Just wondering...

[Benno1]

How much of the fish do you keep when filleting your catch???...as well as saving the fillets (of course)...do you keep the frames/skins for either stock or crab pot bait???...do you keep the wings???...the reason i ask is i told a friend that we dont buy tinned cat food anymore...our feline friend eats only our off cuts... (the bone line...belly flap...the "wings"...even the tails...hearts)...she thought i was a looney!!!;D ...the picces ive attached are what was left from Daves recent trip with a mate...he caught his first cobia...we filleted the catch at our mates place...i asked for all the bone lines etc...i ended up with 40 odd packets of "cat food" :P

Mrs Benno1

[mik01]

yeah I keep the frames for the crab pots - don't waste anything.

unless I smoke the fish whole of course. but when filleted, the rest is reused

[disorderly]

Bugger the cat Mrs Benno...

We often smoke the wings and throats...make a big vat of stock from the frames and freeze the heads for crab bait...but there is always plenty left to bury in the garden so our dog can dig it up and roll in it a week or so later after it gets really putrid....oh how our little red heeler bitch just loves that.....:-/;D.

Scott

[ronnien]

the frames turn into muddies, only the skin finds its way into the bin.

ron.

[Leighton]

My dog gets the Blood line and pin bones, he loves them.
Depending on what type of fish as to weather I keep the frames for crab bait

[Scott nthQld]

Nothing gets wasted here, unless my freezer is overflowing, then I might ditch a few frames over the side on my next trip. But saying that, everything usually gets re-used somewhere down the line, as crab bait, minced up for burley, chook food (they love the gut). Which reminds me, I might drop a few crab pots over the side this weekend, frames are starting to build up on me again.

[Benno1]

thanks for the replies boys/girls...we give the frames to a mate that turns them into muddies as well Ronnie...he's promised me a big buck but i am yet to see one :(...i just find it easy to collect all the extras whilst we are filleting...keeping the cat out of the frame bucket is the fun part...cheeky minx tried to rack off with a whole coral trout last week :P

Mrs Benno1

[2manylures]

keeping the cat out of the frame bucket is the fun part...cheeky minx tried to rack off with a whole coral trout last week :P

Mrs Benno1

Mrs B1, You may need to borrow Mr Disorderly's Red Heeler Bitch if minxy keeps up this sort of carry-on ;) ;D :o

[Nic]

We often smoke the wings and throats...make a big vat of stock from the frames and freeze the heads for crab bait...
Scott

We save the frames for crab bait too, but often we have more than we need (perhaps we just need to go crabbing more often!) I have never tried making my own fish stock. Can you recommend any good ways to cook with it?

[Benno1]

lol i just might have to do that 2many :P...its all good tho our cat probably wouldnt eat tinned cat food now...oh well we'll just take it out for berley our next trip (whenever that it is)...its pretty windy here atm :(

Mrs Benno1

[nautical prince]

Blender and send em back as berley!!!!

[Benno1]

ive never done that Nautical...ill give it a go after our next trip thanks :D

Mrs Benno1

[baitwaster]

I rarely fillet a fish, just gut em and scale em and cook the buggers whole. I spend a lot of time havin a chew because I suck every little bit of flesh out of the frames etc. The dog gets some roe if he is really lucky

[Benno1]

we leave our coral trout whole as well ...and you sound like me when it comes to eating it :P...not even the cheek meat is safe :D

Mrs Benno1

[madman1]

My chickens can demolish a mackeral frame in minutes. Great eggs the next day.

Cheers

Mark

[Shagga]

I keep the frames for crabbing.

[Cammy]

I cook my fish whole in the oven pretty much all the time, or on the barby if it doesnt fit in the oven. Dogs and the cat usually get some bones, skin goes to my fish or the turtles, it all works out!

Cam

[trueblue]

scraps are minced up for burley, or used as crab bait

[fish-n-dive]

I sometimes use the leftovers for crab bait but I sometimes mince everything (except scales) up 33600 and then put it all into a clean calico/muslin cloth, tie it up and throw it into a pot of water to make a mouthwatering fish stock. This method seems to taste much richer than just throwing the frames in the pot..... not really sure why but it does.

[disorderly]

We save the frames for crab bait too, but often we have more than we need (perhaps we just need to go crabbing more often!) I have never tried making my own fish stock. Can you recommend any good ways to cook with it?

