Walleye fillets

[suckerbass]

Ok, What is the best way to fillet a walleye? I allways end up with the pin bones left in the fillet. I know when you buy a fillet they are totaly boneless. How do you get a totaly boneless fillet?
Does any one know of a web site or maby a book with a diagram? Thanks

[FishingJoe]

My thoughts: If you want a pretty fillet, you can pull the bones out individually with needle nose pliers. Once you get the hang of it, it's not as hard as it sounds. If you don't care about pretty, you can do what I call "unzip" them. Lay the fillet on the table - skin side down. Make about a 1 inch cut through on each side of the lateral line at the tail section. Now - grab 1/2 the fillet, hold down the center piece, and pull the fillet portion up, lifting a boneless strip of meat. Do the same with the other half of the fillet - holding the center piece down while lifting the fillet portion. You end up with four very nice peices of boneless meat from each fish. The key is to hold down the little strip with the pin bones and lift up on the fillet portion. It also remove 90% of the mudline as a bonus. I just wish this would work with other species, but it doesn't. Good luck, and let me know a) how this works for you, and b) where you are getting walleyes.:D

[eyebuster]

That's the same method I use Joe. I started doing it that way so I wouldn't have to worry about my little guy some 18 yrs ago..lol

When it came to eating Walleye, his method was grab and eat, now that is my method....:D

[MSUICEMAN]

I normally zip my walleye as mentioned earlier, the only time i don't is when making a dish that geometrically needs a full fillet for like broiling or baking. If i'm frying or whatnot, zip is quick simple, and you get the pin bones and dark meat right off.

steve

[Muddpuppy]

I do about the same thing. I skin the fillet first then lay it down and make a small cut about 1" long at the tail on each side of the lateral line (the middle row of dark meat center of the fillet). Then I slowly pull the right side off holding the rest of the fillet and then pull the left side off holding the middle piece and toss that dark, bony strip in the trash.