rib meat on panfish

How many of you spend the time to get the rib meat off of panfish fillets? My grandpa always included the rib meat in the fillet and thus i always have as well, but talking with friends it seems none of them spend the time doing it.

I cut through the ribs and down to the tail, flip it over and take the skin off like everyone else. Then i take the fillet with the cut ribs facing up, then i cut down through the fillet to the board. Then i flip the fillet over so the cut rib side is down, i use my fingers to flatten the ribs then i fillet off the rib meat. Not a ton there, but it definitely isn’t nothing.

I basically do. I don’t cut the ribs off though. I keep the ribs on the fish and fillet over them. Unless the fish is quite small i usually end up with rib meat.

I cut down the back and through the tail leaving the small end portion of the tail. Then I RIP the fillet off the ribs. It takes almost all if that meat from the ribs and belly.

I use to, but don’t bother anymore. It really doesn’t amount to much, Even on larger fish.

Nah just the back straps and the tails.

yes, rib meat is there on my fillets

slipperybob wrote:

yes, rib meat is there on my fillets

same here

suzuki wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>slipperybob wrote:</div>
yes, rib meat is there on my fillets

same here

mine too!!!!!!! plus my sunfish are scaled!!!!!!!!

It may not amount to much, but it is something. Along with that the thin strip of meat along the ribs tends to crisp up nicely and be pretty tasty to eat. I try to keep as much as I can!

I like mine scaled and filleting them around the rib bones is real easy once you learn how to fillet fish.

I find myself sharpening at least once during a filet session. I use cheap knives that have great dexterity. But sharp is a must for mastering the fine art of a perfect 7′ Gill filet! After that all filets are easy!

Always try to save as much as possible including the rib meat. It does crisp up and my wife likes it as well, so I save it.

I save the rib meat. Not doing it just feels wrong to me – if I kill it, I attempt to utilize it.

That’s the way I was taught to fillet so that’s how I still do it. I guess I never really considered there was a different way.

The old timers I learned from could clean a 6 inch bluegill like a surgeon. The only difference is that I skin mine. I couldn’t keep scaling them. I prefer to skin them.

fishthumper wrote:

I use to, but don’t bother anymore. It really doesn’t amount to much, Even on larger fish.

I disagree. I think you can get quite a bit off the ribs if you know how too do it correctly. Thus I take the rib meat.

I also think it’s a waste. When you do it correctly and lay it side by side with a fish that hasn’t been filleted to save the rib meat there is a difference.

rib gone. I cut all the little bones out. dont want the grandkids to not like fish.

eyeguy54 wrote:

rib gone. I cut all the little bones out. dont want the grandkids to not like fish.

Not a bone in mine. All of the pin bones are gone and rib meat is still there.

I always go around the rib cage and get as much as I can. I notice there is more meat around the ribs on a good sized gill than there is a good sized crappie though. Regarding perch, it seems like the fatter they are form eggs, the less meat there is on the lower half of the ribs and belly. It seems like I get as much meat off a 9in male than a 11in in female (this doesnt hold true for North Dakota perch, they are just thick all around)

I was always taught to fillet the fish with rib meat. When I was young my dad instilled in me if you caught or killed something, you not only ate it, but you did it for food.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I cut down the back and through the tail leaving the small end portion of the tail. Then I RIP the fillet off the ribs. It takes almost all if that meat from the ribs and belly.

This is my standard for gills. It’s exactly how my Grandpa tough me. If they’re thicker I’ll get the rib meat. Gills in some lakes, it’s just not there. For Crappie and Perch, there’s always more rib meat.

I’m not doing surgery on a panfish. The just take the backstraps and tail.

Over the last 10-15 years I’ve realized I’ve become the cantankerous old fart…

Dad and I have filleted our share of pan fish but we came to like the scaled whole fish. The bone in the fish does something to the flavor and the ONLY time they are ever skinned is in the winter cleaning them at the kitchen sink. FM and FW do not like scales on the walls and well, everywhere.

The skin adds a certain flavor that make a panfish a panfish. Of course once scaled, they have to be scraped too and that means more time an effort.

To me it seems like such a waste to fillet them and take the skin off. Much like folks now a day only take the breast out of ducks and geese. The back meat isn’t much but it is the most moist and tender.

I didn’t grow up during the great depression but my folks did and they didn’t have a lot of money when they first were married. They taught me their ways of not wasting anything. They were taken back when they found out the FW opened a new ketchup bottle before the old one was gone.

Back to fish. I know of one walleye guide that fillets his fish for his customers then takes the backbone with what most people toss out, home. His family hasn’t eaten fillets in years. They fry up the back bone with attached tail and feast on what would normally be wasted.

But it’s to each their own.

I don’t keep many sunfish and those that do come home with me are those I’ve had to kill to get off the hook. Those aren’t many since I use nothing but plastic. Sorry, but I don’t keep the rib meat on the sunnies. On crappies it depends on the time of year. Summer, fall and early winter crappie have a lot of fat on the skins so the rib meat is not saved. Late winter and early spring the fat is usually gone from the rib areas and if the fish has enough size I’ll fillet in a way to keep the rib meat. Perch are filleted like a walleye with rib meat reserved.

Save the rib meat on everything if I’m getting dirty I might as well get it all

Try cutting the ribs out and smoking them…..

Imagine yourself being 1 inch tall and they will eat like Brontosaurus ribs….

Or just cut the back and tail out and toss the ribs, your dad grampa or God wont strike you down and you wont run the risk of choking to death.

wormdunker wrote:

Try cutting the ribs out and smoking them…..

Imagine yourself being 1 inch tall and they will eat like Brontosaurus ribs….

Or just cut the back and tail out and toss the ribs, your dad grampa or god wont strike you down and you wont run the risk of choking to death.

God should be capitalized.

And Jesus fished. He’d also be OK.

Timmy wrote:

I save the rib meat. Not doing it just feels wrong to me – if I kill it, I attempt to utilize it.

Me too. It’s not hard to do.

I’m not going call guys that don’t “lazy,” but it’s kinda lazy not to.

I don’t take the rib meat on any of my fish. If there are any contaminants in the meat that is where they are stored. If you eat fish often, this should be a concern…especially river fish.

sticker wrote:

I don’t take the rib meat on any of my fish. If there are any contaminants in the meat that is where they are stored. If you eat fish often, this should be a concern…especially river fish.

I’ve heard the belly meat argument… but rib meat? this is a first. If you have time, please post the article or website to support this claim. I always like to learn new things, Thanks