Get Clean Fillets and Remove Pin Bones from Any Fish
Follow the rib cage, take each fillet off whole, and pull pin bones clean. A practical guide to the geometry of round fish, flatfish, and skinning.
Conservation, Handling & Cooking
Regulations logic, catch-and-release ethics, and processing your catch from water to table.
That Jaw Grip Isn't Harmless, and the Slime Layer Is Why
A jaw grip isn't the real problem. The slime layer is. What happens in the few seconds your hands and net touch a fish, and how to keep that coat intact.
Field-to-Table Guide to Preparing and Cooking Your Catch
Bleed your catch in the current, ice it fast, dress it before rigor, and cook it to 145 degrees. One continuous chain from wading boots to the plate.
The Longer You Fight a Fish, the Less Chance It Swims Away
Fight duration, not net technique, decides whether a released fish can recover. Here is how to land fish faster with steady pressure and keep a release routine.
Your Released Fish Rolled Over, and It Can Still Recover
A fish that rolls over at release can still swim off. Here's how to read the minute after the hook is out, and what to do when it clearly isn't ready.
Scale, Skin, and Gut a Whole Fish Without Ruining the Flesh
Scale round fish tail to head, skin flatfish instead of scraping, and pull catfish hide with pliers—plus gutting and rinsing so the flesh stays clean.
What Bag Limits and Slot Limits Are Actually Protecting
Bag limits and slot limits are shaped by the biological problem they were invented to solve. Read the reasoning behind the rule, not just the number on the sign.
When a Fish Is Deep-Hooked, Should You Cut the Line?
A deep-hooked fish usually does better when you cut the line close to the hook. Here's how I decide, and why a tidy extraction is often the worst outcome.
That Gut Pile at the Ramp Is Not as Harmless as It Looks
What happens to fish guts and carcasses after the cleaning table matters more than the knife work. Here is how to decide between deep water and the trash.
How Fisheries Biologists Handle a Fish From Hookset to Release
Fish handling is one continuous sequence from hookset to release. See how the fight, the landing, and the unhooking decide what revival can still fix.