Planning to clean and eat your catch? Then you need a good-quality fillet knife. The blade of a fillet knife is designed to flex and make it easy to cut through fish and separate the meat from the skin and bones, making it an essential tool for any angler. We’ll walk you through some of the best fillet knives we carry and help you find the right one.
- For the longest run time on the market: Bubba Blade Electric Cordless Fillet Knife
- For consistent power: Bubba Blade Electric Corded Fillet Knife
- For a non-stick, full tang blade: Bubba Blade 7" Tapered Flex Fillet Knife
- For an all-in-one-kit: Cuda 6-Piece Knife and Sharpener Set with Case
Best Cordless Fillet Knife
Bubba Blade Electric Cordless Fillet Knife
Top features: This Bubba Blade cordless fillet knife is ergonomically designed to fit perfectly in your hand and incorporates Bubba Blade's iconic non-slip grip handle for a steady grip cut after cut. Packaged with a convenient carry/storage case and four different blade styles made from high carbon stainless-steel, this knife is a great addition to any angler's tool kit.
What makes it stand out: The included lithium ion battery has the longest run time of any electric fillet knife on the market.
Best Corded Fillet Knife
Bubba Blade Electric Corded Fillet Knife
Top features: Bubba Blade's corded fillet knife features the same ergonomic, non-slip grip as other bubba blade knives and will cut through fish like butter. The included case makes it easy to carry, store and protect your knife and the 4 different high-carbon stainless steel blades give you plenty of options for any cut.
What makes it stand out: 8 foot long cord gives you plenty of range and consistent power for cleaning your catch.
Best Fillet Knife
Bubba Blade 7" Tapered Flex Fillet Knife
Top features: Bubba Blade's 7" tapered flexfillet knife is a much-awaited addition to the Bubba Blade line up. This knife features the patented non-slip ergonomic handle and a smaller blade that makes filleting smaller pan fish and meat cutting even easier. The included sheath makes protecting your knife easy as well.
What makes it stand out: Full tang construction with a non-stick 7" Ti-Nitride coated high carbon stainless steel blade.
Best Fishing Knife Set
Cuda 6-Piece Knife & Sharpener Set with Case
Top features: Cuda's 6-piece fillet knife & sharpener set includes everything you need for bait, filleting and sharpening. With a 2.5" bait knife, 6" fillet knife, 7" wide fillet knife, 9" fillet knife, knife sharpener and a Prym1 heavy duty case, this kit gives you all the knives you need at your fingertips and a convenient way to store and sharpen them as well!
What makes it stand out: Titanium Bonded German 4116 stainless steel knives with non-slip handles and full-tang construction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fillet Knives
How to Sharpen a Fillet Knife
The best way to sharpen a fillet knife is with a sharpening stone. Hold the fillet knife at about a 20 degree angle and run the blade along the stone in one smooth motion. Flip the knife and pull along the stone in the opposite direction. Repeat these two motions until you are satisfied with the knife’s edge. Pull through knife sharpeners are also great to have on hand. While they may not be quite as effective as a whetstone, they are still great for touching up a knife edge while you’re on your boat so you can get back to cleaning your catch.
What is a Fillet Knife Used For?
Fillet knifes are used to de-skin and de-bone fish.
How to Use a Fillet Knife to Skin and Fillet a Fish
- Lay your catch on its side on a fillet table.
- Cut behind the fish’s gills and pectoral fin down to the backbone. Make sure you don’t cut through the backbone.
- Turn the blade and use the backbone as a guide to cut through the ribs towards the tail
- Turn the fish around and finish cutting the fillet off the backbone
- Turn the fish over and repeat the process
- To de-bone your fillet, carefully cut between the rib cage and the meat of the fish to separate it. You should be able to feel the knife ticking along the rib bones to make sure you are leaving as much meat on the fillet as possible.
- To de-skin your fillet, lay the fillet skin side down and insert the knife about a ½ inch from tail. Hold onto to the skin with your hand or a fork and cut between the meat and the skin at a slight angle
- Now season your fillet and cook it up!
What is a Fillet Knife?
A fillet knife is a thin, flexible knife that is typically 6” to 11” long and is used to fillet and prepare fish. The flexibility of the knife makes it easy to de-scale, skin and de-bone fish making it a necessary tool for any angler.
Wrapping Up
With all this under your belt, you should be well equipped to pick the right knife for you and keep it cutting well catch after catch for years to come. Whatever knife you choose, always pay attention when prepping your catch. Nothing ruins a day on the water faster than a trip to the emergency room.
Need More Help?
West Marine is the perfect place to get ready for your next fishing trip. We offer free line spooling and locally assorted tackle in most of our stores to gear you up for what’s biting in your area. Plus, with plenty of anglers on our crew, we have the know-how you need to get ready. Find your store here.
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