By R. Karl
Whether you call them "smallies" or "bronze backs"
or some other name, a fresh-water small mouth bass is some of the most fun to
catch: they are great fighters... and they also make for some excellent
eating!
As the largest member of the sunfish family (Centrarchidae), when trying
to fillet them, the anatomy of bass causes a very similar problem to
that encountered when cleaning a Bluegill,
although bass have their own peculiarities associated with them. Below is
a portion of the step-by-step process that I follow. As always, the key ingredient to a
successful job is the right tool - the right tool here definitely being a very
sharp knife! How important is a sharp knife? I finally
went out and bought myself one of the best: a
Henckels Pro S 5.5-Inch High Carbon Stainless Steel Boning Knife.
...Then, rotate the fish and,
starting at the top or backbone side of the fish – and using the tip of
the blade – cut through the skin and along the dorsal fin/backbone…to a
point approximately at the end/back of the dorsal fin (see Figure 2)...
If you would like the entire step-by-step instructions
on Filleting Smallmouth Bass, along with a special recipe, they can be purchased and
downloaded for
only $1.99!
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Also available, step-by-step instructions on filleting
all four of the most popular freshwater gamefish (northern
pike,
walleye, smallmouth bass and
bluegill) bundled as one
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Comments
from readers who have used these instructions:
"I just wanted to take a moment to
thank you for your article on cleaning bass. I found your article
very helpful in cleaning my first bass. (I have only cleaned
catfish before today.) The description and pictures were both
great. (W.M.)
