Well, how would you go about cutting up a largemouth or a smallmouth to get the worthwhile meat off of them to eat? My friend let me keep a 4 pound largemouth he caught today and I know there has got to be a bit of meat on it somewhere...

I'm not sure how everyone else does it or if this is the right way, but I take a butter knife to get the scales off then lay the fish down and cut around the head thru the meat not all the way thru then I start from where i cut and work the fillet knife thru to the tail.

i start at the rail and run the knife up against the back bone to the fin. then i cut that off, that's the fillet. then lay that skin side down and hold onto one end of it and press your knife on it hard and cut the skin off.

the only bones in what you have now are ribs. i cut them off of the fillet. just follow around the rib cage with a knife. i keep the ribs, it's a good peice of meat, you just have to pick through bones.

i also keep the middle part of the fish. it's bony, but there's plenty of meat there. i hope you have a good sharp fillet knife. it's hard to saw through the bones on a bigger bass with a dull knife. you might have to use a serated knife for that part.

Start by skinning the fish or scaling.  Gut it and cut the head off, stuff it with mushed crab meat and celery, yellow peppers, and bake it. now that's a tasty treat.

Have fun getting those scales off first, thats the worst part.

if you fillet, you bypass the scaling step alltogether!  that is the beauty of it; easier to clean AND eat.

An electric fillet knife is one of the best purchases I ever made.

i don't like fooling with fish i can't fillet. i fillet any fish i clean except for trout.

fillet is the only way to go u can get a electric fillet knife at walmart for around 25 30 bucks

How would I clean a bass?? I guess maybe a toothbrush? facecloth? Hmmmm

I couldnt kill a bass thats one of the things that kills the part of the sport

Dont hurt bass, they are our friends!!!

I do keep bass on occasion for a fine meal.  I impose a slot size when I do this between 14-16".

I fillet all fish, can't stand those nasty bones & I hate picking around them if the fish is not filleted.

I start my fillet by making an incision around the gills from back to belly, your almost making a U with the cut.  Then i run the blade from the incision on top of the back down the spine.  I flip the fillet over and where the meat is still attached to the fish (by the tail) I run the blade to remove the skin.  Then i cut out the ribs and do the other side.  This is the most efficient way I have found.  If you would like further details just email me.  I hate to see waste on fish/game when being dressed improperly.

TritonMan:  That mushed crab isn't road killed is it?  Otherwise that sounds or at least reads delicious.    

Not road kill, even though that would work too ;D

stuffed bass it is yummy. When I tournament fish, if there are dead fish, I may keep those. They work perfect for dinners

i would suggest a little oldspice body wash but dont use a loffa itll take the scum off them :

WHEN YOU PUT THEM BACK IN THE WATER THEY WILL BE CLEAN.........DUH!!!!!!

yea right,... To clean a fish you must first hold it in the EXACT body of water it was caught in within 5 minutes of capture.

Next,...Grip firmly by the tail with 4 fingers, no more, no less

Hold in place for 2 minutes and he will be clean.