BWCA Fish to fillet percent,a whole lot goes unused Boundary Waters Fishing Forum
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03/16/2019 06:00PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Just got done cleaning ten crappies and, from whole fish to fillet, I averaged about 31% return on crappies averaging 0.4 pounds. I think walleyes would be close to that and northern pike and lake trout in the 40-50% range. I will have to do a little research. I knew this once. I think bigger fish give a higher yield. Bass are the worst return.

You think way back to when people depended on what they caught and they starved. Would have been better off cooking the whole fish. Maybe they did! A little fish head soup, anyone?
 
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yogi59weedr
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03/16/2019 06:35PM  
Love my electric filet knife.
 
yogi59weedr
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03/16/2019 08:10PM  
Why would bass be a bad yield.? Imo the larger the fish the less waste. I filet every. Waste very little. Just like my deer. I do my own butchering. Waste very little. Keep them knifes very sharp.
 
yogi59weedr
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03/16/2019 08:21PM  
Now my catfish I like them on the bone. If they get to big I just cut them in thirds or quarters. Leave the bone in. Taste better w bone in. I give most of the catfish I catch to my farmers. They love em.only fish i use tarter sauce .But I still waste very little of them
 
Savage Voyageur
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03/16/2019 08:45PM  
I get two clean fillets, two cheeks, and a Walleye wing out of every fish. The only thing left is a head, guts, skin, fins, tail and backbone. There is nothing left edible in my opinion. Even if I was starving I’m not eating anything I would normally toss in the bucket. Correction maybe the egg sack (caviar).
 
03/16/2019 09:08PM  
yogi59weedr: "Why would bass be a bad yield.? Imo the larger the fish the less waste. I filet every. Waste very little. Just like my deer. I do my own butchering. Waste very little. Keep them knifes very sharp."


Clean a two pound bass and with its big head and bone structure,the return on meat is very low. A trout with its morphological makeup you get a much higher percent of fillet from total weight. Maybe 60% plus.

Yes I do my own butchering of deer and waste zero. Mt own study-checked various years and numerous others from dressed weight on a adult deer is 34-42% meat return deboned.

Walleye for a 1.5 pound fish runs around 40%.
Next time you catch a fish,weigh it. Than fillet it and see your return.
 
03/17/2019 05:41AM  
Interesting measure of filleting. My measure involves weighing the fillets compared to the bones on my plate after eating. I target 100% boneless and often reach my goal.
 
The Great Outdoors
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03/18/2019 08:49AM  
Percentage doesn't matter when you realize that you're actually sharing the entire fish.
Seagulls, Mink, Turtles, and Eagles will finish off anything left in shallow water within a half hour or less!!! :)
 
03/18/2019 08:57AM  
The Great Outdoors: "Percentage doesn't matter when you realize that you're actually sharing the entire fish.
Seagulls, Mink, Turtles, and Eagles will finish off anything left in shallow water within a half hour or less!!! :)"


No, it is just interesting how much is edible fillet compared to the entire fish and how fish vary in structure and percent return.
 
Savage Voyageur
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03/18/2019 05:39PM  
I’m not sure what you are getting at. Even if I cooked the whole fish less the guts, I still would be not eating the fins, skin, head, backbones, ribs. Nothing worth eating gets unused in my opinion. Eagles got to eat too.
 
03/18/2019 05:54PM  
Savage Voyageur: "I’m not sure what you are getting at. Even if I cooked the whole fish less the guts, I still would be not eating the fins, skin, head, backbones, ribs. Nothing worth eating gets unused in my opinion. Eagles got to eat too. "


I won't forget a time on a sunny day on Red Rock Lake, my son caught a small northern from shore, maybe 15 inches, swallowed the hook, down in it's gut.

Managed to get the hook out without (I think) causing too much damage to the fish. After putting it back in the water, it seemed to be slowly resuscitating, slowly swimming out towards deeper water and showing signs of being able to fully recuperate.

Suddenly, my son and I are both, for a brief instance, in the shade, as a large eagle flew up from behind us, about 10 feet directly over our heads, and snatched up the northern about 25 feet from shore. Awesome sight.
 
03/18/2019 06:49PM  
johndku: "
Savage Voyageur: "I’m not sure what you are getting at. Even if I cooked the whole fish less the guts, I still would be not eating the fins, skin, head, backbones, ribs. Nothing worth eating gets unused in my opinion. Eagles got to eat too. "



I won't forget a time on a sunny day on Red Rock Lake, my son caught a small northern from shore, maybe 15 inches, swallowed the hook, down in it's gut.


Managed to get the hook out without (I think) causing too much damage to the fish. After putting it back in the water, it seemed to be slowly resuscitating, slowly swimming out towards deeper water and showing signs of being able to fully recuperate.


Suddenly, my son and I are both, for a brief instance, in the shade, as a large eagle flew up from behind us, about 10 feet directly over our heads, and snatched up the northern about 25 feet from shore. Awesome sight."


Nice site.
We have had the carcass on a rock in Quetico and a eagle comes in flying cocks his legs and snatches it of the rocks.(note,I will not leave fish remains on rocks at night or when not around camp. They are deep sixed.

 
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