How to Fillet a Fish: My Simple Method for Trout and Bass

Hey everyone, Chris here with Ignited by Nature. Today, I’m sharing how I fillet a fish using a rainbow trout and a smallmouth bass.

Is this the perfect way to do it? Probably not. I’m not a professional fish processor, and I taught myself by watching YouTube videos and practicing. But this is the method that works for me, and hopefully seeing the process helps you get more comfortable cleaning your own catch.

My goal is pretty simple: get usable fillets, save as much meat as I can, and keep improving each time.

Getting Started

A sharp fillet knife, a stable cutting surface, and a little patience make the process easier. Have somewhere ready for the finished fillets and a separate place for the guts, bones, and other scraps.

Keep the fish cold before and after cleaning, and keep your hands, knife, and work surface clean. Fish can be slippery, so take your time and keep your supporting hand out of the knife’s path.

In the video, I’m working with two different fish. The details vary between trout and bass, but my basic approach is the same: let the fish’s bone structure guide the knife.

Step 1: Clean Out the Fish

I start by removing the guts.

Make a shallow incision at the vent—the small opening near the rear of the belly—and carefully work forward along the belly toward the head. Keep the blade shallow so you avoid cutting into the internal organs.

Open the body cavity and remove the intestines and remaining organs. This is the messy part, but getting it out of the way gives you a cleaner fish to work with when you start removing the fillets.

In this video, I clean both fish before moving on to the next stage. That’s simply the workflow I used here.

Step 2: Work Along the Backbone

With the fish cleaned, I begin separating the meat from the skeleton.

I make my initial cut near the head, then work along one side of the backbone toward the tail. The goal is to stay close to the bones while leaving as much meat on the fillet as possible.

Use controlled cuts instead of trying to force the knife through everything in one pass. As the fillet starts to separate, lift it enough to see where the blade needs to go.

This is the biggest thing I’ve learned through practice: follow the structure of the fish. The backbone and ribs give you a guide, and you start to develop a feel for that as you clean more fish.

Step 3: Separate the Fillet and Trim the Ribs

Continue working the meat away from the skeleton until you can lift the fillet free.

Depending on how your cut goes, some ribs or other bones may still be attached. Carefully trim those away while keeping as much usable meat as possible.

My cuts aren’t always perfect. In the video, I leave a little meat behind in one area. Rather than wasting it, I trim it off separately and save it for fish nuggets.

Every piece doesn’t need to look like a restaurant fillet to make a good meal.

Step 4: Repeat on the Other Side

Turn the fish over and repeat the process on the opposite side.

Again, work close to the backbone and use the skeleton to guide your cuts. Take your time around the ribs and any spots where the meat doesn’t separate easily.

The more fish you process, the more familiar those cuts become. You start to understand where the bones are and how to angle the knife without having to think through every movement.

Step 5: Check for Pin Bones

Once the fillets are off, check them carefully for remaining bones.

I point out the pin bones in the video because removing the main skeleton doesn’t mean the fillet is completely boneless. Gently run your fingers along the meat to locate any bones, then remove them with fish-bone tweezers or trim the affected section as needed.

Give each fillet a final inspection before cooking or storing it.

A Look at This Rainbow Trout

One thing that stood out while cleaning this trout was its orange flesh. It made for some really nice-looking fillets, and I was pretty excited about it.

I mention in the video that trout like this remind me of salmon when it comes to eating them. That’s my personal taste preference, though—I’m certainly not above keeping and cooking a hatchery trout.

I also really enjoy eating bass. Both of these fish gave me some good meat to work with.

You Get Better by Doing It

You don’t have to be an expert to start learning how to fillet your own fish. My first attempts weren’t perfect, and I still find things I can improve.

Start slowly, pay attention to the bones, and focus on making controlled cuts. If you leave a little meat behind, recover what you can and use that experience on the next fish.

Watch the accompanying video to see exactly how I work through the trout and smallmouth bass. If you have a different method or a tip that could help me improve, leave a comment. I’m always happy to learn from other people who enjoy getting outdoors.

Thanks for reading and supporting Ignited by Nature.

Until next time, stay connected to the wild.