How to Fillet Salmon! Detailed Step-By-Step {NO Gutting Required}

[@marymaria3587]

This is literally the only youtube channel that doesn t bore me to death! Awesome content every time💜

[@defaultusername2371]

You are literally the coolest guy and local!

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Thank you Alex! I don't think I'm very "cool" 🤣 Just a fishing nerd with a couple cameras that talks a lot 🎣

[@liamjensen7775]

@@NWFishingSecrets nah man you’re epic!

[@H786...]

bro this video is amazing, everything was explained like you were talking to an absolute beginner, thank you.

[@bigmike9845]

That's the best fillet job I've seen yet on KZbin good job 👍

[@pebblesadams1744]

❤I love your videos every chain one of them I live in Seattle to

[@wild_n_kraze_adventuresaar4072]

No waste, clean filets, and nice red meat good job. Since you said you're open to input I'll tag you on the next video I post doing a similar tutorial. I have a few already I just haven't taken the time to post. Few tips for you now tho based on what you were saying. Regardless of if you gut it or not, make BOTH your collar bone cuts on the side closest to the head FIRST and remove the head. This will make EVERYTHING ELSE much easier and won't struggle on the second side since you're now flat instead of lop sided. Whether you keep the collars or not, doing this will also allow you to choose how much to leave on the collars to eat, or how little to take away with the collars. For me I've learned a stiffer fillet knife for salmon works best to get through everything and have more control enabling you to get it done much faster. You certainly didn't waste anything, but taking that much time can get old after 5 fish n still have 7 to go after a full day of fishing (3 person limit of 4), although I highly doubt it takes you 10 minutes to filet 1 fish. I also typically leave that lil meat to get it done and to give my crab bait a lil more meat n fat to bring them in. If you can use ur hat cam next time you'll give your viewers a closer view of what you're doing and more natural way that you actually do it. Nice hoe n filets. If you wanna get more practice, trout have the same anatomy so if you consistently catch trout, big trout especially, that's a great way to sharpen, lol, your salmon filet skills. Usually have high limits for chum salmon so that's also a good way to practice for the higher quality salmon like coho n Kings. Cheers n tight lines.

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Thank you for the feedback Aaron! I really appreciate all the community input I've gotten since starting this channel, and truly enjoy learning with all of you (that's what fishing is all about!). I will definitely experiment with the collar/head technique you mentioned. Makes perfect sense! And I know I'm obsessed about not wasting meat, but it takes exponentially longer. Since I was focused on filming, of course it took longer than usual, but it's still mostly 5-6 minutes per fish for me, which adds up. I'll keep experimenting around, since it's the perfect season for it! And I would use the gopro head mount, the only problem is that my gopros are dinosaurs and have no image stabilization built in. Would be a very shaky video. That's been bugging me about all my head mounted footage, so I need to start looking into a Hero 7.... Thank you for all the help brotha, let me know if you have any advice on my other or future videos! Tight lines!

[@wild_n_kraze_adventuresaar4072]

No problem!! I just posted a video fileting a coho I caught yesterday after posting lol. Forgot to angle my cam down n zoom in a bit but it's there. I think I smoked too much beforehand haha.

[@NWFishingSecrets]

I watched it man. Some fun shit you’ve got uploaded. What kind of fillet knife is that?

[@wild_n_kraze_adventuresaar4072]

@@NWFishingSecrets A very very old one. I found it in a set of my moms old knives from like 35 years ago. I wish I knew cuz it's pretty awesome n sharpens up fast.

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Wild_n_KrazE_Adventures Aaron Jay I keep seeing knives like that being used by commercial guys. They don’t use the store bought “fillet knives”. Guess I’ll just have to raid my mom’s house for an old knife?? 🤣

[@fredolney9595]

Just found your site and love your videos. You show so much respect for the outdoors and our natural resources. One of my pet peeves is people wasting salmon when cleaning their fish. You did a great job. You can go another step by using a large soup spoon to scrape the flesh from the backbone. You end up with a wonderful salmon hamburger that makes great salmon patties or for soups or curry or just throw it your pan with the onions, butter and Danish salt. My freezer kept filling up with crab bait and vacuum packed salmon hamburger was a great improvement.

