[spider4]

I have a nice fillet board that goes into the Cannon rod holder. It has the cross grooves in the bottom of the rod to lock in place.
Simply get the angles right so the blood drains over the side and you're all set. Take off the fillets and into a freezer bag then cooler. Carcass goes overboard (turtles need to eat too you know). When we get home we just need to take out the rib bones, skin, and mud line and have a much smaller bag in the freezer until garbage day. Of course this is all after bleeding them out right after catching

 

[GPS]

I used to always clean mine while fishing until PGYC installed the new fish cleaning station. And still do occasionally if it’s a real busy day in the marina and I know the station will be busy

 

[DaveJ]

This is one I made that fits into a gunnel rod holder. I remove fillets left connected at the belly, cheeks and wings, bagged, on ice

 

[KennyQ]

I have a nice fillet board that goes into the Cannon rod holder. It has the cross grooves in the bottom of the rod to lock in place.
Simply get the angles right so the blood drains over the side and you're all set. Take off the fillets and into a freezer bag then cooler. Carcass goes overboard (turtles need to eat too you know). When we get home we just need to take out the rib bones, skin, and mud line and have a much smaller bag in the freezer until garbage day. Of course this is all after bleeding them out right after catching

Do you have picture of that board? Where can I get one??