Smith Camps Whitefish Cleaning Demonstration

[@catyear75]

Absolutely the best Whitefish cleaning video on KZbin! Thanks so much for your expert demonstration!

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Thank you! 49 years in this business. Learning from many and teaching many. I have always tried to keep an open mind.

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Thank you for all the positive comments I have been cleaning Whitefish and Lake Trout for over 40 years. I have developed this technique from my love of these fish. they are my favorite lake fish to eat.

[@ChrisB-xs4un]

You are the only person on youtube that wasted very little fish ! Exceptional Job !! I absolutely hate to see peope just waste the fish over a small amount of bones !!

[@shawndoe2834]

Thank You. Hands down best Whitefish Filleting Video I've seen on You Tube. Some of the "Guides" have the worst filleting videos of all. I get it, if your a guide & have to fillet a lot of fish you may decide to go fast and tolerate high wastage. Also you don't need to get fancy when you fillet & Al demonstrates that extremely well. Simply take the fillets off the traditional way. Then when the fillets are off cut out the rib bones. Then Al shows & explains how to take the pin-bones out without wasting half the fish. Al's a modest guy, notice when he pulls the pin bones out after making the two parallel cuts - there is almost zero waste. Simply Amazing.I wish every horrible fillet video had a link to Al's Video so people could see how it should be done. Again, Thanx so much for posting this Video: Shawn

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Thank you! I finally learned how to reply to these. I have been guiding for over 40 years. Merry Christmas

[@robservice3322]

Fantastic demo of filleting a whitefish

[@savagenorthfishing3259]

Nice work!! Those are nice sized whitefish.

[@senseiofsong]

I thought that this was the best video that I have seen on how to clean the whitefish and remove the pin bones as welll without wasting lots of meat. I have watched many other videos where the system that the other guys used was not good and they destroyed the fillets. Nice video, thanks. I aim to get out and try and catch this species that is new to me.

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Good Luck

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Thank you all for your great comments. Respect for the resource is what we need to ensure a sustainable harvest for years to come. Waste should be avoided if at all possible.

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Glad you enjoyed it! Happy New Year! Tight lines and Straight Shootin!

[@paddlehooked4687]

Experience clearly shows in this vid. That’s a heck of a fish. I’ve recently started targeting whitefish and plan to keep some occasionally. I’d like to avoid wasting as much as I can. I am curious how easy it is to locate and remove the pin bones. You make it look easy, I have a feeling that might not be true. Thank you for this demo.

[@dw8773]

Excellent... and a fellow lefty too! Thank you, very helpful.

[@reidsmith6252]

All men and women are born left handed. We stay that way until we sin. lol!

[@scottleete142]

Watched a lot of video on this same method...but...your removal of the Pin-Bones only takes out rice paper thin strip of meat...Thank. BTW, what brand of knife is that. Thank you again.

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

The way I find the bones in all the species of fish I deal with is using your knife gently scrape the fillet from head to tail removing the blood so you can get a visual of the bones. They look like little white dots. run your finger tip gently over the dots and you should feel them. Remember the bones you are removing are no wider than your knife blade and thats how wide your cut should be. pin bones run to the skin. cut gently enough so you do not cut through the skin.taper both cuts so that the cuts meet under the bones at the skin and you can then lift the thin strip out. many chefs use a hemostat or suitable pliers and pluck the bones individually. Problem is on very fresh fish often you will rip the fish flesh. Plus it takes a lot longer. Good luck! Tight lines and Straight Shootin!

[@darnjoe1]

Very good. thank you for making a great video sir!!!

[@markhenderson5161]

Thank you,,, best demo I've seen

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Thank you Mark, We hope to do more this winter. Merry Christmas! AL

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

The knife used is a Normark presentation 7.5" an old favorite

[@SilverJunkie-ls4ub]

Awesome eating fish...just ate one today...need to practice my fillet skills though..lol

[@thetroutking_1]

Can you explain why you gutted the fish and then filleted it? Why the extra step?

[@smithcamps3688]

Often I gut a fish before filleting it to remove roe or dissect what is in the gut.

[@thetroutking_1]

@@smithcamps3688 Ah, ok. Thank you :)

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

@@thetroutking_1 Hey Trout King, we have a Guest we call the Trout King. Harold McAlpine and wife Bobbie chase Lake Trout from Lake of the Woods to ALaska they travel as much as 11,000 miles a year spending as much as $2500.00 a year on fishing licenses. They use SmithCamps Critter Coating fish fry coating and it is their favorite fry coating.

[@garvdarb]

So you don't flip it over and carve out the "mudline", the dark streak on the skin side.

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Hi Gerry, You sure can carve out the mud line if it is to strong for you. Our whitefish are very clean and I dont find the mudline a problem. I have removed it if my wife is making chowder as she feels it is a little strong sometimes. Most of our whitefish is smoked with skin on so as long as the brine penetrates to the skin I enjoy the oil in the mud line. Cheers Al Smith

[@garvdarb]

Thanks for your reply. I fish Simcoe and have always removed mud line on both whiteys and Lakers . Great video. Exactly the way I do mine. Keep catch n fileting

[@notoriousL]

What are you talking about y bones in a walleye?

[@smithcampsonlakeofthewoods2570]

Nope ,there is no Y bones in a walleye, only rib and pin bones in a walleye . Y bones are in pike and musky.

[@imnotimportant]

Pin bones in walleye. Most people keep smaller 14-20" fish so they never notice them, the small bones will cook right up

[@Hosannafication]

Amazing video. I just tried filleting my white fish and failed miserably, nevertheless this video is very helpful in comparison to others.

[@reidsmith6252]

Thank you Mike. Owning a tourist camp for over 40 years, I have watched so many fishermen clean fish many different ways and I have developed a method I am comfortable with. I get a great yield and a great product. We fry whitefish and Smoke whitefish and folks love it. Keep trying and you will get it. The boys at camp prefer a 9" blade for Whitefish

[@dw8773]

Hi, what knife is being used here? Lately I've found myself on a quest for the perfect fillet knife. Thanks.@@reidsmith6252

[@johnneubert4458]

thats bad for the blade and he left the ribbs on, true sign of a ,,,wanna be ....lol

[@PaleHose28]

John Neubert you sir, are a moron.