Hmmm...I guess I could take all the credit for the lovely creamy,rich Seafood chowders our family likes to indulge in,but I wont and to be fair the stock gives it a great flavor and my missus is a damn fine cook as well....:)( in fact a much better cook than I am a fisherman :'().

[bugman]

Benno,

Why go to all the trouble?

You could just use the moggy as crab bait:o

Brett

[Nic]

Ah, I was waiting for someone to make the old 'cat as crab bait' joke, I was starting to think nobody would step up to the plate! ;) I don't mind cats myself, apart from the 'gifts' of dead mice or rats on the doormat.

[Benno1]

LOL...you beat me to it Nic :P...and as far as the "gifts" are concerned...i feed those to very thankful magpie/butcher birds...job done :D

Mrs Benno1

[Blackjenny]

Mrs Benno
You are making me jealous. If only I caught that many fish!!!
Usually I am like you and baitwaster getting every last morsel and even the skin. ::)

The cats do sometimes get a bit of Blackjack's leftovers. As for the dog, Toby, well he just likes to have an occasional fish head to carry about the yard and throw about. :D

fish_n_dive I wonder if your success with the fish stock is due to the breaking of the bones and therefore release of extra flavours. That'd be my bet. I am going to try your idea too. Thanks.

Great to hear people use every part in such thoughtful and creative ways.
Cheers guys,

[Benno1]

Jenny the weather here atm is a bit crappy so we hav'nt been out in a while...Dave is getting withdrawal symtoms...first thing in the mornings (5.30am on a work day) its PERFECT...he bungs on a cough...babe call in for me :P...then the weekend hits it turns up the wind:(...this Sunday is looking good our way tho...probably do an early morn till mid ervo trip...fingers crossed for good weather and fish :D

yeah Ausfishers i appreciate the posts... :D

Mrs Benno1

[bugman]

What makes you think I was joking;)

[webby]

Wont find too many furry creatures in our estate:-X
and just for you Mr Bugman ;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D

[Blackjenny]

Wont find too many furry creatures in our estate:-X
and just for you Mr Bugman ;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D

"Cat owner upset by seemingly callous crab catchers." :'(

Good luck Mrs Benno with the fishing. 8-)

[Nic]

It's all quite cute really, the 'feline crab bait' blokes are often the same guys who love the old joke of "take the fillet of [insert mediocre tablefish], put in frypan with [insert random liquor], when nicely warmed throw away the fish and drink the liquor." Or variations thereof.

Ah, they can always be relied upon, bless 'em. ;)

Blackjenny I hadn't heard of breaking bones when making stock, I'll try that after our next trip.

Mrs Benno, hope the weather is good for you this weekend! :)

[scoota]

Got to admit, I have two very spoilt cats who have been threatened several times with the "cage of crustaceans" but use one of their lives to sliver their way back into the good books and won't accept anything but the finest of flesh!

Personally, I fillet leaving the skin on for freezing and wing all the quality fish and snip all the fins off with the wiz snips. Give my Kiwi mate the heads for his consumption which I won't go into.:o
The frames are crab bait or give them to my mum which she cooks up for her and the old boy! They love their fish along with the fillets I give them, all the wings are for them as well and sucking the frames dry, they certainly get there Omega's and very healthy for nudging eighty;D

Scoota...

[Benno1]

thanks ladies...might just head out to the channel markers and throw slugs around for some mackies...we've got a wedding on Saturday night...see how we go hey :D...ill be the wobbly Ausfisher if you see me...give us a wave :P

ill definately be using the blender after this next trip :D

Mrs Benno1

[Chong]

Good post Mrs Benno,
here is a link to post i did a few years back on filleting snapper - Cheech and Chong's Charters (thanks steve MR AF for getting it up and running):
http://www.ausfish.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1146979667
Waste not Want not
Cheers,
Chong

[Benno1]

Thanks Chong for the cracking read and pics...fantastic fish by the way :D
Im always trying to improve my filleting...keep the flesh wastage to a bare minimum...used to do it all myself but now Dave helps out (then passes it over when he gets stuck :P )...your blue handled thick bladed knife is that a "Dick"...those ones made in Germany???...we have one of those...ive also got my Jarvis walker and a small array of cheaper (but no less valued) filleting/skinning knives...thanks again Chong i appreciate your input :D

Mrs Benno1

[Chong]

'Hey no worries Mrs B,
not sure of the make on that blade, got it from my buthcher, comes in very handy for the big chop;) i'll check it out.
Cheers