flathead size

[bulldogs195461]

i probally should have included this with my knife question,but the flatty was 45cm i was trying to fillet,should i get some good fillets off one of this size.my understanding is good keepers are 45 to 55cm am i on the right track.cheers john

[aussie123]

Smaller flathead are easy to fillet.

Because there is very little meat on the rib cage you cut in behind the ribs and just remove the tail section off.

Just as you get near the end you flip the fillet over and remove the meat off the skin.

Larger flathead are worth working around the rib cage as there is a bit of meat there.

[Eug]

i'll always cut length ways down the middle to flatten the fillet, makes running the knife along the skin easier.

[Damien2Rad]

Like Eug said, I run my knife the full length of the fillet, effectively making 4 fillets per fish.

Makes it easier to bone and skin.

[fishingnut]

[Plastic King]

Run the knife from tail to head being careful when cutting through the rib section. Turn fish upside down, hold the fin and scour along the plated section back towards the head, Then behind "the ears." That should get the fillet off. Tip: leave scales on it's easier to pull the skin off as the fish is naturally slimy. Also don't forget about the cheeks on bigger lizards there are some nice oyster sized pieces there. Cut a little bit of skin away from the thick part of the fillet to get it started, then use your thumb to work the skin away. Once you can grab the skin properly pull it parallel down the fillet. Run your finger up the fillet find the last bone back from the head section and cut behind it that will give you a boneless tail fillet. Then carefully cut the ribs out scouring down either side, the top section has no bones but the bottom has about 2 running 90 degrees to the rib cage. Up to you if you wanna cut them out, but I don't bother.......I give the tails to my boys because I can be sure they have no bones. Hope this helps

Preparation is worth it.

Regards Tom