Cut the head off your fish then cut it down the back bone to the gut cavity then remove the guts that will leave the fish joined at the belly, so you can put your hooks through the shoulders(that's the part where the head was cut off)if you follow what I mean. I think when you smoke the fish it has to be a cold smoke not a hot smoke as it is cooked to quickly and goes soft so therefore it falls of the hooks. I think that's why you have to lay them down.