Fillet knife in my backpack


1-CHANCE

1-CHANCE

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I'm a new guy here, but been reading for quite sometime. Anyway I was out fishing last week, not really prepared to catch fish but ended up getting a dozen perch. I carry several knives in my backpack but none that are really flexible enough to fillet small fish.
So needless to say I ended up adding a fillet knife to the backpack and now feel a "little" more prepared.
Hope this helps anyone who hasn't already added one!
 
All I carry is a small folder and a fillet knife. Used to carry one of those big old Ka-Bars but never used it for anything. The fillet knife came in handy a lot. Plus it weighs about 1/10th of what the Ka-Bar weighs. :dblthumb:

Az
 
I just fry small panfish whole and filet them when the meat starts falling off the body.. Alot easier IMO
 
I'm not much of a fisherman, but I cook for a living. Never been a big fan of 'flexible' knives for boning or cleaning fish, just how I learned to do stuff,same with game. I find the flexible ones isn't nearly as durable and also lend themselves to injury. I've seen some gnarly knife wounds from so called 'flexible' knives over the years. I am known to tote a boning knife and a santoku when I know I'll be doing a lot of cooking. I find the majority of outdoor knives to be a poor substitute for proper kitchen tools. I have a friend though does small fish all day long with a SAK.
 
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+1 brother.

I always carry a Mora fillet/boning knife. It's 6 inches and flexible. I use it as a dedicated food knife because I don't really like using my belt knife on food for hygiene reasons.

I was a restaurant cook myself and never used a proper flexible boning knife until recently. There's nothing that's quite so efficient at breaking down fatty or boney stuff. It really cut down on the time it took me to clean and break down whole chuck rolls (about my torso size).

The beauty is that it works just as well on small game and fish!
 
One of my constant companions when afield, is a Case XX Changer folder. I can change out the blades easily, and it comes with a great filet blade. :4:
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My GRK is thin and flexible enough to fillet the fish I catch, even wee ones. :)
 
I carry a 4" fillet knife which I use not only for fish, but pretty much everything. Deer, beaver, bobcat, squirrel, etc. You name it, and that knife has skinned it!
 
That Case knife/knives looks to be very useful, didnt know they made such a thing!

Next time I catch any panfish I am going to try and fillet with just a pocket knife to see if I don't butcher it.
 
Have a fillet knife in my day pack and tactle box. The Knives of Alaska fillet knife is a little stiffer, one of the knives I use also while working with butchered deer meat. Smaller fish, pan fish I usually cook whole body after cleaning...
 
For small panfish (the ones that I get when camping.. I just gut, split down the spine and cook than peel the meat out as I eat.
I did carry a fillet knife for a while.. And usually do if i expect to catch large fish.
 
I picked up a Mora Fisherman’s knife this summer. It’s kind of replaced my trout and bird knife on fishing trips. It is not a flexible blade it is more like a kitchen knife with a scaler spine. For steaking bigger salmon and stripers it is the business; and it is enough knife to do other fire/bush craft chores that I usually don’t need to back it up with another knife.

Wolf
 
I've got a little Rapala filet knife from the 60s. The one with the birch or balsa handle and sweet little leather sheath. It has been my constant fishing companion since I was 8. It actually saved my life one time when I slipped into deep water while trout fishing and wading. I had it on a belt outside my waders and I was able to cut my suspenders with it after my chest waders had filled with water and were dragging me to the bottom.
It also filets real well too :)

Scott
 
Scott Allen said:
I've got a little Rapala filet knife from the 60s. The one with the birch or balsa handle and sweet little leather sheath. It has been my constant fishing companion since I was 8. It actually saved my life one time when I slipped into deep water while trout fishing and wading I had it on a belt outside my waders and I was able to cut my suspenders with it after my chest waders had filled with water and were dragging me to the bottom.
It also filets real well too :)

Scott
Click to expand...

I use a Rapala too when fishing, & do the same, I carry when in waders, or hip boots. But I keep it around my neck. It can save your life.
;)
 
For smaller fish like perch I usually just descale them with a spoon and gut them with a folder and fry them whole. The skin is really crispy that way. But I do usually carry a fillet knife along anyways it works the best for me and it they are pretty easy to keep sharp.
 
I started with the 'traditional' fish cleaning knives in my youth...the rapala, etc..
but somehow ended up liking the firmness of a non-flex blade....
even to the point I can clean bluegill with a hatchet ok now.

I'm weird. I know. :25:
 
Wow, lots of great replies and things I haven't thought of. I believe I'm really going to like this site. Thanks guys!
 
I do NOT carry a dedicated fillet knife, only because where I normally enjoy the outdoors its easier to get furry things than scaly things. I DO however carry a dedicated skinning knife.

Even If I were to fish more often, I'd probably not carry one, as there are plenty of other ways to eat fish than filet them.
 
I have an Opinel folding fillet knife, but in a pinch with panfish I cut the heads off, then gut and scale them. That's the way we always cleaned them when I was a kid. Now, I just clean them when I get home, unless I plan to eat them where I caught them.

Looker
 
When I catch the smaller guys, I just gut them with whatever knife I have on me. I almost never carry a fillet knife with me. For the little ones and even up through good sized crappie, I just gut them and cook them on the coals. I literallly just rake some coals from the fire and put the fish right on them. No pan or anything. Flip it once, and you're done. When it's cooked right that way, the skin slips off the meat and the meat falls off the bone. And the best part...no dishes!
 
If the fish fits the frying pan it stays whole with just the guts and gills removed. Head has flesh in the cheeks and the eyeballs are edible. To me a whole fish more aesthetically pleasing. I also keep the two eggs sacks in the females if presents, very delicious. If will filet the big guys though. I use my folding filet knife for deboning more than anything else.

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