Tumble Drum Fish Scaler ???? Need opinion

[wag]

  On an average outing I'll catch (keep) about 40 to 60 bream (bluegill).  Don't fillet them ----- just scale / gut / batter and fry them.   QUESTION ???? ---- Does anyone use or own the Tumble Drum Scaler and does it do a good job on scaling bream (bluegill)?   BP shop & Cabela has them for about  $250.  OR has anyone built something simular for scaling about 50 fish at a time.   $250 A little on the high side --- but the time saved scaling fish I think it will pay for itself.   BUT ---- does it do a good job on scaling the fish?     thanks

[Bill Rensi]

Saw some fisherman in New York use one and they were sold on it!!!  Kinda messy when you clean it out but it seems to save time!!!!!

[cal okeefe]

ya my dad and i had one.. if you clean your fish whole they are awesome.. well worth the money.. if you are filleting your fish it would be a waste of hard earned money..

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

 Years ago we had a tumble scaler that you pulled behind the boat, worked ok but still had to check every fish to make shure all scales were gone, now if I want to get the scales off a lot of fish I just hook up the electric high pressure washer, it blows the scales right off them.    LOFR

[dick tabbert]

I use to think about it especially the one you pull behind the boat and when you get back to the dock all your fish are scaled so the commercial say's. Now I skin everything so much easier. 

[harald kronemeyer]

I have seen guys build there own out of metal drums and an electric motor. Looks like alot of work. Someone I know has the one from Cabelas. He says it takes while but it does a good job. I am lucky our lake has a fish cleaning station with an industrial potato peeler which works great for a scaler. They are very expensive but you can do 25 gils in about 3 minutes.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Id like to see one of these things in action. This kind of gadget always interests me.

[Mark Stine]

never seen one! I'm like Dick I skin them, always take the fillet off the bone flip it over and fillet off the skin so easy and the scales are gone.

[harald kronemeyer]

I also skin my bluegills but i always scale my Lake perch. The commercial scaler is awesome it has like sandpaper in the drum spins around with water sprying into the drum. When it opens back up in the spring I will try to do a short video to show you guys how it works. :)

[dick tabbert]

Thanks Harold that would be interesting. 

[wag]

  YES ---- thanks Harald --- I would like to see it in action also

[Lilburn Smith]

I saw one a few years back at a fish camp made out of an old clothes dryer. It worked really well. I fillet everything now. If it is too small to fillet it goes back.

[dick tabbert]

Lilburn most people now a days bypass that step. They fillet there fish and skin them much easier and less messy not to mention lots quicker. I will admit some fish taste better with there skins on example is yellow perch.