[@archmasterone]

Great video, my grand kids learned from you, a real pro. Thanks.

[@rhythmtapper]

This was so satisfying (and helpful) to watch! I'm slowly improving on filleting...picked up many pointers here. Now I just need to catch some chunkers. 😄🐟

[@gavingooding4078]

I can't get over how beautiful that fish's meat looks, and wonderful filet job btw👍

[@Thetailofthetrident]

I have never seen this technique ever. I'm impressed and will follow your excellent tutorials. Thanks! I like the idea of putting the carcasses back in the ecosystem. As for me its crab bait, Raw Dog Food, and garden fertilizer. But never into the landfill for sure. 😎👌

[@donnypatoine4475]

When it comes to saving time, gutting it at the river would probably be even more efficient once you get to filleting it. Helps to see what your doing when you can open the belly up. By all means this works to though, you did a very clean job. Tight lines!

[@mattmiller1585]

Thanks for being so meticulous on this! I've always wanted to know how to fillet a larger fish, the right way.

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Thank you Matt! It’s definitely possible to fillet a lot faster this way too! Gonna get the smoking video finished soon

[@carleybrown22]

mad skills, such a clean filet

[@brianmacri8207]

I’m definitely trying this on my next salmon

[@NWFishingSecrets]

I'm doing them all like this now. Such a time saver...

[@fishingwithmagnes4114]

The second fillet is always hard! Thanks for the video.

[@paulahwee1234]

Amazing journey enjoy

[@allanbeaulieu164]

Awesome video. I've watched a few videos that make it look too easy with one quick slice and I end up making a mess of my fish and leaving a bunch of meat behind. I love your incremental approach. I have three huge chinook in my cooler right now and I hope to employ what I have learned. These have already been gutted and gills removed but I would like to figure out how to do this gutless filet method right down on the river. Less to pack out and just more efficient in every way. I'm in BC and if I'm reading the regs correctly it should be ok as long as I leave the tail attached (assuming they are long enough without the head attached).

[@JKonstanzer]

First time seeing you cook without tortillas, lol. Very well done.

[@mikeanderson7206]

Great video. I like this no gutting way. I have dogs and like blood around my house when I bring them home to fellet when blood all over the driveway.

[@liamjensen7775]

Is this just for salmon or would this work for other species as well?

[@AreEff1987]

I love your videos They're so entertaining, I look forward to watching them after work . Speaking of, what do you do for work (day job ) ? You have a beautiful boat, nice smoker , and a gorgeous home.

[@troymcconnell6147]

very nice... thank you for sharing!

[@SocietyTackle]

Great video keep them coming

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Thank you Jason!

[@toodlesmcghee]

Help me understand please. Did you bleed this fish out first? Or just “bonk” it? Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, great energy and experiences with us.

[@bobbyk1796]

Thanks so much for the filleting demo for me to study the proper technique! 😁👍🐟

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Not sure if it’s the “proper” technique, but it’s a different one, that’s for sure 😆

[@colinmctaggart4798]

Great video I found it very helpful. Keep up the great work👍🇨🇦

[@bluegill2030]

Same way I do trout

[@craigdebeer1444]

Show us how to smoke salmon that would be so helpful, and fish on

[@michaelrogers1740]

Good stuff man, Thanks for the info!

[@NWFishingSecrets]

You're welcome! Smoking video is coming...

[@braydensousa4365]

Please pick me, I love the Washington hoodie!!!by the way I love your videos I have watched almost all of them!!!

