How To Gut A Catfish - And Skin It At The Same Time - Take Me Fishing

Skip to main content BlogMarch 2019

How to Gut a Catfish - And Skin It At the Same Time

Follow these quick and easy detailed instructions on how to gut a catfish while simultaneously skinning it, and the result will be delicious table fare.

An acquaintance called recently, and when he said he had a fish question I thought it would be how to fish for something-or-other or where to get a fishing license. Nope.

My daughter caught a catfish today,” he said, “and she wanted to keep it. I’ve never cleaned one of these, so I’m wondering how to gut a catfish.

It turned out that his daughter had actually caught a bullhead, one of the smaller species in the catfish family, and a fine-tasting one, especially when taken from cool water in spring.

I told him that you don’t exactly gut a catfish as you might a perch, bluegill, or small trout that will be pan-fried. That is, you don’t just take a knife to a catfish’s belly and remove the entrails (that would be catfish gutting) because doing so makes it much harder (almost impossible) to effectively remove the thin and slippery skin of the catfish. You have to remove that skin, as well as the head, in the initial cleaning process, and you can’t just later slice a catfish’s skin away from a fillet. If you ever try this once, you’ll never do it again. Or, you’ll never keep a catfish again and that would be a shame, since they’re delicious.

Therefore, the question of how to gut a catfish becomes one of how to properly clean a catfish. The solution is pretty simple and begins with a whole fish that has not been cut in any way. Before you start, remember that a catfish has sharp pectoral fins that you don’t want puncturing your skin, so it’s a good idea to wear a glove on the hand that will be holding your catfish.

Here’s the process for neatly skinning and eviscerating bullheads and small catfish (assuming that you’re right-handed):

1. Hold the fish back up and belly down with the thumb, index, and middle fingers of your left hand pinning the pectoral fins.
2. With a sharp knife, make a shallow cut of the skin around the entire head of the fish, as well as along the backbone from the dorsal fin to the adipose fin.
3. Using a pair of pliers (or catfish skin grippers), grab the skin at the back behind the head and pull it to the tail. Do this on both sides.
4. Still holding the head in your left hand, grab the body just behind the head with your right hand; bend the head down to break the backbone.
5. Pull the head away from the fish, pulling down and back toward the tail. This will remove the skin and the entrails in one process.
6. Cut the tail off if desired and rinse the fish in clean water.

That’s how to gut a catfish and remove the skin in one process. Once you’ve done a few it becomes quick and easy. And after eating them, you’ll want to catch and keep more. Don’t forget to get a fishing license before you go!

How to | Fishing | Catfish Ken Schultz Ken Schultz was a longtime staff writer for Field & Stream magazine and is the former Fishing Editor of ESPNoutdoors.com. He’s written and photographed nineteen books on sportfishing topics, plus an annual fishing tips calendar, and his writing has appeared on various websites for more than two decades. His author website is kenschultz.com Popular Posts Blog / Andy Whitcomb Why Buy a Fishing License Early and Other License Questions Apr 21, 2025 Blog / Jeff Bogle Tips for Fishing With Your Dog Apr 16, 2025 Blog / Andy Whitcomb Think about Layering for Fishing Apr 14, 2025 Blog / Ken Schultz A Guide to Seasonal Fishing Licenses, and Other License Matters Apr 09, 2025 Blog / Jeff Bogle Tips For Spring Bird Watching and Fishing Apr 07, 2025 Blog / Jeff Bogle How to Make Fishing Fun with Kid-Friendly Fishing Activities Apr 04, 2025 Blog / Debbie Hanson Why Fishing for Mental Health is More Important Than You Might Think Apr 03, 2025 Blog / Debbie Hanson 5 Important Ways Fishing and Conservation Go Hand-In-Hand Apr 02, 2025 Do you like this content? Subscribe to our free Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing adventure.

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get fishing tips, boating resources, and personal stories from passionate anglers. Learn new skills, discover conservation tips, and more! Please complete the following to subscribe to our newsletter.

First Name (Required) Last Name Email (Required) State (Required) --- Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Subscribe to our Newsletter Subscribe to our Promotions You must click the checkbox above to continue.

Download this Resource

To download this free resource, please fill out the form below:

Email Choose industry --- State or Government Agency Fishing/Boating Media Other Sign up to receive NewsWaves Newsletter Submit