Ya that fillet method rocks

It seems to me that this would be illegal because you cannot determine the size of the fish, a friend of mine got a warning from a game warden one time for cleaning and removing the head and tails off of a couple of sea rum cutthroat while he was still at the beach where he caught them.

If its not illeagle... it should be... Why bother having any sort of restriction on the harvest of wild fish in Washington state. What about the Columbia river ??? do you fillet those on the river also... I can't believe it... no wait... I guess I can

Well you would have to see a game warden to worry about it. I have been fishing in the west since I was 5 years old, 40 years now. I have been checked by a game warden 1 time and it was in Alaska 15 years ago.

You know King... that might be the first time I agree with you on something. However, I did get checked the other day by chance... sort of shocking actually. There are game laws, but wonder what they do with our money if they are not out enforcing them.

I think you can fillet some fish in the field and not others. If there is a size limit or if you can no longer determine the species or its origin after filleting then it is not allowed. If there is no size limit on that species and you can still determin species and origin it should be ok. Crab have a size limit as do most kings, but some silvers have no size limit (depending on where they are caught).
I agree that is usually much easier to take care of you fish cleaning and filleting on the water, but I usually just gut them and wait till I get home for the rest to save the possibility of hasseling with the WDFW.