If you don't have a sharp knife, kitchen shears will do the job. These can be used to remove the gills, cut off the head and tail, and snip open the cavity.

2torial #0442: Learn2 Clean a Fish (Continued) Gut Now comes the fun part: Using the sharp knife, drive the blade point into the vent (small anal opening near the tail, where the body begins to widen). Cut right through the belly all the way to the gills. Remove the guts from the cavity. With the spoon, scoop out the dark reddish-brown kidney line that lies along the backbone. Important: Cut out all parts of the gills. Step 3