@mdmoen you were right.
All you people suggesting to bleed fish out were on the money. Had always heard but never tried. Makes a big difference.
Meat is a lot whiter and cleaner, and the fish die a quicker death. Win-win.
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Oh- and as far as how to:
The skinny little piece that connects the head to body underneath the gills is the target area. Stick a blade underneath and slice through it. Must be a very sharp blade or it can be a tough cut. Plus it will dull your blade fast. Some have suggested using a good game sheers/tin snips and that makes a lot of sense. Will bring one along next time for sure.
EDIT: These posts may or may not belong more in the general discussion forum, so mods please feel free to move it over there if it fits. Thanks
This is a pic from my buddy who kept one without bleeding it. Pretty noticeable difference to me…
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is there a advantage to this besides just having whiter meat?
is there a advantage to this besides just having whiter meat?
They aren’t going to flop around and a much cleaner working area. You can clean a lot of fish and the cutting board is still usable
If you’re eating it immediately it won’t make any difference. If you are refrigerating it overnight or freezing it, the blood is what gives your fish that fishy taste. It varies with time but if you bleed them out, it allows you to keep them a little longer in the fridge too.
I also remove the blood line by zippering the filets. Removes any hint of blood in the filet.
is there a advantage to this besides just having whiter meat?
Blood in anything that is dead starts to putrefy very quickly especially in warm weather and it will affect the quality of taste.
Not only that if you bleed something out right away you wont get all of the stress hormones tainting the flavor.
In my boat, i will use my rapala superline snips and dispatch them just as i am ready to head in. Pull the plug in my livewell, shoot some fresh sippi water to clean the blood out and done. Been doing it for last 10-15 years. Sure is easier and more ethical to clean em this way.
Ice……i dont think i will be doing it or very rarely but i primarily fish panfish.
This whole bleeding out process imo is to satisfy our commercialized western ways into needing clean “nice” looking meat. Especially in cold water when taste has nothing to do with it. Summer months I agree, bleeding may help but more so just getting them into a chilled cooler is better. Temp is key, not blood.
I’ll keep my bloody fillets. Kids always get a kick out of them flopping around, sort of a game to keep them behaved B4 the slaughter.
To each their own and the more power to anyone who does.
I find I get the same result by putting my filets in ice water and letting them sit in the fridge for 6-12 hours. The cold water makes the meat contract and expels any blood left in the filet. The fish is noticeably firmer and pearly white. After a good soak, I dump out water, give them a cold rinse and then freeze.
Taste whiter meat that’s all good.
Number one reason I do it. The mess when cleaning. Much easier to clean without blood.
I did have an issue with a CO on a lake where there was a slot limit, and cutting the area between the head and body. Best to just cut the gills and maintain the length of the fish. In my case, no ticket, but stern talking to, not sure all CO’s would be so lenient.
Always bonk and bleed my fish
Easier to clean them up and the meat looks nicer. Maybe it is just a mental thing, but my family eats more or is willing to eat when the filets are white and clean. It’s worth the extra step in my case!
I’ve been bleeding my fish for 3-4 years now. Keeps the area much cleaner while cleaning them. This makes the wife happy as I most often clean my fish on the island countertop in our kitchen. I also believe that the fish taste much better. I missed bleeding 1 fish one time and I could sure tell which one when rinsing them and I could also tell you what fish it was when I ate it. To me the fish it makes the most difference on are: Walleye’s, Crappie and Bass ( Yes I eat bass once in awhile ) To me the difference is not as noticeable on Sunfish.
I’ve been bleeding my fish for 3-4 years now. Keeps the area much cleaner while cleaning them. This makes the wife happy as I most often clean my fish on the island countertop in our kitchen. I also believe that the fish taste much better. I missed bleeding 1 fish one time and I could sure tell which one when rinsing them and I could also tell you what fish it was when I ate it. To me the fish it makes the most difference on are: Walleye’s, Crappie and Bass ( Yes I eat <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass once in awhile ) To me the difference is not as noticeable on Sunfish.
Where do you bleed them? On the ice or in a bucket? I would think bleeding them on the ice would give away your hot spot….
