You don’t need to remove the internal organs, head, or fins. The fillets are boneless. Use a sharp fillet knife with a thin, flexible blade. Wear a fillet glove on your free hand to prevent serious cuts.

1. Place fish on its side on a firm, flat surface. Hold it by the head. Cut just behind the gill cover and down to, but not through, the backbone.
   
2. Turn the knife so the blade is against, and nearly parallel to, the backbone. Hold fish firmly with one hand and use a sawing motion to cut through the ribs toward the tail. Continue to the base of the tail. (Note: Some anglers fillet the meat around the ribs rather than cutting through them.)
   
3. Place the knife near the tail end of the fillet with the blade next to the skin. Hold fish at the base of the tail with your fingertips and work the blade forward between the skin and flesh.
   
4. Place the edge of the knife blade just under the top of the ribs and slice them out of the fillet.
   
5. Repeat procedure on other side of fish.