[Guest]

Our bait and fillet knives are worthless and we want to invest in something that will not only last, but do the job! What do you recommend? We use shrimp, mullet and pin fish for bait....and need to fillet black and red drum, bluefish, trout, etc. please give us your recommendations!!

 

[mossers]

Our bait and fillet knives are worthless and we want to invest in something that will not only last, but do the job! What do you recommend? We use shrimp, mullet and pin fish for bait....and need to fillet black and red drum, bluefish, trout, etc. please give us your recommendations!!

Dexter Russel

 

[js1172]

I have 2 rapala 4.5" fillet knives that I use, not only for fishing but also for skinning deer, quartering them and slicing the venison, they don't hold the edge great but are easy to resharpen
js

 

[markedwards]

Normark folding fillet knife is a nice bait knife
7 inch dexter russell fillet knife will handle your filleting duties

 

[Jollymon]

Bubba blades, there's a model to fit your needs and fit any budgets

 

[John Smith_inFL]

X2 on any of the Dexters

I saw this 6" model used to filet a big drum on youtube and it looked awesome.
only eleven bucks on the RestaurantSupply.com website... wood or plastic handle.

Edit: my bait knives are wal-mart kitchen paring knives. they are disposable LOL
so there are no tears if I loose one. When I am done with it, I just leave it on the dock for someone else.
My Dexter filet knives, on the other hand, are a bit pricey - and worth every penny.

 

[BigWillJ]

Ditto the Dexter Russell fillet knives for whatever you catch.
My bait knives are another story, from inexpensive new ones sold as bait knives, to used knives which have been ground down, resharpened, and sold at fishing shows or tackle shops. I treat my bait knives poorly. You might say they are worthless, but they get the job done at a low cost with little maintenance.

 

[Ronald H Levine]

I bought this $100 WUSTHOF fillet knife at a WUSTHOF seminar and talked to the manufacturer's representative.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Fillet-Knife-by-WUSTHOF/747131.uts?T PHOTO CONTEST!

I'm very much into knives and sharpening. The quality of steel makes a huge difference.

The manufacturer's representative told me that this knife uses the exact same steel, so it's a good way to get top quality at a low cost:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/W-sthof-Pro-Elite-Fillet-Kit/2323636.uts?

I bought many. It's the best fillet knife and at a great price especially with the sharpener and sheath also both of extraordinary quality. It should be understood that the best steel for cutting and edge holding requires greater care as it's high carbon content somewhat compromises corrosion resistance compared to lower carbon stainless, so rinse, dry and give it a film of cooking oil.

I also own several Dexter Russell fillet knives mainly for their longer length also excellent quality though softer steel and needing more frequent touchups in sharpness. That's not a bad thing as you should be prepared to keep your knives sharp anyway.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/W-sthof-Pro-Elite-Fillet-Kit/2323636.uts?

 

[spydermn]

I used to fall for the Rapala knives but now DR are my favorites. Like Ronald said, they take a little more maintenance but I also love my knives to be razor blades with handles so I am ok with that.

As for bait knives I like a cheap ceramic knife. They never rust and usually don't break if you drop them on the sand. Pranks are another story but whatever

 

[spydermn]

I am intrigued by bubba blades but cannot find out if they are hype or not

 

[Ronald H Levine]

Intriguing is a good word for them since they have uniqueness in designs. I just looked again at the different ones. They mated the solid grip of a hunting knife handle to a fillet knife which seems odd, but perhaps a good idea for those who fillet as a full time job. I tend to think of a fillet knife as all about finesse and feel for sliding the blade along the bones rather than forcefulness needed with a good grip particularly since sharpness and blade flexibility are very important traditional fillet knife characteristics. I have 7, 8 & 9" fillet knives, but should I want a 12" then the good grip of more like a hunting knife handle makes sense. I've never tried any of the Bubba knives, so let's hear from any here who have.

 

[pmcdaniel]

I looked into the Bubba blades when looking for a filet knife and read a lot of bad reviews about the smaller blades not holding up. The larger blades for the big fish seem to perform better based on the reviews I have read. The wife ended up getting me a 9 inch Rapala and I've been pretty happy with it. It's gotten a lot of usage over the past couple of years and no signs of rust or chips and still very sharp. I've found myself going right through the backbone on some smaller fish without even feeling the resistance. I'm sure there are better blades out there but for the price it works great. I also have a white handled Rapala bait knife and it has held up to all kinds of abuse.

 

[Sandcrab]

Check out your local thrift store - you'd be surprised on what you will find. Had my fillet knife 15 years and only cost me $1...

Sandcrab

 

[Reelturner]

Dexter Russell 5" bread knife will melt a fish head in short order easily For bait, the serrated edge cuts so good.

 

[IPNURWATER]

Dexter. Btw the new field and stream in Greenbrier has had the fillet version with holder half off now for the past few weeks. Was 30ish now 15ish.

 

[OldBay]

$12 Dexter for filleting. $3 blue handled scissors for bait.

 

[barrettb]

Dexter Russell is good value. Look into victorinox swibo - It keeps an amazing edge. Get you a 1x30 belt sander and leather honing strop belt for all knives. For your purpose, a 6 inch knife will do well. Do not use your nice fillet knife for bait, you need 2 separate knives. Tackle shops sell resharpened knives that work well for bait.

 

[barrettb]

Ditto the $3 blue handle scissors

 

[bassnut]

I got one of the Bubba blades. For a $50 dollar fillet knife, I was extremely disappointed. I have the 7" flex and the edges chipped when filleting out some puppy drum. I was able to grind them out but they returned. The sheath is horrible and the handle is not that comfortable for filleting. I'll stick to my wood handle rapala until I can try a dexter russel.

 

[Carolina Rebel]

Dexter Russell is the universal fillet knife, can't go wrong and not too pricey either.

My bait knife is the same Kershaw Skyline that I carry daily. Edge touches up easily, and the smell after the trip is over is a nice reminder of better days.