Cutting necks!
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Kitchen - Seafood Recipes
Forum Description: Share your favourite seafood recipes here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133262
Printed Date: 31 May 2026 at 1:58pm
Topic: Cutting necks!
Posted By: MB
Subject: Cutting necks!
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2020 at 9:07am
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No, it hasn't got that bad in the MB household! I'm talking about cutting between the pelvic fins on snapper for gutting/gilling, the fish equivalent of the sternum. It can be quite tough on bigger fish. I don't use my filleting knife for this job. Scissors do a good job of the soft tissues, but struggle with the hard stuff. Secateurs are good at getting through the bone, but can't do soft tissues. I often end up using a large kitchen knife and brute force! Any suggestions?
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Replies:
Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2020 at 9:46am
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Axe or electric knife ------------- Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56 |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2020 at 10:00am
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We gut at sea.. Solid bait knives with edge around 30deg. Cut lower gulls (bleed out) Slip knife in at poo hole slide up to the sternum.. The end of the knife Well up towards the top of the scull and more lever thru the sternum than cut thru. Nic out the top gull attachment and the whole gut comes out. Bait knives are pams $5 pairing knives.. and have a larger Pams (new world brand) smaller carving knife if more leverage is required. If using filleting knife, because levering thru rather than trying to slice , doesn't damage the working edge close to the knife handle. Also my Filleting knives , the Main blade part is honed to around 30 deg for hard work stuff, and from just before the end curve to the tip is around 22 deg, for more fine scalpel type cuts in skin and meat. Tried the scettors.. needs a good pair , they get expensive and do not like salt.. Same sort of goes with kitchen 'chicken bone scissors.. Cheaper will very soon snap.. the more expensive last longer and again prone to rust and loose the cutting edge very quick.. Went back to pams knives few yrs back now.. quick sharpen and crc after ever trip... and are cheap if bounce out of the knife holders over board, each side of the bait board.. |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2020 at 10:55am
| Thanks. I'm going to have a hunt round the house for an old, robust knife that I can sharpen up for this job. |
Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2020 at 11:23am
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I hadn't gutted fish for a long time until recently. when I gutted a few whole fish a few months back I figured there had to be a better way. Use to do as steps described but getting the gills out was tiresome. What I have done with the last 6 or so fish is to cut through the gill slit as per normal. Then where the gills connect up by the throat of the fish I cut through that. Makes it easy to then rip them out and the gut mostly comes with it. I'll be doing a few more that way as I have been giving away the frames and heads with gut and gills attached and I think I can be kinder. I use a small not so flexible knife - one of those little Wasabi knives you see for $10 on tackle shop counters. I think the key to doing this right is a small sharp rigid knife.
------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2020 at 11:54am
I'm in the same boat. This is for freefishheads, yeah, I know, I'm a saint  I do the same, pull on the gills and the gut comes out in one piece more or less.
