How to Filet a King (Chinook) Salmon Like a Pro

[Music] hi this is Donald with pastime fishing adventures and today I'd like to show you how to fly a king salmon first the flake love is super super important to protect your hands and next very very sharp filet knife the sharper the knife the less you're gonna get hurt and cut yourself okay now that we got our fresh king salmon laying up on our play mat we start at the back of the fish coming up its belly in between the anal fins up to the pectoral fins and I like to go all the way up to the chin as far as I can I turned my knife come from the top of the fish cutting down around the pectoral fin and straight down flipping the fish over I come from the pectoral fin to the top of the fish and pushing down on the knife I try and cut through the backbone this exposes the cavity of the fish for me so I could see where my knife is going flipping the fish over I look for the backbone I put the knife right at the level of the backbone slicing all the way down past the dorsal fin when you get past the dorsal fin you're past all of the pin bones that run horizontally out the side of the fish you can insert your knife all the way in pointing it down slightly and following the backbone that wastes no meat now coming back up the fish I simply follow the backbone exposing it and then bringing my knife down along the rib cage at a nice slow downward push you'll expose all of the ribs and there's just a little bit of flesh on the bottom holding them and cutting away at the belly that is one half of your fillet setting it aside I turn the fish turning it I insert the knife to come up this set of ribs slightly turning the knife upward to follow the ribs so I don't waste any meat now turning the fish I lift up and I use the ribs as a handle to protect my hand I gently lift the knife up and I follow the backbone all the way back to the tail turning the knife down and cutting away from you that's the other half of the fillet perfectly done like this I like to go the extra step for my clients coming underneath these top set of ribs that follow the dorsal fin in the backbone make two cuts very slowly toward the top of the fish I usually come at the dorsal fin putting my thumb and middle finger something to hold on to insert the knife and follow this back removing these top section of bones and not to be discarded this piece that we cut off the top of the fish this is all perfectly fine flesh it just has quite a few bones in it it could be baked at an oven at 350 degrees with a little bit of olive oil drizzled on it for five minutes and just lifting the skin and the meat will fall right off can be eaten like that or mixed with a couple eggs and some breadcrumbs and make hamburger patties out of it and refri and it's just a great treat and not a waste of your precious fish that you caught hey and that's how you fillet a king salmon follow us on Facebook and Instagram and always if you want to book a trip with us it's WW pastime fishing adventures calm or you could call me directly at 503 five point zero one one zero zero thank you

Channel: Pastime Fishing Adventures

Views: 21,409

Keywords: Oregon fishing charter, oregon fishing guide, oregon salmon fishing guide, oregon salmon fishing charter, columbia river fishing charter, columbia river fishing guide, how to catch salmon on the columbia river, king salmon, chinook salmon

Id: QoFH5Muq_8Y

Length: 4min 15sec (255 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 12 2018