by John Krutz

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2009

For those who are lucky enough to have tried it, fresh caught fish is an incredibly delicious and nutritious meal. However, many people still have problems filleting their fresh caught fish. No matter what species of fish you have caught following these simple guidelines will get you the most meat off of your fresh catch.

First, you will need a few basic tools. Unquestionably, the most important tool you will need is a sharp fillet knife. A good sharp knife will make the process quicker and easier. Next, a good cutting board is a good idea to give you a good flat surface to cut on. Some cutting boards even come with clips on one end to hold your fish in place. Finally, if you want a skinless fillet get a fine pair of pliers.

Now that you've got your tools it's time to start filleting. Put the fish on its belly on the cutting board so it is upright, just like it would be if it were swimming. Now make a cut behind the head down to the spinal cord. Now lay the fish on its side with its back facing toward you. Make a cut down one side of the backbone from the cut you made behind the head to the tail end of the fish. Now you almost have one fillet. Just make a final cut along the belly skin to remove the meat from the body. Repeat the same cuts along the backbone and belly on the other side and you now have to cuts of meat. If you want to remove the skin (some people like to keep it attached) from the meat, grab the skin down by the tail end of your fillet and work you knife towards the other end of the fillet as close the skin as possible. With a sharp fillet knife this process of removing the skin is very easy and quick.

Now that you have your fresh, delicious and nutritious fish fillets how are you going to prepare them? For bland fish (very white flesh) I prefer to fry them. However, very white-fleshed fish takes on the flavor of whatever you cook them in. So be creative, lemon and butter is good, but so is salt and pepper. For oilier fish like trout, salmon or tuna it's hard to beat an open flame like barbecue. Personally, I prefer just some salt and pepper on the darker flesh of these fish because they have so much natural flavor.

Fresh fish is a great reward after a day of fishing. It is a very nutritious meal with many health benefits. Getting a good fillet off your catch will give you more meat, make it easier to work with and make your dinner presentation much more appealing to the eye.

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