- After having caught some fish, get a good sharpened filet knife and a flat table or board.
- Flatten the fish out on the board and make a slit through
the belly of the fish, from just under the jaw down past the
anal fin.
- Lay the fish flat and cut across the body just behind the
head. Cut down to the backbone but be careful not to cut through
it. When your blade hits the bone, turn it sideways and cut
toward the tail, following the slit in the belly and cutting
as close to the backbone as possible.
- Follow the backbone to the tail, stopping the cut without
cutting through the skin at the tail. Let that skin hold the
filet to the carcass and flip it flat. Cut between the skin
and the meat.
- You now have a filet with rib bones. Many people like to
leave them in but you may cut them out, ending up with a boneless,
skinless filet.
- Now turn the fish over and repeat the process with the other
side. You have two filets ready to rinse and cook.