[@luckyrotty9047]

Hey there, u know so u don't loose the head n the meat left on the bones, u can make a very good soup. Quick recipe, fish heads if u have more than one, left overs. Boil water with one onion, than add fish, carats, potatoes bay leaf, salt n pepper to a taste. Also can add rice. Very good soup. Calls уха, or ущитсья, russian fish soup. U can use any kind of fish, small or big, also can use hole fish or just head n bones n specially if u have more than one fish left overs. Let me know if u tried it or need more specific recipe, thx

[@Kinghunter182]

Resident coho seems getting slower. Only 1 bite and hook came off when we landing it. And lost it... outgoing tide or incoming tide ? Which works better for you at MA10?

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Thanks for the update! I haven’t been out in MA 10 since last Sunday. When we went, it was a bit slower but still good. Early morning bite was best. Have had lots of luck during slack tide and the hour after. Main runs are starting to show though, so can’t wait for that to open up! We’ve got a great summer ahead of us 👍 Keep the reports coming!

[@559fresnoXca]

Never seen this done befor. Gonna try this fillet way. Good job man!

[@NWFishingSecrets]

There's probably better ways, and definitely faster ways, but it's something different! 🤣 I was thinking it would be a cool way to fillet for a native style grilling....🔥

[@559fresnoXca]

@@NWFishingSecrets dope man! Reminds me of the natives. No waste!

[@arbrimedolli2124]

Great content man keep it going ! Deff easier gutting first though haha

[@NWFishingSecrets]

😂

[@fullforcefishingtm5888]

Keep up the great work

[@lukestuber155]

So get a round knife 12 or 13 inch knife and cut under the fin and go right to the back and flip the fish around we own a fishing lodge so ya

[@troy1284]

Nice video keep it up

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Thank you Troy!

[@godmother360]

Hey man i cant find ur curing the egg video.

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Look for my Bobber & Eggs for Salmon 101 video! I show how to cure them right in the beginning 👍

[@godmother360]

Thanks buddy. Been loving all your videos.i am even going back to watch your old ones. Newbie steelhead and salmon bank fisherman from souther oregon here. When i catch my first one, i know cuz it'll be because of people like you.thx for all the knowledge you impart man and cant wait for your new video.

[@a8anasios666]

Hey bro, you dont scale the salmon?

[@topherarbour702]

Great videos! However, I do want to point out that in some places, like Wisconsin, dumping those fish guts in lakes/rivers is very illegal. Even if you catch that coho right out of Lake Michigan and clean it right there, you’re not supposed to dump the guts. So definitely check regulations.

[@nunliski]

In the PNW the guts NEED to be there. That is part of the reason why hatcheries exist.

[@WhiteGhost21]

tip: start at the fin to really find the back bone

[@stevem1111]

Super dope

[@brwneyes986]

Black salmon hoodie merch.

[@stevem1111]

30 seconds in and my mouth is watering

[@noah1_948]

Honestly you should try gutting the fish at the river or something and I recommend using a spoon to scrape the extra meat on the spine and stuff

[@NWFishingSecrets]

learned of the spoon trick since! I also use the leftover bones etc as crab bait, so it's nice to have a little bit of something on there... Either way it definitely gets returned to the waters 🐟

[@noah1_948]

NW Fishing Secrets true and keep it up man your channel is great

[@NWFishingSecrets]

Thank you 🙏

[@edwardce8341]

Looks like that’s a Jere sculpture on the wall.

[@kimseger5794]

true very slow but worth it yeah cheeks might be small yet r like

[@isaaccarter5503]

Scrape off the excess fish meat with a spoon and make a salmon burger that would be so good

[@davidlambe2856]

Filleting fish salmon and trout fucks them up

[@italiantroutaholic8926]

not only don`t want wasted meat , but wasting the life of a fish that is giving the meat to you

[@henrysuiter7450]

You forgot to scale the fish

[@Gofishmagazine]

Henry Suiter most anglers don’t scale salmon especially if the fillets go into the smoker. Without scales the fillets stick to the grate. I only scale them if I plan to eat the skin.

[@henrysuiter7450]

Ok thanks

[@jspunk5199]

Yeah no… I’m not driving back to the waterfront to drop off fish guts. My dog or the trash can have them. Not a big deal in any way shape or form…😊