Quote:
Originally Posted by swglenn
To clean larger gars drive a spike angled down into a post and cut the head of the spike off. The spike should be high enough to keep the gar off the ground. Hang the gar head down impaled on the spike. Remember Vlad the Impaler? Then use a hatchet to cut the back fin off starting at the tail end and going down towards the head. This should leave a strip about 3/4"-1" wide without scales. Starting in this skinned strip use a skinning knife and begin skinning going around the sides and down towards the head. When the skin is pulled back you can cut out the fillets like a deer backstrap and never dull your knife trying to cut through the scales.
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Ditto, or you can use a 2 X 12 with a big nail in it with the head cut off. Set the gar on the board with the hole on the nail to prevent it from sliding.
I grab the top fin fartherest to the tail with pliers and use a machette or hatchet and chop your way to the head, leaving a 1 or 2 inch gap without scales. I have seen people use tin snips to cut the scales also.
Then cut the meat off the cartlage bone in the center. Cut red meat off rinse good and set in a cooler of ice water.