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Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 9:13am
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gill slit as per normal. Then where the gills connect up by the throat
of the fish I cut through that. Makes it easy to then rip them out and
the gut mostly comes with it. Yep far better described than what I did. Usually the top gill doesnt cut as easy.. need that sharp scalpel knife edge on the top end of the knife. If at least cut cut most of it, fore finger around the top of the gill,middle a finger down the throat into stomach and rest of the fingers sort of go around the gut as it comes out, all comes out quite clean. Never assume the fish is 'dead' when rinsing the gut over the side of the boat.. Everyone sometime will loose a nice fish in its last throws of a flap....once |
Posted By: OuttaHere
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 9:36am
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Arguably the "proper" tool for the job would be a Deba. Japanese fish knife. Looks like a chef's knife but usually has a single edge, and the spine is close to 10mm thick at the bolster so it has some real heft. Fillet with the front half of the knife, use the grunty heel for chopping through boney bits. Japanese use them for "breaking down" a fish as opposed to just filleting them. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 9:52am
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Yep pretty much like a pams carving knife for bigger fish and the paring knife for bait and smaller fish.. snaps to about 45cm. The "grunty heel" is a good description.. with 30 deg edge And not $100 to bounce of the bait board on a unexpected wave..  |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 9:58am
| What about something serrated to "saw" through the bone. Something that won't need sharpening? |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 10:14am
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Nah I tried that once a bread knife.. got thrown aside before even got thru the breast bone. A good solid knife.. long enough to put thru the poo hole, edge side up.. slide to the breast bone with the tip right up on the skull, and simply lift hard.. the blade is at a steep angle to the breast bone, so as lift it 'slides' down the blade. Bigger fish bigger knife.. mainly so can get the distance from bottom of breast bone to the skull. Sharpening .. well dont have to be too fussy.. the 30 deg means edge doesnt break off easy. Its like going to cut gum or manuka with a chainsaw, steep 30 deg for the hard wood...pine 22 deg.. If use 22 deg then the blade will only last a couple cuts on the hard wood. If use the 30 deg on the pine , takes smaller cuts and therefore goes thru the log a little slower. On a cheap knife its not worth the time or effort to use a stone or strop.. a drag thru is all you need.. and maybe finish with a roller ceramic if fussy.. The saw edge.. Well you are onto something there as well. These cheap stainless , sort stay sharp knives do so because of the cheap stainless where the carbon and impurity crystals in the alloy are larger than normal. On a microscopic level , as you use the edge, these fall out of the edge making it serrated.. and when they fall out they leave broken glass like serrated edge, which is like a microscopic saw. I dont use these knives for filleting unless filleting a KY or something for bait on the bait board. My good knives are left at home stored in a block.. 2 for visitors , my 2 for me only.. and the cast cleaver for what ever |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 10:49am
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This has got to be worth a go for $6. https://www.bunnings.co.nz/craftright-jab-saw-150mm_p5710163%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.bunnings.co.nz/craftright-jab-saw-150mm_p5710163
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Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 10:56am
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Yeah.. got to give it a go to find out. If doesnt work a job around the hose will come up and will be useful.. even if 10 yrs from now  Recon needs to be a good solid blade with weight and good handle that doesnt bend regardless what the blade is. |
Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 12:28pm
Still reckon try the wifes electric knife,cuts through necks,bones,easily Just dont use her blender to make berley. ------------- Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56 |
Posted By: kitno
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 12:45pm
| After a few threads a while ago about knife sharpening I bought a Lansky sharpener about a month ago. Now with time on my hands, I've worked my way through the kitchen knives. It took a bit of practice but I'm finally able put a decent edge on them. Worth the money in my opinion. |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 12:53pm
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PJC - I'm sure you're right, but we don't have an electric knife and I don't want to buy one for this one purpose. kitno - Knife sharpening! I've found the holy grail after years of trying different things and that's the Warthog system. If the Lansky works for you, that's awesome. I got OK results, but didn't enjoy using it.
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Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 1:16pm
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Mb have tried using the wifes electric beater to remove scales??Thats fun as well. The electric knife was $5 at an op shop.amazing what you can find,but lockdown ruined that.
------------- Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56 |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 1:28pm
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No, but the redneck in me wants to do this (2nd clip is more impressive). Hmmm, we do like skin-on snapper fillets!
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Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 2:04pm
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Only can imagine bruised flesh ------------- Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56 |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 11 Apr 2020 at 2:20pm
| True! Back to the drawing board... |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 12 Apr 2020 at 9:10am
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Only can imagine bruised flesh
True! Back to the drawing board... And this is where /I think why imagine, or assume? Do it and actually find out. Its like me smoking fish, and so much other stuff, fully filleted and scaled , around 40/45 deg 4 to 6 hrs I was told , as turned out by ppl who had been told, it will dry out. So I do it and find out. Now this has be thinking.. the video does it real quick and nozzle is real close.. just what sort of pressure is needed on good sized fish.. and how to limit the mess ? |
Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 12 Apr 2020 at 10:46am
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and how to limit the mess That crossed my mind to "steps" but blasting a fish with fresh water?? Might give it a go if I remember what a fish looks like. ------------- Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56 |