3 Keys to Selecting Your Next Electric Fillet Knife

Anglers skilled with electric knives can typically fillet fish much faster compared to making cuts with a traditional blade. (Bubba Blade/)

We all admire the angler who can dress out gamefish with a few slices of a sharp knife. That’s the mark of a fisherman who has paid his dues on the water, becoming skilled with a blade only because he has been so successful with a rod. But there are some things that are just made easier by modern technology, and cleaning fish is one of them. You don’t have to retire the trusty traditional knife, but when you’ve got a whole stringer of panfish or a cooler full of bony characters like sheepshead to contend with, you’ll be glad to have the power of an electric filet knife for getting the job done with maximum efficiency.

Cordless

A cordless electric fillet knife makes a tedious job much easier. (Rapala/)

Practically every corded power tool these days has a cordless counterpart threatening to make it obsolete. Lithium-ion batteries have become so powerful that it's hard to justify buying something with a cord, and electric filet knives have finally entered that market in force. Purely in terms of convenience, a cordless knife can't be beat.

Corded

The nice thing about a corded fillet knife is you don’t have to worry about dead batteries. (American Angler/)

That said, the one key thing a cordless tool can't do is stay at full power full time. When cordless batteries wear down, a corded tool can just keep on trucking. If you don't mind the hassle of the cord, then a corded fillet knife may be the way forward.

Multiple Blades

Electric fillet knives are useful for more tasks than simply filleting fish. (Bubba Blade/)

Regardless of your power source choice, favor knives sold with multiple interchangeable blades. Different widths, lengths, and flex characteristics allow you to tackle the widest range of tasks even beyond preparing gamefish, such as processing venison, elk, and wild hogs.