# Guide to Filleting Trigger Fish - Pics



## fishbait

Here's what I'm filleting in case you've not seen a trigger before. They inhabit the same types of structure as tog.










Make the first cut behind the gills as you would on any other fish. The skin of a trigger is super tough, so a really sharp knife helps here. A serrated knife would be ideal. Since you can't just put the blade on the skin and start cutting, you will need to stab the point in first and then continue your cut from there. I don't think I've ever filleted a fish with a tougher skin.










Make the second cut following the spine of the fish all the way towards the tail and follow the bone structure to remove the meat from the spine as you would with any other fish. Stop when you hit the pin bones.










Here is where it gets a little interesting. The hair bones are very thick. There's no worries of missing where they are. turn you knife blade upwards (facing the skin) and follow along the hair bone until you reach the skin. Then stick the point of your blade in behind the pin bone and follow it upwards too until you reach the skin and have separated them from the fillet.










Make sure to get all of them, because sashimi should never have bones.










Once you pass the pin bones, you can pull the rest of the fillet away from the ribcage area and then cut it away at the bottom (belly area). This pic shows the fillet removed from the carcass.










The interesting thing here is that you can just pull the fillet away from the rib cage area because it appears to me that the Trigger does not have any rib bones. I didn't see any! 










I thought skinning the fillet would be easy and it was, but I forgot that this fish is very much like a tog and if you skin it too close, this is what happens. The white areas are the fat and sinew close to the skin. You don't want that in your fillet if you are making sashimi. It's why some guys say that these fish are stringy or chewy. They're just skinning it wrong. If you accidentally do this, you can just stick your knife point under the edge of the white area, cut under the corner to give you a piece to hold on to, and then cut the area off by running your blade along the underside of the white stuff.










Here's what it should look like when you're done.










On the second fillet, I was careful not to make the same mistake. Make sure to hold your knife slightly away from the skin as you remove the meat. Notice that I leave the red area out as well. That's not important if you plan on cooking the fish.










To show how little is wasted, I skinned the skin area one more time. As you can see, what I leave behind is paper thin and is mostly red meat.










Here are the finished fillets on a plate. Hope that helps.


----------



## apungke

Yummy...
I don't see your report FB. You must had a great trip. Congrats on the catch...


----------



## SeaSalt

I can't believe you massacred Dory!!!


----------



## fishbait

apungke said:


> Yummy...
> I don't see your report FB. You must had a great trip. Congrats on the catch...


The report is in the Kayak Forum. Thanks.


----------



## fishbait

SeaSalt said:


> I can't believe you massacred Dory!!!


Hehehe! Delish! You can come over next time.


----------



## hengstthomas

FB , Glad to know you can fillet so well 
Now you can give me a hand next time we do this ..


----------



## Anthony

I make a small incision by the eyes and use a pair of pliers to pull the skin off, pretty easy to do, then use a knife to fillet off the meat.


----------



## fingersandclaws

hengstthomas said:


> FB , Glad to know you can fillet so well
> Now you can give me a hand next time we do this ..


Dear mother of all that is good and holy!!!! Meat trip!!!!


----------



## chump

hengstthomas said:


> FB , Glad to know you can fillet so well
> Now you can give me a hand next time we do this ..


That's like an entire generation of Dorys. Wow. Where did you do this, Tom?

Thanks,
Chump


----------



## AtlantaKing

Probably on a partyboat out of NC...Capt Stacy or Continental Shelf 24 hr trip... Right, Tom? It wasn't from shore, that's for sure: notice the mingos (vermillion snapper) on the right, the white grunts on the left and the snake king? That's a good haul by any means!


----------



## RuddeDogg

*Hey thanks fishbait*

Never saw a trigger fish filleted. Thanks again.

Man the fish terminator ws at it again!!!!!! Great job guys and congrats on the catch.


----------



## fishbait

hengstthomas said:


> FB , Glad to know you can fillet so well
> Now you can give me a hand next time we do this ..


 Awesome! When we going?


----------



## hengstthomas

*Ah The Trip*


----------



## Finfan

*Awesome!!*

Do those all get filleted?

Will ya have a blade left after goiing thru that much meat!!!


----------



## SeaSalt

to the bible!


----------



## HellRhaY

Finfan said:


> Do those all get filleted?
> 
> Will ya have a blade left after goiing thru that much meat!!!


i need to grow some muscles to fillet it all.


----------



## Rockfish1

SeaSalt said:


> to the bible!


for sure...


----------



## Smashed

I use the same method, except I use a pair of catfish skinning pliers to skin the trig before I fillet it. Thats a little easier than skinning it afterward.

Trigs are perhaps the best kept table secret in the sea (next to spadefish)- they are extremely tasty!! The meat is a lot like tuna, but lighter and whiter. I usually merinate it in teriyaki for 6-12 hours in the fridge and grill it. It'll be the best fish you've ever tasted!


----------



## hengstthomas

fishbait said:


> Awesome! When we going?


You tell me ? Actually anytime after the 1st week of November ... Dave gets his cast off and will be ready to go and me I'm always ready


----------



## fishbait

hengstthomas said:


> You tell me ? Actually anytime after the 1st week of November ... Dave gets his cast off and will be ready to go and me I'm always ready


I'll be in Florida then, but I'll call you when I get back.

Smashed, do you get any of the sinew or fat (the white stuff) sticking to the fillet when you pull the skin off?


----------



## hengstthomas

fishbait said:


> I'll be in Florida then, but I'll call you when I get back.
> 
> Smashed, do you get any of the sinew or fat (the white stuff) sticking to the fillet when you pull the skin off?


Florida? 
Need a road partner 
Definitely give me a shout when you return


----------



## apungke

hengstthomas said:


> You tell me ? Actually anytime after the 1st week of November ... Dave gets his cast off and will be ready to go and me I'm always ready


Hei Tom..is this the overnight trip or the full day trip? Hmm.. sounds like a plan.


----------

