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What is your idea of the best fillet knife?

Hollow ground, thin and flexible...

As far as non custom knives the old rapala knives are hard to beat but the one above looks much nicer.

Sharp is my number one criteria. I can make any knife work if it is sharp. Find one that has the flexibility you like. . which means trying a few. I like a moderate flex, nothing near the flex above. I have a bunch of Rapala's mainly because they are cheap - even cheaper second hand, which means you can have several knives to get you through a pile of fish, rather than having to stop and resharpen. Blade length probably 7" or less, unless you are filleting large pike, salmon, or ocean fish. Rapala's have a softer steel, which probably dulls more quickly, but is easier to sharpen. Buck has a harder steel, lasts a bit longer, but takes more effort to sharpen. Shrade ad Browning seem to be in the middle.

Hope this helps - and may you have many fish to test knives on!

Black & Decker from Walmart.

Lots of commercial guys use Dexter Russell knives. I think that'll be my next filet knife. LINK

I have a number of the Dexter Russells and like them very much.

Easy to sharpen and can get a razor edge.

I have used a Chicago cutlery for a lot of years, has worked well for me.

Knives of alaska, made in texas Great product

https://www.knivesofalaska.com/item.asp?id=26

My son and our fishing partner each have a Cutco that I really like. I do want to take this opportunity to state that the worst thing to ever happen to fish cleaning was the invention of the electric knife.

Never used one but I've seen too much meat wasted with people using an electric knife and just zipping down the fish. But I don't know if it's the knife or people just being careless.

Personally I know how to keep a Rapalla sharp and don't keep enough fish to take the time to plug in or maintain an electric knife. Think I'd like to try a Dexter Russell knife though.

Electrics have their place. They're a whole lot better for filleting catfish, for example. The very thick rib bones on a catfish require one to either tediously cut around them with a regular knife, or zip through with an electric. Meat loss is lessened with practice - with ANY kind of knife.

Some folks use an electric to gut thru the ribs, then a real knife to remove the ribs from the filet. Me - I can't stand the electrics. No feel - which is what filleting is about.

Doing a half a dozen salmon I'll use my browning filet knife, just the right amount of spine for me and stays sharp fairly well.

But if I were to move back down south and need to do 150 crappie at once with a manual filet knife, I'd never have another fish fry so help me. Electric knives are a godsend for panfish IMO. With practice you can do just as good a job 3 times as fast with an electric.

Fish waste isn't limited to the electric knife crowd either, you ought to see some of the salmon carcasses during peak run down on the Kenai where nobody has ever heard of an electric.

I have used electric knives for over 35 years without a problem on Bluegills, crappies, bass, trout, striper's, pickerel, & cats. Use a fillet knife to cut the gill bones out. Like any knife there are good ones & bad. Use a Rapala with several different blades.

I do a lot of Walleyes, and perch each year.



Grandson with his first limit..




Box of 50 perch..





For the quick work, I use the American Angler Electric..



For the finish work on Walleyes I use the Buck folder..




I like them both a lot.

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