Cleaning fish

Best way to learn how to clean a fish (any type, really) is to watch someone do it first-hand.

LOL, that's what I did at Albion... brought over some beers and watched the salmon cleaning (and collected heads).  After my 3rd visit, the kids didn't want to come anymore... 

Never got bored...

If you don't have a good knife you're cutting yourself short.

Dexter Russell.  I 've paid  a lot more for knives claiming to be the best, but IMO nothing beats a DR fillet knife. It's what most party boat deckhands who make their money filleting use

Regarding the Ling filet video, did you not clean/gut it first? 

Regarding the Ling filet video, did you not clean/gut it first?

Nope, it's not necessary with certain fish...just don't poke the innards with the knife. (by certain fish I mean lings, olives, blues/blacks, and some of the other elongated fish; but I'll usually gut cabs, gophers, B&Y's, chunky verms, chinas, and other similarly-shaped RF) 

good to know, thanks. 

Youtube is your friend.

x100

Man I just looked at the comments on youtube...  

Exactly why I never allow them   

I keep this video book marked.
Super fast fillets.
And yea, there's a ton more left to eat too, but for the mere speed of a fillet, this guy rules.

Halibut are probably the most difficult of the fish you listed to fillet, thats because they have 4 different fillets.  But again if you have any knowledge on how to fillet, and a good sharp knife, its not that difficult.  One of the primary problems I see with guys filleting fish is that they don't have a good knife.  If you don't have a good knife you're cutting yourself short.  (Terrible pun)<br/>

+1.
+2 on the knife
I us Forschners-- now owned by Victorinox.  DR'S are just as good.

Loads of info there - I know I have stuff to learn, for one, how to get the pin bones out of a ling - they have a set of false ribs like a salmon, I take salmon ones out with needle nose or those medical plier-like tools. 
    One thing that I learned cutting the first WSB I got was that I needed a much shorter and stiffer blade in addition to my regular long fillet knife.
     Someone mentioned to me that they'd had a pro on the commercial wharf near Monterey Bay Kayaks clean their fish - so that might be a place to go and watch - or the Stagnaro wholesale place on Washington St in Santa Cruz behind the Police station - pretty busy in there, but maybe they'd let you watch for a few minutes.

If you fish Capitola, there are usually guys at the boat/bait shop that will lend ya a hand.  This old guy helped me do my first WSB and I gave him 10$ for it.  He did go the extra mile to get the stones out of the head for me though 

Eat the pin bones.  They are a good source of calcium!