06-20-2005, 12:04 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Hey wimp, whazzup widdat? I have a tough time believing that the self-avowed carp punisher gets the shakes when forced to carve up a still living catfish. Then again, many of us believe catfish to be a gift from Diety, whereas carp are clearly spawn of the devil. At least we kill carp religiously, or something like that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Seriously, there are several good arguments for "taking out" a catfish before you apply the fillet knife. They are tough and they are strongl. If they start thrashing around while you have a knife in your hands, they can cause damage to you, as well as to themselves. If you are unable to get them to "volunteer" their fillets nicely, while laying flat on the board, you might not get good efficient fillets either.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I start the precautionary process as soon as I bring in a cat that I intend to keep. I use either pliers or sidecutters to remove both the pectoral fin spines and the dorsal spine before putting them in my basket. That insures that if I have to grab them later, I don't have to be concerned about those spines. True, they are not nearly as sharp or dangerous in larger cats, but they can do damage to my basket and they make the fish harder to handle. They also make it more difficult to lay the fish flat on the fillet board later.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Keeping the fish alive until the final filleting moment is best to insure freshness. However, if you want to do the "humane" thing, before filleting a live and conscious critter, give them a few whacks on the head. They take some serious whackin'. I have a small ball peen hammer that tames fishies real fast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You can use anything wooden or metal (plastic, rubber, etc.) that has enough weight and substance to dispatch your catch. Just don't get a glazed look in your eyes and keep whackin' until you and the kitchen are covered with blood, from your pulverized prey. HELTER SKELTER.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Seriously, there are several good arguments for "taking out" a catfish before you apply the fillet knife. They are tough and they are strongl. If they start thrashing around while you have a knife in your hands, they can cause damage to you, as well as to themselves. If you are unable to get them to "volunteer" their fillets nicely, while laying flat on the board, you might not get good efficient fillets either.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I start the precautionary process as soon as I bring in a cat that I intend to keep. I use either pliers or sidecutters to remove both the pectoral fin spines and the dorsal spine before putting them in my basket. That insures that if I have to grab them later, I don't have to be concerned about those spines. True, they are not nearly as sharp or dangerous in larger cats, but they can do damage to my basket and they make the fish harder to handle. They also make it more difficult to lay the fish flat on the fillet board later.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Keeping the fish alive until the final filleting moment is best to insure freshness. However, if you want to do the "humane" thing, before filleting a live and conscious critter, give them a few whacks on the head. They take some serious whackin'. I have a small ball peen hammer that tames fishies real fast.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You can use anything wooden or metal (plastic, rubber, etc.) that has enough weight and substance to dispatch your catch. Just don't get a glazed look in your eyes and keep whackin' until you and the kitchen are covered with blood, from your pulverized prey. HELTER SKELTER.[/#0000ff]
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