How To Video On Cleaning Largemouth And Smallmouth Bass

[bassmasterclassic]

Here is a video I made on YouTube for people looking to learn how to clean a largemouth or smallmouth bass. Has a neat trick to it at the end, make it easy for steaming. Hope you like it.

[BASSclary]

Your bass has diarrhea. LOL

[Lund Explorer]

I'm afraid I can have two skinned and boneless fillets in the same time it took you to cut off all the fins.

[bassmasterclassic]

The method of cleaning is for steaming Bass, my favorite way to eat them now. It is slow but It also takes longer in the video because you have to be in an awkward position for the camera to get the shot. Also, I too explore with a Lund, Just bought a 1750 Tyee with a 150 Mercury and 9.9 kicker and of course the I pilot trolling motor.

[Coosa]

Wait, you guys don't cook them whole? I've been cooking them whole ever since I was a youngin.

[Lund Explorer]

The method of cleaning is for steaming Bass, my favorite way to eat them now. It is slow but It also takes longer in the video because you have to be in an awkward position for the camera to get the shot. Also, I too explore with a Lund, Just bought a 1750 Tyee with a 150 Mercury and 9.9 kicker and of course the I pilot trolling motor.

The only fish that I have tried to so-call steam with the skin on was a trout. Gut and gill, stuff the cavity with lemon quarters, wrap in foil, and thrown in the grill. As the fish heats up, the lemon juice produces steam that puts the flavor throughout the entire fish.

With a bass, I like to skin them so I can cut out that dark latteral mud line. IMO it improves the taste way more than anything I could pour over or steam into them.

My Lund is a 1675 with a 60hp four stroke. Can't go very fast, but no need for a kicker!

[bassmasterclassic]

Thats not steaming, steaming is cooking with water vapor. You place a large pot of water on your stove with a grate on top, bring the water to a boil and place the fish on the grate. The vapor will rise and slow cook the fish to perfection. Of course you place lemons and/or spices inside the fish before doing so, it's actually really good. It's not the only way to eat a bass but it's a good way in my opinion. I bet it's nice to not need a kicker, only upgraded my motor cause I fish in a few small tourney's here and am in a local league.

[unionman]

Dude get a fillet knife...lol. I couldnt take the music.

[Catch N Release]

LET THEM GO !

and have the guy at the fish store clean ya fish for ya

[NBR]

On a fishing trip if I can't catch a walleye, pike or crappie for dinner I will occasionally clean a bass for the table. I will have the fish fileted, skinned and in the pan, oven, steamer or on the grill by the time you get the fins off. Mine will have neither bones nor a bunch of scales left in the cooker or in my mouth. I hate to say this but on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being low and 10 great - this video didn't score.

["Lunker Hunter"]

LET THEM GO !

and have the guy at the fish store clean ya fish for ya

X2

[slonezp]

You need a sharp knife. I was waiting for you to cut your fingers off. If you're going to pursue cleaning fish as a youtube sensation, might I suggest you make different videos on fileting, scaling, gutting different types of fish etc.

Never tried steamed fish. What kind of rack do you use. Sounds tasty if you stuff it with onions, red potatos, lemon, salt and pepper. Maybe some butter?

[Phish]

I'm sure as hell not going to pretend bass make great table fare. I've had plenty and I have to bread and fry the bejesus out of it, and douse it in seasoning or hot sauce just so you can taste "something." I tried broiled and baked, and that will prove to you they're just dull and soft, one of the worst I've had. Maybe this steaming technique brings out the natural flavor better?

Regarding the video - looks like some wasted meat in the tail end and near the head. Never had steamed fish so maybe it's necessary to "fillet" them your way. I'd like to try it though because frying can't be healthy at all.

Don't mean to preach and ramble on but to be clear I prefer catch and release. However, a few times a year bass get kept. Gut hooked / dying fish never get wasted if I think they're definitely not going to make it. IMHO once bass get to about 1.5#s the meat starts getting mushy and tasteless. Definitely not the great firm, flaky white meat like on perch and walleye. All pan fish are much better too, including rock bass. Pike are chewy and just awkward IMO.

[Silas]

I don't mean to be mean, just commenting for safety.

That had to be the worst use of a chef's knife that I have ever seen. I surely expected you to cut yourself as soon as you place the tip in the anal opening and sliced upward TOWARD your hand! Good thing you only had ONE fish. On the third fish, you would have surely cut yourself.

And all the fin cutting was just extraneous, irrelevant motion. At least you wouldn't cut yourself doing that.

I would suggest to invest in an electric knife, and the whole process would be over in 15-30 seconds and you wouldn't have to go to the hospital.

Great song: "Country Boys Will Survive" But if you keep cleaning bass like this, you'll end up in the hospital.

But....it certainly was a "gutsy" way to do it!

[bayouXpress]

entertaining to say the least.