I think that I've tried about every method mentioned to filet fish. No matter which method I use there is always some meat left around the collar, cheeks on the bigger fish, etc. I trim all the little scraps as they make very good sandwiches, chowders, and stir frys. A group of us fish Nit Nat bar in BC every year and everyone (except me) is responsable for cooking one dinner. I keep the chowder pot full with the salmon trimmings.

Old Indian trick I learned in Canada.
If you hang those 30lb + kings for a day out of direct sunlight the fat breaks down and makes the meat taste better and not dry out when you cook it. So gut it hang it and then cut it anyway you like. You can also double fillet the big chunks to get a thinner cut that will not dry out when you cook it. Most people over cook any size salmon and they really over cook the bigger ones.

Cohoangler and GutZ:

The technique I described is not just for big kings. I have filleted everything from 6-7# pinks to 60-70# kings using this method.

Funny you thought the knife in the pic was on the small side... I felt it was a little too big. My preference is a 6" Rapala like Dogfish posted on the fillet knife thread.

This technique can be used either before or after gutting a fish... just depends on when the fish makes it to my hands. The main thing is that the fish has been thoroughly bled. This technique cuts across dozens of blood vessels close to the backbone.... makes a real mess if the fish hasn't been well-bled beforehand.

Here's another pic of a less-than-stellar fillet job. Made the mistake of covering my working surface with a slippery plastic sheet (never again) in a misguided attempt to keep it clean. Lost a little meat on account of some slippage. Anyway you get the idea of the finished product on another non-gutted hen. BTW, my favorite part of a king is the inch-thick belly slab and those collars, especially right where the fins insert.... MMM MMM!

FYI, the belly slab in my left hand weighed nearly 9 pounds!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I cut the rib bones off with the fillet, then fillet them off the fish. It is easy with a sharp knife & my fillets knives have an inch of serated blade near the handle to not dull the edge up cutting those bones. I like Fishdocs way cuz I usually cut em up in pieces after but it looks way easier to cut em in pieces before. Don't throw away the carcass. Throw in freezer & use for crab or halibut bait

You can also cut the backbone into pieces and boil them down into a base for soups and chowders.

The Doc's technique looks good for jumbo salmon, just time consuming. It's kinda like how most folks do halibut. Don't need a big knife and you basically have to try to ruin your fillets when doing it this way.
Good info FnPn!

Doesn't anyone cut their larger fish into steaks? (20# +)

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.

Fun5,

That's how I've always filleted my smoker fish, and it is a sweet way to smoke them, you can literally hang the fillets over a rod...works like a charm.

Fish on...

Todd.

P.S. I have an old fridge made into a smoker, and last time I had it up and running I bought small turkeys, halved 'em, and smoked 'em in the fridge for about ten hours. Then they had to be put in the oven for a bit to make sure they were cooked through, and it was the best turkey I've ever had in my life. I suppose it would work for ducks or chickens, too, just haven't done it yet.