| Your children waited all day for you to come | | | | to apply slight pressure. Holding the tail will be |
| home from work. They behaved like angels for | | | | useful when applying this cleaning technique. After |
| the babysitter, so you took them fishing as | | | | removing all scales from both sides of the fish, |
| promised. Limits of panfish were filled and now | | | | you are ready to move on to the next step. |
| you are wondering, "how do I clean these things?" | | | | 3. Removing the head is done by inserting the |
| No fretting necessary. Just follow the basic steps | | | | blade of your knife into the fish directly behind the |
| of panfish cleaning and the task will be done in no | | | | gill fins and cutting through to the other side. This |
| time. | | | | will need to be done on both sides of the fish if |
| To begin with, you'll want to gather some items | | | | the head is not removed with the first cut. Once |
| from the house or garage. These items are basic | | | | the head has been removed you are almost done |
| tools that will easily accomplish the job. The items | | | | cleaning the first fish. |
| you will want to have on hand consist of: | | | | 4. Removing the intestines out of the fish can be |
| newspaper, large soup spoon, knife with 4-5" | | | | done by inserting the knife blade into the belly of |
| blade and a bag or something of that nature to | | | | the fish at the base of the tail. After the knife is |
| place intestinal material into. After you have | | | | inserted, follow the bellies full length with the tip of |
| gathered these items, you are set to begin | | | | the knife. The fish should spread open enough for |
| cleaning your panfish. | | | | intestinal removal to be done at this point. |
| There are two ways to clean the fish. The | | | | 5. The last step in cleaning and preparing the fish, |
| instructions following will apply to "scaling" the fish. | | | | is the cleansing. The fish are cleansed by rinsing |
| This form of cleaning is used when planning to | | | | under cool water. Cool water is used to cut down |
| cook the fish whole with head removed. Be | | | | on the sliminess of the fish. |
| aware that the bones will still be intact and they | | | | You have now successfully cleaned your first |
| are not meant to be consumed when cooking fish | | | | batch of fish. |
| in this manner. | | | | Last but not least, a little information in regards to |
| 1. Lay the fish on a solid surface that has been | | | | the fish material that was removed. Fish parts |
| covered with newspaper or a cutting board. If | | | | can be buried in gardens or disposed of by way |
| using a cutting board, remember to clean the | | | | of normal garbage removal. There is a positive to |
| board with hot, soapy water or bleach spray | | | | garden burial and a negative. Plenty of nutrients |
| when finished. | | | | will be added to your garden soil as the material |
| 2. Using the metal, large soup spoon, begin | | | | breaks down if buried. The negative, neighborhood |
| scraping the fish from the tail to the head. This | | | | cats and dogs may find the urge to dig in your |
| motion will remove the fish scales. You may need | | | | garden nearly uncontrollable. |