Bleeding Fish
- Thread starter Highliner
- Start date
Striper Sniper
Well-Known Member
Hi Highliner, I usually just bonk them first then use the gaff to hold them outside the boat and cut the gills. I believe the heart continues to beat for a short while even after being bonked, judging by the amount of blood that runs out. I personally believe that it improves eating quality as does ensuring it is placed on ice or better yet, a salt ice slush, right away. 
Striper Sniper
Striper Sniper
Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
No need to bonk the thing at all just slice the gills in the net the heart continues to beat pumping blood out (this is with the fish in the net in the water).
It might be worth your while though to forget the knife altgether and just use a pair of pliers to rip the gills, a bouncing boat, a sharp knife and your fingers in a slippery place are a bad combo-I know![xx(]
It might be worth your while though to forget the knife altgether and just use a pair of pliers to rip the gills, a bouncing boat, a sharp knife and your fingers in a slippery place are a bad combo-I know![xx(]
O
opp-i-ottan
Guest
Highliner... try this link:
http://www.salmonuniversity.com/ol_caring_for_fish.html
The gills are shaped like a "half moon". Cut (or clip) straight back to break the "half moon"! This will open the fish's major artery and drain all the blood. Cutting one side is enough (the heart keeps pumping for quite a long time) but cutting both sides makes it bleed faster. I like bleeding the fish in a net over the side since I don't want my boat to look like a murder scene, but it stops the fishing for a while so the faster it can be done the better.
If you want to bleed the fish over the side and still don't want to interupt the fishing, you can try putting the fish on a "bleeding line" (as it shows on the website above) [:0]. Looks neat but I have never dared to do it!
Oppi
http://www.salmonuniversity.com/ol_caring_for_fish.html
The gills are shaped like a "half moon". Cut (or clip) straight back to break the "half moon"! This will open the fish's major artery and drain all the blood. Cutting one side is enough (the heart keeps pumping for quite a long time) but cutting both sides makes it bleed faster. I like bleeding the fish in a net over the side since I don't want my boat to look like a murder scene, but it stops the fishing for a while so the faster it can be done the better.
If you want to bleed the fish over the side and still don't want to interupt the fishing, you can try putting the fish on a "bleeding line" (as it shows on the website above) [:0]. Looks neat but I have never dared to do it!
Oppi
G
Gone Fishn
Guest
The only thing with putting a fish on a bleeding line is there is a chance something might come up and grab it , its been known to happen hahaha.
, its been known to happen hahaha.
xavier
Member
I am finding that bleeding the fish definitely makes a difference in the taste/quality. Especially if one was to troll around for a few more hours in the hot sun, after bonkin' it.
Commercially sold fish are all bled. Almost never bonked.
Interesting ethical question though. What is more humane? Bleeding something out very quickly, or repeteadly clubbing it over the head?
One tip, tried to bleed it over the side of the boat. If you bleed it in the back of the boat, and let the blood drain out the plugs on the back of the boat as you troll, you will be able to count the harbour seals following you with their noses up in the air. Not very fun...
Commercially sold fish are all bled. Almost never bonked.
Interesting ethical question though. What is more humane? Bleeding something out very quickly, or repeteadly clubbing it over the head?
One tip, tried to bleed it over the side of the boat. If you bleed it in the back of the boat, and let the blood drain out the plugs on the back of the boat as you troll, you will be able to count the harbour seals following you with their noses up in the air. Not very fun...
Captain Dudds
Well-Known Member
i think its more inhumane to just cut it, one bonk and its dead instantly - and if you bonk it and then cut it, the heart is still going strong, and blood will literally be squirting everywhere, i've almost got it in the face a few times because it shot out so hard.
islanderguy
Member
quote:Originally posted by Gone Fishn
The only thing with putting a fish on a bleeding line is there is a chance something might come up and grab it
You mean like this?
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=2VhlaXIyeFA
R
ratherbefishin
Guest
I keep a pair a stainless steel scissors just to cut the gills. A lot safer in a bouncing boat.
O
opp-i-ottan
Guest
Unbelievable video! [:0] Not surpised the guy lost the net as well! [:I] That's about a 1000 lb's jerking it out of your fingers! No chance! Now I understand why those big nets don't have wrist loops! He would have been in the drink and about a 100 feet down in no time! [xx(]
He would have been in the drink and about a 100 feet down in no time! [xx(]
A
ashtonspoutine
Guest
I never thought of that.
