Filleting a Fish?

[Sharp Shooter]

I like to fish, not very good at it but still like to fish. I would like to start filleting the fish I catch, that is if they are bigger than the typical 6” long ones I have been pulling out. Is this an easy process? How do you gut the fish? Should I gut it right after I catch it or can I put it on ice and gut it later? Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[WNM]

Don't need to gut it to filet it. Get yourself a good filet knife (electric or manual).

Put the blade behind the fin close to the gills. Cut down until you feel the bone. Rotate blade 180 degrees so that the sharp end is towards the tail.

Cut all the way until about 2 inches left on the tail. Flip the meat over so that the skin is down and begin "skinning" the filet off of the skin. Leaving the 2 inches so that it's still attached will help tremendously.

Cut the ribs out, rinse and repeat.

this guy filets like I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukQydQT9Rrg

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Don't need to gut it to filet it. Get yourself a good filet knife (electric or manual).

Put the blade behind the fin close to the gills. Cut down until you feel the bone. Rotate blade 90 degrees so that the sharp end is towards the tail.

Cut all the way until about 2 inches left on the tail. Flip the meat over so that the skin is down and begin "skinning" the filet off of the skin. Leaving the 2 inches so that it's still attached will help tremendously.

Cut the ribs out, rinse and repeat.

this guy filets like I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukQydQT9Rrg

I corrected the 180 to 90 degrees. I usually get within 3/4 inch of smooth skin of the tail before stopping.

 

[XD-9Guy]

this guy filets like I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukQydQT9Rrg

That's fast but he's losing meat. I only know about cleaning trout because that's all I fish.

For trout split the seam of cartilage in the lower lip to cut it loose from the lower jaw. Split the fish from the wormhole up to the gills, put your thumb under the lower lip where you split it before and you can pull the guts out together that way. Pull the fins out, snap the head loose from the backbone and pull backwards with slow and steady pressure and the skin will come loose. You may have to use your thumb to help separate skin from meat in a spot if you tear it but once you've done it a time or two you'll learn how to pull it off with out tearing it up. Then you cut the meat off the bone, blade in at 90 degrees then turned towards the tail go slow until your good at it(I still suck, but I'll get there) run your blade along the back bone, then flip the fillet & cut out any ribs that you might have left in.

 

[dennishoddy]

That's fast but he's losing meat. I only know about cleaning trout because that's all I fish.

For trout split the seam of cartilage in the lower lip to cut it loose from the lower jaw. Split the fish from the wormhole up to the gills, put your thumb under the lower lip where you split it before and you can pull the guts out together that way. Pull the fins out, snap the head loose from the backbone and pull backwards with slow and steady pressure and the skin will come loose. You may have to use your thumb to help separate skin from meat in a spot if you tear it but once you've done it a time or two you'll learn how to pull it off with out tearing it up. Then you cut the meat off the bone, blade in at 90 degrees then turned towards the tail go slow until your good at it(I still suck, but I'll get there) run your blade along the back bone, then flip the fillet & cut out any ribs that you might have left in.

Thats the banana peel method! I love it.

 

[A.J.]

All I do to clean a trout is slice them open from the bunghole all the way forward till you've cut through their lower lip, then strip all the guts out, making sure to scrape the blood vein against their spine clean with your thumb, rinse in the stream and you're done. When grilled, the skin is too delicious to discard. Some diehards leave the head on when grilling. I don't. Trout are very easy to eat whole. just scrape the meat off the top with your fork till you expose all the bone, then just peel the whole ribcage out and you've just got meat left. No waste at all that way. When I grill mine, I season the whole fish, inside and out with cajun seasoning, then in a small coffee cup I mix 1 part softened butter or margarine with 3 parts mayo. Mix in about a teaspoon or so of summer savory (It's in most supermarkets), then spoon this mixture into the body cavity, put the fish in a fish or vegetable basket, and grill over medium/high heat about 7 minutes each side..yum

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Thanks for all the great info on this and thanks for the youtube link. I love youtube; it is full of helpful info. With luck i will catch some worth eating this year.