Skinning and Filleting Catfish

Step 6 Remove head and guts

Locate the line you'd previously scored around the head for skinning, and cut through using a big knife. If the vertebrae are too thick to cut through with the knife, cut through everything else then bend the head back against the body until the vertebrae separate. You can then get your knife between the vertebrae, and cut through any remaining neural or connective tissues to remove the head.
Once the head is gone, cut a slit along the belly of the fish all the way back to the anal fin at the rear of the stomach cavity. Scoop out all of the suspicious bits and pile them with the head. Try not to puncture the guts, as this will make more of a stinky mess. Give the fish a rinse to make sure you got it all.

What to do with the head and guts? You can bury them under some deserving plants in your yard, though make sure to dig deep enough to keep racoons from unearthing them. If you live near an appropriate ocean, you can use the heads to bait your crab traps. Minus the bitter-tasting gills and washed free of residual guts, the heads can be used in making fish stock. Freeze the (cleaned and prepared) head in a dated bag until you're next ready to make stock.