Pin bones, Removing from laker fillet

In another thread there was some talk of removing pin bones from trout fillets.
As I was doing this today, I remembered, and thought I’d post how I do it using pictures. I agree with Mykola that for small trout (1.5-2lb and under) this is unnecessary as the bones are fine enough that they seem to dissolve when cooked, or end up soft enough to not notice when eating.


I use just the tip of the knife, feel with fingers where the bones begin…

Light pressure and a sharp knife you can feel the blade ‘ticking’ along the bones …. Several light passes along the same line, with not much pressure as you don’t want to cut through the bones, but rather ‘along’ them

At this point, the top part has no bones

Usually I do this part in one pass, as I know exactly where the bones are now…firm pressure and run the knife out to the end of fillet…

Cut off the ribbon of bones and watch the seagulls choke it down

It looks similar to doing the Y-bones on a Pike. Only on a Pike the bones curve up towards the back of the fish.

Arnie

Drew what you have a cleaning station in your hut I should dropped by and cleaned my 5 fish LOL.How you been?Frank

Nice hut! and thanks for the tip. x3, for small trout under 2 lbs, nearly impossible to remove the pin bones, they are small and fine and cook out..

For larger trout 3-6 lbs, as I don't keep anything larger. I use pin bone pliers.. Run the knife along the bones to make them stick out a bit and then pull them out one by one, takes some practice knowing how and what angle to pull at.. But comes out perfect, fillet with no bones..

They kind of look this these, although I have another brand, sorry can't find the ones I have, they are ancient... like all my fishing stuff lol

https://www.amazon.ca/Pliers-Tweezers-Stain

Looking good! Do it exactly like that! Notice how the “back strap” is separated from the pin bones first, then the remaining strip removed from the lower half, this is the easier way. It is harder if you go low first, then try to remove the pin bones from the back strap. Drew knows of course! It had tripped me up years ago when I was first starting to do boneless filets. This works with most fish. Whitefish have a much smaller “back strap” and the bones curve up a little more in my experience.

Written on my iPhone on the toilet.

Informative tips, thank you guys.

Thanks, been fileting for years but trout/ Whitefish are newer to me. Found the layout of trout pins. Diff from Whitey's and probly did the wrong side first...I may try to save as much meat as possible which may have made it more difficult as well...when you only do it once in a blue moon, tend to forget muscle memory...hope to get more adventurous and better catching then fishing next year! Lol I'm ok with bones, kids and wife not so much, should give them the tail end filets! And leave the skin on?

Dog

Yeah Frank, you should have stopped in for a beverage and cleaned mine too while you were there. It’s been a slow season for me, action is starting to pick up a bit the last couple weeks, as is normally the case once March arrives.