How to Clean Whiting Quickly (Southern Kingfish)

LittleDrummerBoy

Senior Member
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
That's the only way I've ever known to fillet fish? I do every fish I catch just like that, except for small mountain trout, flounder, flathead catfish, and gar.

Whiting are delicious, one of my favorite saltwater fish for frying.
 

LittleDrummerBoy

Senior Member
That's the only way I've ever known to fillet fish? I do every fish I catch just like that, except for small mountain trout, flounder, flathead catfish, and gar.

Whiting are delicious, one of my favorite saltwater fish for frying.

Yep. Most of the saltwater fish we catch are bigger drum and redfish which also require a different technique, along with bigger catfish. For the bigger stuff, we stay outside the ribs when removing the fillet from the backbone.

Gar are a whole different deal.
 

Scallen2112

Senior Member
Love whiting! And they are super easy to fillet. (they just don't freeze well) Slot reds are fairly easy as well. A big sheepshead can be a chore, but the ones I just don't like filleting (ironically the ones I fillet the most) are those darn speckled trout. The skin is just too thin and it can be a headache to take the fillet off the skin without cutting through it.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Yep. Most of the saltwater fish we catch are bigger drum and redfish which also require a different technique, along with bigger catfish. For the bigger stuff, we stay outside the ribs when removing the fillet from the backbone.

Gar are a whole different deal.

Yeah, with redfish and those heavy ribs they have, I come in from the top over the ribcage. Flatheads have a different bone structure from channels and blues, and have to be approached differently.
 

boatbuilder

Senior Member
Love whiting! And they are super easy to fillet. (they just don't freeze well) Slot reds are fairly easy as well. A big sheepshead can be a chore, but the ones I just don't like filleting (ironically the ones I fillet the most) are those darn speckled trout. The skin is just too thin and it can be a headache to take the fillet off the skin without cutting through it.

ever try to fillet a mess of trout with no ice?

It is hard to fillet a sea trout that was not iced first.
 

sea trout

2021 Turkey Challenge Winner 2022 biggest turkey ?
Man them whiting are delicious I wish I had some right now!!
That red drum in the back looks huge!!!
 

Scallen2112

Senior Member
ever try to fillet a mess of trout with no ice?

It is hard to fillet a sea trout that was not iced first.

the first step in filleting any fish is to get them ice cold

Until we moved to the coast, I never used to ice my fish. I always kept them alive in the well, but saltwater fish don't seem to last in a live-well. I've been filleting bass, crappie, and various sunfish for decades while they are still flopping around. But all of them have thicker skins and larger scales that keeps the skin together while striking the fillet. Those specks are good eating, though, and they freeze well, so I put up with filleting them.
 
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