In southern states, catching redfish is one of the most famous fish sports. Redfish are commonly found in these areas and can easily be caught in various ways. Both recreational fishermen and charter boats target the red drum not only for their fight but also for their nice flavour. Once you found the perfect redfish and fillet knife then the next question in our mind is how to fillet a redfish. So to provide the best answer for that answer we have provided the complete setup which will help you to fillet a redfish easily and efficiently.
Step 1: First of all apply a cut behind the gill flap close to the pectoral fin of the redfish. Then put your knife up and under the scales but make sure that you don’t cut through them and move the cut downward until you didn’t hit the spin.
Step 2: Now use your knife’s tip to make a cut toward a tail just a little bit above the dorsal fins. Be careful you should not go deep with that cut…. One inch cut or so of the meat is recommended.
Step 3: It’s time to make another cut to the tail of the redfish and remove the connection between fish and fillet.
Step 4: Use the tip of a fillet knife to cut meat from the bones, these bones will guide you to make a little cut and get the best results at a time. When you lift the meat upward, you will see remaining uncut connections.
Step 5: When you get to the center where the spine is located, cutting it all the way over will ensure that you leave behind as much of the meat as you can on the spine. Remove from the bone.
Step 6: In this step, cut the belly of the fish along the ribs and remove the complete fillet from one side of the fish.
Step 7: You have got a perfect fillet, now turn the fish to the other side and repeat the same process that we have described in above 6 steps.
Step 8: The final step is to remove the skin from the fillets. To do this, hold your knife outwards at a shallow angle of about 30 degrees and start cutting forward by holding the tail end of your finished fillets. When grasping the skin, make a back-and-forth cutting motion so that the skin is easy on you.
Important Things You Need to Know
Flavour and Texture
You can notice that freshly caught fish have a more tasty flavour and texture as comprare to those fish that you buy from grocery stores. The taste of redfish is commonly described as mild and sweet and the texture medium to firm and a little bit goofy.
Legal Limits
First, it’s important to make sure the fish you’re keeping are legal in size and session. This is not something you want to mess with because if you get caught you can lose your ability to fish for other redfish.
Sharp Fillet Knife
You should sharpen your knife before you start filleting and if you don’t sharpen your knife properly you can risk seriously damaging your hands and the fish. The most important step in learning how to fillet a red drum is to make sure you’re using a well-sharpened knife.
Prepare Before You Start the Filleting
After learning how to fillet redfish and before starting the filleting process, there are a few important things to know. As you must have a zip lock plastic bag to prepare the fillets, some people prefer to wear gloves to avoid cuts and better grip on the fish. Plus you’ll avoid that lovely red fish smell that can stick around for a while without gloves.
Frequently Asked Question’s
How to Fillet a Redfish with an Electric Knife?
The process of filleting a redfish with an electric knife is similar to the standard knife that we have described in the above section but for controlling a electric fillet knife you need to have some extra skills to prevent yourself from damaging.
What Knife Do You Use for Redfish?
A filleting knife is designed specifically for cutting fish, these knives are more flexible than other knives and offer the great manoeuvrability required for filleting.
How to Buy a Good Fillet Knife?
A good fillet knife is made of strong materials and has the perfect flexibility that enables you to easily work through the natural contours of the body without the risk of the blade breaking. It should be light weight and super grippy which makes the filleting process easy. A good fillet knife blade stays sharper for longer which leads to more efficient use.
Related Article: https://knifeplatoon.com/what-makes-a-good-fish-fillet-knife/
How Long Should a Fillet Knife Be?
The length of filleting knife depends upon the size of your fish but keep in mind that large knives are more flexible and they are good enough for both small and large fishes. If you want to know the exact size of a fillet knife then it will be 6 to 7 inches suitable for the majority of tasks.
Can Fillet Knife Use as a Boning Knife?
No, because the fillet knife is specifically made for working with fish and will not be good for deboning other types of meat. On the other hand, the boning knife is more versatile and strong and can be used for both meat and fish.
What is a Japanese Fillet Knife Called?
Japanese fillet knives are called deba and many people enjoy the use of it on various fishes in japanese markets and restaurants. Some people also prefer to use it on meat but its actual intent was for filleting a fish without any damage yourself.
Conclusion
The golden key for fillet a redfish efficiency is a good fillet knife. There are multiple options having various sizes, shapes and price points available in the market and you can easily find the best fillet knife for redfish depending on your requirements. These knives come with different models with excellent quality, great features, and outstanding flying performance. Furthermore, most knives also come with an affordable price range so you don’t need a heavy budget for buying a knife for redfish.
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