How to Fillet a Crappie Like Jeremy Lawyer

When it comes to cleaning crappie, many anglers think they’ve got it down: cut the meat off, toss it in a bowl, and fire up the grease. But if you’ve ever eaten a crappie fillet that felt mushy, fishy, or just didn’t fry up right, it probably wasn’t the fish’s fault… it was the fillet job.

Pro angler Jeremy Lawyer has cleaned thousands of crappie over the years, and he’s dialed in a system that not only keeps the meat in top shape but gets the most out of every bite. From how you handle the fish after the catch to the angle of your blade on that final trim, Lawyer’s method is efficient, clean, and all about flavor.

Here’s how to fillet a crappie the right way, Jeremy Lawyer style!

Start Smart: Why Ice Is Everything

Jeremy Lawyer doesn’t play around when it comes to handling crappie after they come out of the water. One of his biggest pet peeves? Seeing folks put care into icing the fish down, only to let the fillets warm up on the table.

Crappie meat is delicate. If it sits in a bowl at room temperature or worse, in warm water, it starts to soften immediately. That soft texture doesn’t fry up as nicely, and the shelf life in the fridge or freezer goes downhill fast.

Here’s how Jeremy handles it:

He keeps a cooler close by when he’s filleting. Inside that cooler, there’s a bowl or bag filled with ice and just a touch of water, enough to make an ice slurry. The moment a fillet is cut off the fish, it goes straight into that ice bath. No time wasted.

This keeps the meat firm, cold, and blood-free, giving you the best starting point for either cooking right away or storing it for later.

The Fillet Cut: Precision Over Power

Most anglers stop after they cut off the main fillet. But according to Lawyer, that means leaving the best bite on the table.

After you’ve removed the fillet, you’ve still got a chance to grab that thin strip of meat that sits just behind the ribs on the inside of the fillet. Jeremy calls it the “tater chip”; it’s paper-thin and crisps up beautifully when fried. That one extra bite? That’s the one he’s grabbing first every time.

Here’s the move:

1. Take your sharp fillet knife.
   

2. Flip the fillet so the skin side is down.
   

3. Hold the ribcage edge away from you and run your blade right along the ribs to remove that last little layer.

You’re left with a bonus bite that has the perfect ratio of meat to crisp when it hits hot oil. It takes a few seconds, but it’s worth it every single time.

The Right Order: Belly-Side First

Most anglers don’t give much thought to which side of the fish faces them when they start filleting. But if you’re cleaning a cooler full of crappie, the way you orient that fish makes a huge difference.

Jeremy suggests always starting with the belly side of the fish facing you for the first fillet. This does two things:

• It gives you better control and visibility when you’re making that first cut.
  

• When you flip the fish to the other side, the thicker part of the meat now faces you, and that means more contact with the table, more stability, and a smoother final cut.

This simple habit makes the process faster and cleaner, especially when you’re filleting a pile of fish after a good day on the water.

Final Touches: Clean, Cold, and Ready to Cook

Once you’ve trimmed every fillet and grabbed those crispy tater chips, the job’s not quite done.

Every fillet, no matter how perfect, should go straight back into that ice bath. This final step helps wash off any remaining blood, firms the meat up even more, and keeps it in prime condition until you’re ready to cook or freeze.

Whether you’re throwing them in cornmeal, panko, or frying them straight, cold fillets will always give you a better texture and flavor.

Master the Routine, Not Just the Cut

Learning how to fillet a crappie isn’t just about the knife work; it’s about the whole routine. Jeremy Lawyer’s system proves that with a few simple habits, like keeping the fillets cold, cutting with precision, and orienting the fish the right way, you can turn a pile of crappie into restaurant-quality fillets.

The next time you’re at the cleaning table, slow down a little. Take your time with each cut, flip that fillet for the bonus bite, and don’t let that meat get warm. It’s the kind of detail that separates average fillets from ones that make your buddies ask, “Man, what’d you do different this time?”

Now you’ve got the answer!