# Fish Cleaning Table



## john warren

mines made out of 2x8 redwood planks. it sits behind my garage with a waterline run to it wirh a short hunk of hose. the faucett just above table high. its about four feet long with a backsplash and a large funnel of sheetmetal at the end over a garbage can.
if i were to build it and didn't have the free redwood i started out with i would probably buy the plastic decking material they sell . no rot , easy to clean, and not too hard on your knives.


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## chuckinduck

Priority1 said:


> Ralph, Do you remember Mark that cleaned fish at Keerl's Korner?? I run into him Cleaning fish @ Manistee this past August. He always stays in a little camper trailer right on site.


There was time in my life when I thought I could clean fish pretty fast. Then I watched him clean salmon, my ego took a little bit of a hit that day. LOL.


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## wally-eye

Find an old bathroom vanity with top/sink. One with a bigger side on one side of the sink.......you can plumb it to a hose AND have a drain into a bucket etc.....friend had one for years and years. Just hosed it off when done and it set outside for years and years.......surprising how easy and cheap it was. Found it at a garage sale for $5. Had the cabinet, sink/top and faucet.....top was all chipped but the dead fish don't care.......

Just a tip.......


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## Ralph Smith

wally-eye said:


> Find an old bathroom vanity with top/sink. One with a bigger side on one side of the sink.......you can plumb it to a hose AND have a drain into a bucket etc.....friend had one for years and years. Just hosed it off when done and it set outside for years and years.......surprising how easy and cheap it was. Found it at a garage sale for $5. Had the cabinet, sink/top and faucet.....top was all chipped but the dead fish don't care.......
> 
> Just a tip.......


Great Idea !


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## tdejong302

I like the idea of having nail holes to help hold the fish. I may try that. 

I use a piece of formica left over from putting in sinks. (the piece that you cut out). The draw back is you have to keep it inside or it will erode. 

A cheap permanant outside solution is plexiglass. It won't dull you knives like most wooden materials. Cleans easy and doesn't breakdown like wood.


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## DangerDan

I use an old construction table. (the kit type) I drains nicely and has held up well over the years. The fish stay put while cleaning and it rinses quickly between fish. I cover it with a cheap old vinyl table cloth when not in use and just change them out when they wear out. Seems to work well for me.


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## msuchodo

Mine is made from an old painted realestate sign that holds up ok, only recommendation I can add is that I installed 2 jaw clamps on each corner and cut a whole to push out guts into a 5 gallon bucket. oh, and build it tall enough that you dont have to bend over - easier on the old back


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## mkroulik

I just ran accross this in the last cabelas ad I got. Looks like a decent table, and may give you some ideas.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t.../search-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

Mike


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## QuakrTrakr

mkroulik said:


> I just ran accross this in the last cabelas ad I got. Looks like a decent table, and may give you some ideas.
> 
> http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t.../search-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> Mike


That might be good for small fish, but try to fit a salmon or a steelhead on it!


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## mkroulik

I posted it more for it's features. I like the hole in it to hold the trash bag, and the fact that the cutting boards are removeable. 

Mike


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## gooseboy

QuakrTrakr said:


> I just used a sheet of plywood and stained the heck out of it. Framed it with 2x4's. I made it big enough so 2 guys can clean easily. I put stainless bolts sticking up through it to hold the fish by the eye socket, and a vertical 2x4 with bicycle hooks to hold a hose sprayer and a worklight (for those late night cleaning sessions). I may put a cover over it this year. I have a bunch of shingles just laying around.


The bolts for the eye sockets is a way cool idea, thanks


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## QuakrTrakr

gooseboy said:


> The bolts for the eye sockets is a way cool idea, thanks


Yeah, it works sweet. It even holds the slimiest lake trout in place. I took some pix and I'll post them later.


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## QuakrTrakr

Here's a picture of mine. I don't have the light mounted in this picture though. I also have a portable version that's basically a 1"x10"x4' with the bolt through it that I carry everywhere I go. You never know when you need to clean fish! :lol:


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## Trophy Specialist

Priority1 said:


> Ralph, Do you remember Mark that cleaned fish at Keerl's Korner?? I run into him Cleaning fish @ Manistee this past August. He always stays in a little camper trailer right on site.


Mark cleans fish the same way Jay does. Jay is now at Ludington in late summer. Both of those guys used to clean fish at Rogers City and other locations. They are both about equal and the best I've seen at cleaning salmon (and I've seen a lot). They have a board with a nail sticking through it. The head of the fish is impaled by the nail while the meat and skin is filleted off the back bone and ribs with a 6 Chicago Cutlery Boning knife. They do not cut through the ribs. They then jab a small hole with the knife through the tail end of each fillet. With the skin down the nail is put through the hole they poked and they skin the fillet using both hands using bread knife with a square tip. The two handed skinning technique with the nail holding the fillet in place makes precise removal of the dark meat along the skin possible. They also remove the mud line too. Ive timed Jay before and it only took him less than 30 seconds to completely fillet and skin a king. 

I have a combination fish-cleaning-table/shooting-bench in my back yard. I made it 19 years ago out of treated lumber. The table surface is finished with two part clear coat. Its under my deck and theres a light over it and the hose is right there too. I also have a two part clear coat finished piece of plywood that I use to clean fish on at some locations.


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## Ralph Smith

Trophy Specialist said:


> Mark cleans fish the same way Jay does. Jay is now at Ludington in late summer. Both of those guys used to clean fish at Rogers City and other locations. They are both about equal and the best I've seen at cleaning salmon (and I've seen a lot). They have a board with a nail sticking through it. The head of the fish is impaled by the nail while the meat and skin is filleted off the back bone and ribs with a 6 Chicago Cutlery Boning knife. They do not cut through the ribs. They then jab a small hole with the knife through the tail end of each fillet. With the skin down the nail is put through the hole they poked and they skin the fillet using both hands using bread knife with a square tip. The two handed skinning technique with the nail holding the fillet in place makes precise removal of the dark meat along the skin possible. They also remove the mud line too. Ive timed Jay before and it only took him less than 30 seconds to completely fillet and skin a king.
> 
> I have a combination fish-cleaning-table/shooting-bench in my back yard. I made it 19 years ago out of treated lumber. The table surface is finished with two part clear coat. Its under my deck and theres a light over it and the hose is right there too. I also have a two part clear coat finished piece of plywood that I use to clean fish on at some locations.



Yep, had a nail at each end, just grab the tail and slap head down on other nail when lift off first one to start other side. I like the bread knife idea, works good. Thought of trying a cheese cutter.:16suspect


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