on the big ones, i like to clean and scale em, then take a fillet off one side, with the skin. the other side has the backbone and tail, my favorite part.. when you take the fillet off, if you gonna remove the rib bones, its easier to take the skin off to. me, i just eat around the rib bones. If im gonna fry a big one whole and not fillet, then ill gash it down each side so it wont take it so long to cook.