Always bonk and bleed my fish
x2 – mainly for less mess as some have mentioned. Not sure if I’ve ever noticed a significant flavor difference though.
I did have an issue with a CO on a lake where there was a slot limit, and cutting the area between the head and body. Best to just cut the gills and maintain the length of the fish. In my case, no ticket, but stern talking to, not sure all CO’s would be so lenient.
That’s interesting. So do you think that by cutting an area of the fish could potentially alter the length of the fish on a board? If that’s true and you have one really close to the low or high end of the slot length, you may want to reconsider, no?
Yeah I cut there gills and not the throat for that reason.
Is there a method or trick to cut the gills that works best?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Coletrain27 wrote:</div>
is there a advantage to this besides just having whiter meat?Blood in anything that is dead starts to putrefy very quickly especially in warm weather and it will affect the quality of taste.
Not only that if you bleed something out right away you wont get all of the stress hormones tainting the flavor.
X2 
I find I get the same result by putting my filets in ice water and letting them sit in the fridge for 6-12 hours. The cold water makes the meat contract and expels any blood left in the filet. The fish is noticeably firmer and pearly white. After a good soak, I dump out water, give them a cold rinse and then freeze.
This is what I do if I’ve got the time. I usually have them in a bowl of water and do some rinsing and changing water a few times while storing in the fridge, then after a few hours or overnight they seem to work out pretty well.
One thing that’s stopped me from bleeding fish out (and I’ve really wanted to do it) is I feel like it would affect me taking the filets off. I typically grab the gill plate, cut down and then away toward the tail. I’ve always felt that if the head is dang near severed it’ll be a lot harder to do that. Anyone experience the same or is it not that bad?
One thing that’s stopped me from bleeding fish out (and I’ve really wanted to do it) is I feel like it would affect me taking the filets off. I typically grab the gill plate, cut down and then away toward the tail. I’ve always felt that if the head is dang near severed it’ll be a lot harder to do that. Anyone experience the same or is it not that bad?
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I bleed them all the time. Never had a problem filleting them. I always use an electric knife.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>ThunderLund78 wrote:</div>
I find I get the same result by putting my filets in ice water and letting them sit in the fridge for 6-12 hours. The cold water makes the meat contract and expels any blood left in the filet. The fish is noticeably firmer and pearly white. After a good soak, I dump out water, give them a cold rinse and then freeze.This is what I do if I’ve got the time. I usually have them in a bowl of water and do some rinsing and changing water a few times while storing in the fridge, then after a few hours or overnight they seem to work out pretty well.
One thing that’s stopped me from bleeding fish out (and I’ve really wanted to do it) is I feel like it would affect me taking the filets off. I typically grab the gill plate, cut down and then away toward the tail. I’ve always felt that if the head is dang near severed it’ll be a lot harder to do that. Anyone experience the same or is it not that bad?
its deader than a smelt and doesn’t move so it can’t flop and cut you. nothing easier than that. i forget how much cleaner my board is when i bleed em. i see your point but it cant take another 30 seconds to adjust your blade and make it work.
Is there a method or trick to cut the gills that works best?
ive never used a knife so can’t speak for that. grab em by the head, flip em over in the well and snip the throat. i use a rapala super line snip. pretty savage but the advantages outweigh not doing it. i do it on walleye/sauger. i think cutting the gills is a bit misleading since you are actually cutting their throats. not much different than gutting big game aside from the size difference
Is there a method or trick to cut the gills that works best?
There is a main artery behind last gill. You can just stab through it without cutting through the neck.
I have also have seen people take snipes or scissors and just gut through all the gills. I don’t cut the throat so to speak so the head is partially severed.
Lots of videos on the tube showing several different methods.
Got it thanks fellas.
started doing it years ago and have never looked back. Especially handy if you’re in the BWCA or camping because you don’t even need to rinse the filets after fileting the fish – they can go right into the frying pan. Clean up after fileting fish is also easier, just less mess in general. The filet simply looks more appetizing. After doing it, I’m not sure what argument one could make why you wouldn’t bleed them out.
We are always amazed at how much less mess there is on the cleaning board.
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