I never grew up with eating scaled bluegills. Was always told it wasn’t worth the hassle and the mess. So this winter I have been scaling a few every bucket to try it different ways since so many people say it’s so much better.
I must be doing something wrong but I haven’t taste a bit of difference so looking for some ideas on seasonings/breadings before I give up on this.
there’s a day and nite difference. Maybe using to much breading. Simple flour with salt and pepper or light coat of something like the Andy’s.
Only way I prefer Sunfish is skin on
Your title confuses me a it. Says scaled/whole Sunfish. Have you tried scaled then fillet then fry?
I generally scale then filled most but clean some whole just for me!
Maybe just try crappies. They have some meat on them. Sunfish are like eating suckers, too many bones, unless of course they are large enough to fillet and those are far and few between. Right Glenn?
Your title confuses me a it. Says scaled/whole Sunfish. Have you tried scaled then fillet then fry?
I generally scale then filled most but clean some whole just for me!
Done them two ways, gut, scale and fry whole, I have also scaled them, off the carcas and take the ribs out.
Maybe just try crappies. They have some meat on them. Sunfish are like eating suckers, too many bones, unless of course they are large enough to fillet and those are far and few between. Right Glenn?
maybe the ones you catch!!
if ya scale and then fillet no bones..and plenty of tasty goodness!!!!
i’ve cleaned a couple sunfish in my life…i gotter down!! 
Cw……when i fillet them i fillet around the ribs….leaving the rib bones attached to the carcass…much easier. 
When my dad used to scale them he never used breading of any sort. Just pan fried them and they were fantastic but this was 40 plus years ago and he also made bullheads LOL
When my dad used to scale them he never used breading of any sort. Just pan fried them and they were fantastic but this was 40 plus years ago and he also made bullheads LOL
man i wish i had a penny for every smoked bullhead i ate……or caught as a kid.
not sure what there called nowadays, we call it the scaling pail, think i seen cyclone on occasion……..but it makes really quick work of scaling them sunfish!!
I love skin on once in a great while. That extra flavor is nice when hot. However I don’t care for them cold after sitting in the fridge.
I grew up eating a lot of panfish and I don’t remember once eating crappies for sure without the skin on. Crappies usually got scaled, filleted, and baked in the oven. Bluegills got gutted, scaled, the head removed, and pan fried without being filleted. It’s been a few years since I’ve eaten fish this way – mainly because my wife and girls won’t eat it that way.
Yeah scaled skin on bluegill fillets are great. A light flour and corn breading. I never did them whole just the scaled filets. I have a conservation license because the only thing I will really keep is big bluegills for doing this. And bull heads are really good too. My grandma would get so pissed when I would show up back at the cabin with a bucket of bullheads to fry up.
We have alway ate bone in bluegills. Cut skin along fins and remove. Cut off head and tail. Open belly and remove guts. Then use a skinner.
I grew up eating bluegills this way and really prefer eating them this way. Way better taste and you get a lot more meat. Also the tails are great eating and its like a potato chip. It’s just kinda messy pulling the spine and bones out after cooking them.
Been years –
May have to save a couple to make them whole next time a catch a few. I remember as a kid seeing who could clean the bones off and keep the skeleton as complete as possible…
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