Electric knife is what I use and I filet them just like a panfish. A bit of blood but a hell of a lot faster than skinning and I don't want to pick around bones when I eat.

Looks like my father in laws pond in TN. When we visit we go to the market and get some crickets. Drive truck down to the pond with a few lawn chairs and a few beers. Attach cricket to hook on a pole and toss into the water. Wait a few minutes for a catfish or bluegill to bite it. Play with fish for a while while reeling in. remove from hook and give it a kiss ala Bill Dance and toss it back in to be caught again. When the crickets or beer runs out it's time to go.

Fresh river caught catfish, peel that skin with a pair of pliers. They don't have scales and they groan when being handled. Your kids will get a good giggle out of that.

If they will eat from your hands they are pets now and you cant keep em got to throw them back in.

HK Ag

check out the skinzit.

http://www.fishskinner.com/

Catfish war story:
During my brief career as a PI, I accepted a child custody case in the tiny town of Spencerville (salute) OH. Which has a portion of the old Erie canal running through it. I drove up there to check out the situation and ate in the towns little restaurant. I stuck out like a sore thumb but overheard the locals talking about fishing the canal. Since my surveillance post was right by the canal, I parked our van and turned on the cameras. I busted out my pole and took up position on the canal bank. Just fishing, nothing to see here! A drunk came by and told me that there was a three foot catfish in the canal near me. Sure enough, I hooked into the cat and managed to land him. One ugly bastard with several hooks in his mouth from previous battles. While I was pondering what to do with him, the drunk came back by and told me that lots of folks in town would be disappointed if I kept him. I had the drunk hold the cat while I de-hooked him and then let him go. I don't know who was happier, the drunk or the catfish.
Word of my selfless deed soon spread in town and I was able to fit right in with the locals.
I got the video footage I needed for my case. Thanks to the most respected catfish in Spencerville!

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Originally posted by Suppressed:
Is this at your house or do you have a separate property in the country? That's a neat pond!

Separate property. About 90 miles from my home. It is the 26 acres and house my grandfather grew up in.
A very special place to our family. I live the closest so I get the upkeep for the most part. Have a cousin that does the mowing so that is a big help.

Is it safe to eat fish from an enclosed body of water?

Slight thread drift:

I was stationed in Pensacola, Florida for 5 years.

The church I attended there had a fish fry one afternoon. Catfish and hush puppies.

I loaded up on the catfish but passed on the hush puppies.

I was damn near excommunicated...

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by Elk Hunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Minnow:
That is a beautiful pond! Catch a mess of those cats, don't bother skinning them, simply filet 'em. A little corn meal, some hot oil in a skillet and you will have a meal fit for a king. Or maybe fit for a a Southern boy with an appetite. Enjoy!

Yes, filet them, but also remove the skin from the filets!

We have found that once they get above 3-4 lbs, they get tough and taste kind of strong.

Layering the filets in mustard in a bowl will draw out the muddy taste. Let them sit in the fridge overnight and rinse them off with cold water before getting ready to cook them. Thoroughly dry with paper towels, then dip in beaten egg. I use corn meal, flour, salt and pepper as my coating, then throw the filets in a cast iron skillet with hot oil. Doesn't take long to fry up to a golden color on each side. Maybe a minute or two for each side. Make some coleslaw to go with it and enjoy.

Mustard? I would rather have the "muddy taste"! (I'm serious). When I fry up some, store bought, I don't know anyone with a pond that has Catfish in it, I use "Frying Magic" along with extra cornmeal, a little bit of black pepper, and a ton of Costco granulated Garlic. When I bake it (Most of the time), I use "Baking Miracle", with a lot more corn meal added than when I fry, with the same amount of pepper and garlic. It's awesome. Now I'm thinking about getting some on the way home in the morning. If you do it right, it's hard to tell the difference between baked and fried.

quote:

Originally posted by saigonsmuggler:
Is it safe to eat fish from an enclosed body of water?

What do you mean by enclosed body of water?

wow... you have a pond...