The best budget 9-inch fillet knife: a long, flexible, coated blade for salmon and saltwater fish, a grippy handle and a draining sheath for about $25.
Buy it if: Salmon, steelhead and inshore saltwater anglers who want a long, flexible blade without spending much.
Skip it if: Panfish and small-trout anglers who need a shorter, nimbler knife.
KastKing's Speed Demon Pro range was #1 in Amazon's Fishing Filet & Bait Knives best-seller list when we checked, and the 9-inch fillet knife is the size to get for salmon, striped bass, redfish and other larger fish. It's long enough to remove a big fillet in a few strokes, and KastKing describes the 6-, 7- and 9-inch fillet knives as flexible enough to follow the fish's contours.
The blade is G4116 German stainless steel with a black, corrosion-resistant coating, rated for fresh and saltwater. The handle is a non-slip 'super polymer' grip. The sheath locks the handle in place and has open slots so water drains out. KastKing covers its fishing tools with a warranty against defects for the original owner.
On Amazon, buyers most often praise the sharpness and how well it holds an edge, the grip when wet and the comfortable, natural feel when filleting. Several salmon anglers say it has handled hundreds of fillets. It's a lot of knife for about $25.
If you mostly catch panfish or trout, a 6- or 7-inch blade will be easier to control. KastKing also makes a stiffer 9-inch 'Strong' version for tuna and other heavy fish.
Here’s where its 9-inch blade sits against typical fish sizes. See blade length by fish for more.
This review is based on the manufacturer’s specifications, the Amazon listing and patterns in verified buyer feedback, compared against the other knives we cover. We haven’t lab-tested it. Read our method.