I just tied a rope to the end of my net.
Im going to untie it now and thank you for the good point.
I dont want to swim with sea lions.
I just tied a rope to the end of my net.
Im going to untie it now and thank you for the good point.
I dont want to swim with sea lions.
M
Mikiki
Guest
I wonder if he got his net back? He was still hooked to the fish which was in the net?????
See you on the water[8D]
Mikiki
See you on the water[8D]
Mikiki
S
SIR
Guest
I was lucky enough to get a lesson a few years ago from a commercial fisherman with several decades of experience on bleeding fish.
I carry a low hieght flat plastic tub on the boat and bleed my fish in it rather than dangerously hanging over the side of the boat in a swell or making a mess out of my boat. The low edge of the tub 6" makes cleaning easier as you are not reaching down into a deep tub.
Bonk the fish first, nothing to do with being kind to the fish, if the fish jumps while you are bleeding it you are likely to loose fingers.
With the fish laying flat, it's head pointing to your left and the sbelly away from you lift the gill plate with your left thumb lifting the head of the fish slightly off the ground. Insert the tip of the knife into the opening inside all of the gills and with the point facing slightly forward cut through the leading edge of both sets of gills cutting in the direction of the belly-side of the fish. After you clear the leading edge of the cartiledge turn the knife towards the tails of the fish and cut in a half moon direction around both gill sets. At this point you are in the soft dark material behind all the gills so there is virtually no resistence. When you get to the end of the gills with the knife facing towards the mouth again reverse the direction of the blade back towards the belly-side and cut through the cartiledge on the other end of the gills. Using this system you remove both sets of gills at the same time, never hae your fingers in the gills near the knife and with pratice it takes about three seconds.
I then slit the belly, check the stomache contents to see what they are feeding on, scrape the blood line from the backbone, rinse and move the fish to my primary cooler and dump the contents of my cleaning tub overboard.
Give it a shot, with practice it's a safe quick technique!!!
I carry a low hieght flat plastic tub on the boat and bleed my fish in it rather than dangerously hanging over the side of the boat in a swell or making a mess out of my boat. The low edge of the tub 6" makes cleaning easier as you are not reaching down into a deep tub.
Bonk the fish first, nothing to do with being kind to the fish, if the fish jumps while you are bleeding it you are likely to loose fingers.
With the fish laying flat, it's head pointing to your left and the sbelly away from you lift the gill plate with your left thumb lifting the head of the fish slightly off the ground. Insert the tip of the knife into the opening inside all of the gills and with the point facing slightly forward cut through the leading edge of both sets of gills cutting in the direction of the belly-side of the fish. After you clear the leading edge of the cartiledge turn the knife towards the tails of the fish and cut in a half moon direction around both gill sets. At this point you are in the soft dark material behind all the gills so there is virtually no resistence. When you get to the end of the gills with the knife facing towards the mouth again reverse the direction of the blade back towards the belly-side and cut through the cartiledge on the other end of the gills. Using this system you remove both sets of gills at the same time, never hae your fingers in the gills near the knife and with pratice it takes about three seconds.
I then slit the belly, check the stomache contents to see what they are feeding on, scrape the blood line from the backbone, rinse and move the fish to my primary cooler and dump the contents of my cleaning tub overboard.
Give it a shot, with practice it's a safe quick technique!!!
D
duckworthy1
Guest
That's a <s>Kodak</s> Smith & Wesston moment.
quote:Originally posted by islanderguy
quote:Originally posted by Gone Fishn
The only thing with putting a fish on a bleeding line is there is a chance something might come up and grab it
You mean like this?
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=2VhlaXIyeFA
B
battaglino
Guest
With the smaller fish I just tear the gills with my fingers. It make a hell of a big differnace bleeding them they taste a lot less fishy.
C
Cody-
Guest
just reach behind the gill plate and rip them out then hold the fish by the tail and all the blood will come out
teamchachi
Member
The last guide I was out with (a while back at Murphy's) would give it a quick bonk, then insert a gaff into the gills, lift the fish up with the gaff and give it a quick jerk. Blood galore. Certainly makes things easier at the cleaning station and probably increases the quality of the meat.
T
Tanglefoot
Guest
I bite 'em on the throat and ......jeez they taste fishy[V]
Signed..DracUrcinula
(Sorry, couldn't help myself)
Tom
Signed..DracUrcinula
(Sorry, couldn't help myself)
Tom
