Posts Tagged ‘cleaning’
It’s happened to us all: we’re at the lake or campsite and we get into something stinky, and all of our sure-fire at-home methods for getting the smell off our hands are, well, at home. (And how many of us REALLY always bring a lemon fishing with us?)
Here’s the easiest way to get a smell out of your skin (if it’s from fish, PowerBait, or some other unmentionable thing you touched!)
Use a Wonder Bar! These stainless steel “soaps” work with just plain water and, through enough rubbing, will remove odors.
I recommend the Wonder Bar because it floats. And if you’re kneeling at a lake and drop it… well, you want it back!
I carry my Wonder Bar in my purse and have for years. It’s hollow so it doesn’t weigh anything. And it’s perfect for not only smelly things out in the wilderness but also when you shake hands with someone who is wearing too much perfume or lotion. I’ve also used it when I got gas on my hands, after pulling weeds, or handling anything that I didn’t want to have my skin smell like.
The only thing I don’t like is that it can take a lot of rubbing. But the harder and faster you rub the quicker the smells go away.
Of course, you can always just rub your hands in a metal wash basin but um, gross! Especially a PUBLIC wash basin! And it’s very difficult to get between your fingers or the back of your hands.
And, there’s a big advantage of a Wonder Bar since it’s a bit difficult to rub a knee cap or elbow in the sink! Then, just keep rubbing until the smell is gone, rinsing with clean water between rubs or letting water run over the bar as you scrub.
(Links are Amazon.com affiliate links)
Unlike trout and most pan fish, you can’t really use the super easy 4 Step Fish Cleaning Process.
Because catfish have no scales, you usually remove the skin when you’re cleaning them. As I discovered with The Queen Mother’s Cataract Lake catfish, removing the skin is easier said than done.
(Take my word for it on THAT one!)
After trying to ‘intelligently’ write up the process, I found a great 5-step process from Iowa Department of Natural Resources that I’ll share with you. (The pictures are theirs as well!)
Materials needed: a sharp knife, pliers, fillet glove, and firm surface.
Step 1. Grip the head tightly with the pectoral fins tucked between the fingers. Slit the skin along the backbone from just behind the head to the dorsal fin. Cut the skin on either side of the dorsal fin.
Step 2. With a firm hold on the head, grasp the skin with the pliers and pull toward the tail fin to remove.
Step 3. Grasp the head with one hand and the body with the other. Bend the head downward to break the backbone. Remove the head.
Step 4. Slit the belly and remove the internal organs.
Step 5. (Optional) Cut along both sides of the dorsal and anal fins and use the pliers to remove.
Readers Weigh In:
- Is this how YOU clean catfish?
- Do you have a better/easier way to get catfish ready to cook?
