Fish processing

[boon]

Nothing worse than offering to do the filleting and someone hands you a glorified butter knife. I've started taking my good knives with me on trips as well... always slightly worried I'll accidentally try to take one through airport security one day.

[Bill B]

Last year not all of us could get same day service, no big deal for me Im 2 hours from San Diego and retired.  So i had my wife come pick me up with a couple ice chests in the car.  I loaded 150 pounds of whole fish and as we drove home we stopped off at a couple friends houses and filleted a couple fish to order for each.  When we got home the real work began as we processed the remaining fish.  My processing bill was still $400, but we got fresh fish until we could make it back to SD for pick up.  Bill

[ExcessiveAngler]

While we're on the subject!
Is there any good knife sharpening thresds here?
I'm the guy with the glorified butter knife, and cannot sharpen a knife to save my life!
I have some stones here, but have no idea how to use them correctly anyway lol!
I always use one of those pull through sharpeners with those small white ceramic hone bars on the sides or the one that has a handle that you flip upside down with two tiny metal bars!
Think it's made by Smith's?
My buddy always can get his knife sharp as hell, but I cannot, and it's annoying the crap out of me!

[Midway Tommy]

There are better ways to get a razor edge but I use a Gatco carbide edgemate to start with and finish up with a good steel to remove the tiny burrs. Only takes about 5 minutes to be able to shave my arm and that's plenty sharp enough to fillet a fish.

[Brewcrafter]

While we're on the subject!
Is there any good knife sharpening thresds here?
I'm the guy with the glorified butter knife, and cannot sharpen a knife to save my life!
I have some stones here, but have no idea how to use them correctly anyway lol!
I always use one of those pull through sharpeners with those small white ceramic hone bars on the sides or the one that has a handle that you flip upside down with two tiny metal bars!
Think it's made by Smith's?
My buddy always can get his knife sharp as hell, but I cannot, and it's annoying the crap out of me!

This was a topic a few months ago on the weekend Zoom, and at the advice of a couple participants I purchased a Lanski system.  And saw a big improvement in my edges.  Reasons being: A good succession of sequential grit stones, and B: more importantly a jig to insure even, consistent angles for the edges.
Sure, I had all the stones before, but truthfully unless you are somebody that does it everyday, holding a consistent even angle over an entire sharpening session while "freehanding" is a skill that I was just "OK" at, but being dead accurate lends a whole new level of edge.  I was surprised the first time to see how far out of true my blades were - I ended up spending as much as 45 minutes on each knife.  Now that the edges are trued up again, a quick "touch up" goes quickly.  And - don't forget using a steel.  A quick proper hit prior to use helps to extend and prolong edge sharpness.  Emphasis on "quick" and "proper". - john

[Bill B]

Im with John. For many years I worked in the produce business and knives were parts of my daily tool package.  I was able to use the meat departments 3 stone sharpener and could shave with my knives.  33 years later my skills have regressed to the point that I can make any sharp knife into a butter knife.  In comes the Lanski and now I can shave again.  Also get a good quality steel or hone.  Bill

[Crab Pot]

I pay to have the crew on the boat loin out the tuna, save the belly's, and save the collars.

For Yellowtail I have them slab it and save the collars.

About $100 for a good trip.

My boat normally gets in between 5-6pm and I have a seven-nine hour drive after that. Depends on LA traffic which always sucks.

I take the bags, throw them in another plastic bag, buy ice at the landing for ridiculous prices (but it saves time so I pay it), and throw everything in the ice chests for the ride home.

Normally get home around 3-4am. Shower, kiss the dog, pat the wife, and hit the rack. I normally get up around 1pm and my kitchen turns into a processing plant.

Four Tylenol, many beers, and 2-3 hours later I'm done and don't want to see fish let alone catch any for a few weeks.

Had a buddy last year pay $900+ for processing, $150 for a hotel, and he swears he'll never do that again. But he always does!

All I can say is if you do your own don't go cheap on the vacuum sealer. (see my signature)

[Jim Fujitani]

Years ago, I fileted and packaged 5 albacore in the shade of central valley summer sun.  It took a 2-3 hours and I swore I would never do that again.  I also learned that I don't like albacore that much (as opposed to YT,YFT, or BFT).

The fish processing companies have experienced cutters, vacuum packing systems, and ice, so that I don't have to bring fish back and do the processing myself, outside in the central valley heat (no way my wife would allow me to process any large fish inside the kitchen).

[Donnyboat]

Safe way to sharpen a knife with a steel, if you use your right hand to do the stroking, place the steel in your left hand, have the steel, on a right angle from you left hand, now lock  that arm dont move it, now with the knife in your right hand, do not move your elbow, just pivot your wrist, just short stokes, with the knife if you elbows & arms are locked, you have no other choice but short strokes, that way there is know chance, of cutting the back of your thumb or wrist on your left hand, just take your time, it will become natural after a while, cheers Don.

[Bill B]

Don I find it safest to push the end of the steel into a cutting board and hone the blade downward toward the cutting board.  Bill

[Donnyboat]

Thanks Bill, your idea is possibly the safest, but i believe, the steel starts of with a point, & gets wider towards the handle, so it is designed to be stroked towards the handle, as long as you lock your left hand & wrist, & only move your wrist on the right hand, it is very safe, keep both elbows still, cheers Don.

[reelynew]

Is there any good knife sharpening thresds here?

I use the Wicked Edge system and have been really happy with it.  There are so many of these type of sharpeners, which hold your stone at a specific angle.  Lanski is good too.  Wicked Edge is having a sale right now but, they will always give you a discount for

Current & former U.S. military
First responders including law enforcement, fire, and EMS

Check them out at https://wickededgeusa.com/