filleting walleye

[Mike B]

Looking for the easiest way to debone walleye fillets.

[Airwave(OH)]

The method we use here on Erie is a process called Zippering. It's quick and easy. Simply make a small cut at the tail section of the fillet on both sides of the lateral bone line. Now holding the fillet in the middle unzip(peal) the meat from the bones. Do this on both sides. Hopefully I explained it so you can understand it. Let me know, if not someone else might explain it better or I'll try again. You'll love it. Now do you use a electric fillet knife to make it even easier yet ?

[Smokey]

Easy filleting of walleyes. Cut down behind gill to the backbone. Cut flat to the tail along the backbone, cutting rib bones in process. Lay fillet flat and cut skin off. Lay fillet rib bone cut end up and cut tail section off. One boneless piece. Cut down above the rib bones and take back boneless piece off. Now comes the tricky part. Lay last piece of bones and meat with the bones down. Cut down along the lateral line to the ribs and the shave the meat off the ribs. Three pieces of totally boneless meat for each side. Don't throw the carcass yet. Make sure that you cut the cheek meat out from behind the eye of the fish. Use the tip of your fillet knife and just make a circle and strip out the small chunk of meat that is on the outside of the gill plate behind the eye. This is the filet mignon of the fish. Solid and wonderful. Good Luck. If you have any questions, my email is erniehusmann@hotmail.com. Take care, Smokey

[Eyez (SD)]

That's the same thing I do, but you need to be VERY careful when you do that, because you can't transport walleyes in some states (south dakota included) after doing that, because each piece will be counted as a fillet. I know a few guys that got in trouble for that. They didn't get fined because they were under their limit even when each fish counted as 4 fillets, but the warden told them not to clean fish like that if they were to be transported.


Eyez (SD)