Learn More About Cleaning Catfish
by Ron Presley
Taking good care of your catch will pay dividends in taste and quality when they hit the table.
Catfish is a popular fish for catching and eating. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are more than 7 million catfish anglers in the U.S. Many of them are catch-photo-release only while others keep only the smaller fish. As a conservation issue, CatfishNOW supports releasing the larger fish and leaving their genetic material in the gene pool.
Catfish charter captains are very likely to target trophy cats but will allow guests to keep fish below a certain weight, usually in the 10- to 15-pound range.
Regardless of your position on the conservation aspect of catfishing, they are popular for eating and are often taken home for a fish fry. Anyone who likes to catch and cook catfish can take lessons from how the commercial catfishers go about preparing the farm-raised catfish.
According to the USDA Food Inspection Service, commercially prepared catfish are cleaned, processed, and placed on ice or frozen to a temperature of 40 °F below zero. A process is used that quick-freezes individual fish.
The quick freeze method successfully preserves the taste and quality of the fish. The catfish is then sold as whole fish, steaks, fillets, strips, and nuggets, as well as marinated and breaded or precooked in frozen dinners. Individual anglers can learn from this process to keep their catch fresh and tasty.
Recreational anglers may not be able to match the processing methods described, but they can take note of how the temperature can affect the quality of the fish you cook for the dinner table. Think cool.
In an effort to educate anglers on the proper methods of cleaning catfish, the Missouri Department of Conservation is presenting a free virtual program open to the public. The offering is intended for anyone interested in learning more about cleaning catfish. The details are given in the following press release.
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JOPLIN, Mo. – Catfish can provide a tasty meal. However, before any fish fillets get put in a fryer or on a grill, anglers need to know how to properly clean these popular sport fish.
People who want to learn more about cleaning catfish should register for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) virtual program “Fish Skills: Virtual Fish Cleaning: Skin Fish (Catfish).” This free online event will be from 2:30-3 p.m. on Feb. 15. It is being put on by the staff of MDC’s Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center in Joplin.
At this program, MDC Education Administrative Assistant Tim Smith will discuss equipment and techniques needed for cleaning catfish. People can register for this program at https://mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/188970.
Though this program is free, registration is required to participate. Use the link above. Registrants must provide an e-mail, so a program link can be sent to them. This program will include a chat-based question-and-answer period where participants can interact with the presenters.
MDC’s Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center is located at 201 W. Riviera Drive. People can stay informed about upcoming programs at the Shoal Creek Center and other MDC facilities by signing up for text alerts and e-mail bulletins. People who have questions about how to sign up for text alerts from the Shoal Creek Center can call 417-629-3434.
Staff at MDC facilities across the state are holding virtual programs. A listing of these programs can be found at mdc.mo.gov/events.
