Throughout the Mid Atlantic states, catfish are a common catch. Catfish are popular as a food fish as they yield lean, boneless fillets.
Most anglers consider catfish as good table fare, although some fish can become strong during the summer months. The simplest way to clean catfish is to remove the skin and then remove the fillets.
The following images show how to skin and fillet catfish step-by-step. These techniques can be used to clean channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, white catfish, bullheads, and others.
Begin by washing the fish and laying it flat on the work surface.
Begin by making an angled cut behind the head.
Next, carefully cut along the top flank back to the tail.
Repeat the process along the underside.
Cut the skin back to the tail.
Using pliers, carefully pull the skin from the head back towards the tail.
Continue pulling the skin away from the meat.
Once the skin has been removed, the fillet can be cut from the body.
The finished fillets should be rinsed and chilled immediately.