de-boning kokanee

[jekern1015]

After I smoked my kokes last night I spent the last three hours this morning de-boning them for some koke spread and chowder. I got to thinking that there has to be an easier way. I don't fillet my fish because my wife says I waste to much meat. I am now going thru the meat flake by flake and removing the bones one by one. My question is, is there an easier way?

 

[SuperD]

Even if you don't fillet your fish there is a much better way to get the meat off the bones. Do you do trout the same way? I use the same method on kokes as I use on trout. After the fish is cooked, smoked or whatever, I use a fork to start at the tail and gently fork the meat off the skeleton from the bottom side of the fish letting gravity allow the meat to fall off the rib cage. Once the bottom side meat is off, grab the tail bone and lift up on the skeleton and it will pull right out of the other side of the meat. You should be holding a full intact skeleton in one hand and 2 nearly boneless sides of meat on the plate.

 

[SilverBullets]

I've been useing Brian's (Fallriverguy) method for a few years now. No need to gut the fish and very little meat gets wasted...see post #3 in the link below.
http://www.kokaneefishingforum.com/fishing-forums/showthread.php?t=1495

 

[Bill Rogue Valley]

STOP IT! I can't take it any more! Kokanee candy bars ...
Oh the humanity!

 

[SuperDaveMT]

De-boning

I believe with a sharp fillet knife and a little practice, wasted meat is negligible. After filleting, their are still some pin bones in the front third to half of the each fillet that I pluck out with needle nose pliers. You can feel them by applying a little preasure as you run your finger down the fillet about a third of the way down the fillet from the top.

 

[Bill Rogue Valley]

By the way, Fallriverguy mentions bonking and "gilling" his kokes. What is gilling? I assume it is cutting away gills to help bleed the fish, but not sure ...