Filleting flatheads?

Hi guys i went down to deep water point for a flick around and landed some average flaties. Let them go then i thought stuff it i havent kept one for years so i did! Got it home and stuffed if i could remember how to fillet it properly. Ended up waisting heaps so i cooked the carcus up as well as there was heaps of flesh still on it, dont like waistage! Could anyone tell me the easiest way to fillet them or are they better off kept hole? Still tasted bluddy good though but if i was to keep another i would like to know how to do it right! Cheers Chris.


Posts: 48

Date Joined: 17/05/07

I've never worried about

Wed, 2007-08-08 12:16

I've never worried about filleting Flatties SPESS. All I do is chuck em in foil with some herbs, bit of garlic (not too much otherwise lose the flavor of the fish) some pepper, touch of sea salt (again, not too much) and some olive oil - bloody beautiful.

kaitan's picture

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if i could remember

Wed, 2007-08-08 12:31

i saw this on tv b4 ! lol if i'm not mistaken u cut it like a normal fish where u slide the knife through back of the fin from the top to the stomach then fillet it until u reach the tail but do not go more then that, then u take ur knife hold down the fillet(meaning fillet is bottom skin is top ) then u pulled the skin off and that shoudl come out with the bone...hope this helps

alfred's picture

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Scale, gut and steam on a

Wed, 2007-08-08 12:38

Scale, gut and steam on a bed of spring onion leaves, with some ginger, sesame oil and light soy sauce - YUM!

deefa's picture

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^    ^    ^    

Wed, 2007-08-08 12:41

^    ^    ^     ^    ^

I'll have what he's cooking!!!!
Sounds delish Alfred....
What times' dinner?

SamC's picture

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Date Joined: 30/08/06

flatty's

Wed, 2007-08-08 12:59

lay them on their stomach (as a normal flatty would sit) get your sharpest knife and start at the back of the head and run the knife as close to the backbone as possile to the tail and then do it to the other side and there u go...simple

cheers
sam

ps. deepwater point is in the canning hey spess?

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Cheers,

Sam

Jody's picture

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Date Joined: 19/04/07

Here you go Spess,

Wed, 2007-08-08 13:16


Here you go Spess, found on the internet - Sadly I have not had to fillet a larger one since Tassie (20 yrs), but this way leaves you with no bones at all.

"Turn the fish over on its back, gut the fish then from the top pectoral fin cut at an angle into the head to seperate the flesh form the inside of the head. do it both sides and the head is only held on by the backbone and the skin across the back. Break the backbine and remove the head and you are left with the tail and all the meat. Slice along the backbone down to the ribcage - don't cut through the ribs. Once past the ribs cut straight through all the way down to the tail - now the fillets are basically being held on by the ribcage.

Now the important bit - slice ALONG the ribcage top and bottom of the fish until you get to the skin - you will efectively be cutting a wedge into the fillet. Once you have reached the skin on both sides, you can grasp the fillet and pull it away from the frame. you can then skin the fillet and the result is a 'forked' fillet consisting of the tail section and the top and bottom part of the fillets. We usually seperate these into three sections (they will all be basically the same size) Perfect for crumbing or battering.

I know it's a bit fiddly and watching it done once would be worth 10,000 words, but the advantages are that you get zero bones and a significant amount more meat because you get all the flesh inside the head as well."


I do whatever the little voices tell me to do

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 TWiZTED

SPESS's picture

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Cheers for the info guys!

Wed, 2007-08-08 13:54

Cheers for the info guys!
SamC: yep in the canning
Alfred: sounds good, ill try that one
Jody: cheers for that ill try always

Thanks for all the other input, love learning about stuff i dont know when it comes to my favorite passion.........fishing. Cheers Chris.

Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!

SPESS's picture

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Oh yeah before i forget the

Wed, 2007-08-08 14:00

Oh yeah before i forget the flatties were nailing everything i through at them, Scorpin 35 in brown trout and crawdad, bass minows in watermelon and red glitter, laser pro in brown trout and finaly the old faithful malibou jigs in all sizes. Just working the deeper chanels and drop offs. Only small bream at the moment but the flatties arnt too bad.......just a heads up for anyone thats keen. Waided out knee deep just infront of the cafe thing and the bbq's, about 300m from the bridge. Cheers Chris.

Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!

metallicsharky's picture

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been that long

Wed, 2007-08-08 14:20

 its been that long i dont think id know what a flatty looked like thease days 

rickets's picture

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Was reading your

Wed, 2007-08-08 19:32

Was reading your instructions Jody, man, you lost me on the second sentence lol dammit,

I caught a flattie a month or so back, same thing, i had no fricken idea what to do.. I did end up filleting it well.. had a lot of meat... however, the ribs were still in it... :(

Jody's picture

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Date Joined: 19/04/07

Yeah, well, too many words.

Wed, 2007-08-08 20:14

Yeah, well, too many words. It's always easier to to learn when someone shows you what to do.
Just bring me a 2-3kg number, Rickets, and you can see how it's done.

Only charge you a side to get my hands dirty!


I do whatever the little voices tell me to do

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 TWiZTED

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probly best noit to killl a

Thu, 2007-08-09 05:22

probly best noit to killl a 2-3kg specimen as they are key breeders :P

SPESS's picture

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Dont get off the old subject

Thu, 2007-08-09 06:26

Dont get off the old subject there hOju, just a figure of speech. lol.

Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!

rickets's picture

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rofl... well atleast we can

Thu, 2007-08-09 09:34

rofl... well atleast we can rely on someone to look after our fishing future

lol!

Ace H0ju - Fish detective

luke george's picture

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Date Joined: 13/04/07

yep

Thu, 2007-08-09 12:46

just fillet exact same as for any other fish but lay them flat on there stomach and run your knife along each side. You can also just put them in alfoil and cook them on the bbq and each straight off the carcas

Work is just for people who havn't discovered fishing