For any who want to try it....it is possible to fillet a fish in one piece without gutting or removing the head. I have done it a number of times with the idea that I would smoke the entire fish in one piece, but alas, when I had a smoke house big enough, I didn't do it, and they won't fit in my Little Chief. It is cool though, and makes it easy to pack .

Make the cut along the back of the gill plate and then down the backbone....fillet around the ribs and down to the belly flap, then clear through at the anus and back to the tail. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side. You will find that the whole fish comes off in one piece, held together by the belly flap. You will only have to cut at the anus.

The fillet will look like a huge butterfly and the head guts and feathers will all be in one piece as well. Leave the ventral fins on. It's impressive and when I get that old fridge turned into a smoker, I'll smoke one up myself.