How To _ Clean a Fish

What's going on guys ?

My name is Captain Michael Sharkey Martez .

I own and operate a fishing charter company out of Galveston Texas .

And today I'm gonna be showing y'all how to clean your catch .

The first method is going to be for a scale fish like a black drum , sheep's head and red fish .

First , you wanna make sure that you have a good cleaning table and a sharp filet knife begin by making a lateral cut starting from behind the gills , going around the rib cage down to the thing .

Next , you'll want to turn the knife towards the tail and begin cutting alongside the backbone , but not through it .

Once the filet is removed from the fish , start half an inch up from the tail and make a downward cut .

This will allow you a good place to get a grip , slide the knife down the filet with a slight sawing motion until the meat is fully removed from the scales .

Repeat these steps on the other side of the fish as well .

Once complete double check for any leftover bones that you may have missed thoroughly , rinse your filets with water before putting them on ice to ensure freshness , soft skin fish like speckled trout , spanish mackerel and will be fileted the same as a scaled fish .

If you catch a soft skin fish like a flounder .

The first few steps of the cleaning process are going to be slightly different .

The major filets are on the top of the fish .

First make a slight curve cut around the gills of the flounder .

This cut should go down to the bones but not through them .

Next , find the lateral line that runs down the middle of the fish .

Starting at the center of your initial cut , slide the filet knife down to the tail .

Once this step is complete , the cut should look like an upper case teeth , use your thumb to lift the filet from the back bones as you continue making your cuts repeat this step until the filet is fully removed from the fish .

Once the filet is free , you can use the same techniques as a scale fish to remove the skin .

Be sure to rinse the filets with water and preserve on ice .

Now your catch is ready to be cooked , stop by your local academy store to pick up the perfect seasoning combinations for your meal .