Bleeding fish

May In-Fisherman had an article on fish handling. Wonder if anyone does it. It was on the process of killing, bleeding and icing fish you intend to eat, as soon as you catch it. It is a pretty common practice in salt water. When the fish have bloody, oilier flesh. But not done a lot in fresh water. Having read it I may give it a try. I have been tinkering with fish recipes the last few years. Trying to find new better ways to prepare fish and seafood. They mention the fish that’s dead, curled up in a cooler. And how it tears and breaks down the flesh straightening it out. Not a big deal if you chunk and deep-fry. But I have been grilling, grilling with smoke, {not smoking}, and baking more fish. Trying to shut my M.D. up. And have kind of acquired a taste for it. Being able to enjoy the fish instead of batter. Not that I don’t enjoy a good chuck of fried fish. This winter I want to try Ceviche. Taking saltwater fish and using only citrus juice to cook it without heat.

I started bleeding fish and putting them in the cooler on ice right away many years ago, the results were incredible to me, no more bloody filets and no more mushy flesh.
Nor do you get that nasty smell from fish that have been dead and floating in the live well too long.

Been doing it for yrs. Bleeding them makes for a significantly cleaner fillet table and a very nice looking fillet. As far as taste, I honestly can really tell much of a difference. The visual appeal and ease of cleanup make it a “must do” for me.

stevenoak wrote:

But I have been grilling, grilling with smoke, {not smoking}, and baking more fish. Trying to shut my M.D. up. And have kind of acquired a taste for it. Being able to enjoy the fish instead of batter. Not that I don’t enjoy a good chuck of fried fish. This winter I want to try Ceviche. Taking saltwater fish and using only citrus juice to cook it without heat.

I don’t eat a lot of fish, but I prefer to grill or bake my fish too. It brings out the true taste of the filet. Frying or deep frying masks the taste and it’s very unhealthy. The batter or breading is not what I like to taste, and neither is tarter sauce.

Ceviche is technically a form or raw fish Steve. It’s not fully cooked. Just be aware of that since there is no heat/kill step.

Nowadays I have been lightly coating the filet in butter and then sprinkle it with salt/pepper and then add a lemon slice. On the grill I wrap it in tinfoil. In the oven I just bake it in an open oven pan.

I would only try Ceviche with saltwater fish. I think that’s fairly safe??. I grille bake about the same, except for garlic pepper. But I’d eat garlic on ice cream. Anyone cedar plank fish. When I have extra time I grille on my Treager rather than the Weber.

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When the water is cooler in May and June, fish get to sit in the livewell alive until the trip back to the dock. After pics are taken, they get shears or gills ripped out. When it gets warm it is blee in the livewell and thrown on ice immediately. Amazing how much less slime there is when they are bled, not to mention the better, opalescent meat.

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My preference is to immediately bleed the fish I will keep. I find it beneficial in preserving a better fillet. A side benefit is less mess while processing the fish.

ganderpike wrote:

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Been doing it this way for years. Just putting larger bait cooler in boat for this reason. Fish get bleed and thrown in bait cooler.

Been doing it quite a while myself. Started with Salmon, Lake Trout, and Eelpout. It seems to make more of a difference in those. I now do everything.

I bleed all my fish (for years). I bled them in the livewell once. Didn’t care for the livewell clean up. I put walleyes on a stringer or wire fish basket in the lake. I put panfish in a 5 gal bucket. By the time I put my gear away they a ready. And no livewell or cooler to clean.

Why wouldn’t anyone not bleed fish? Cleaner filets, easier to clean since they aren’t flopping around and overall just more humane. Tastes better too especially if you keep fish from bathwater.

Ewwww, my meat has blood in it, lol.

I’ve been doing it for years with salmon. Only recently with walleyes. Can’t believe I waited so long.

Bleed’em. Make’m taste good. Then smuther them in spice to cook them.

Makes a lot of sense.

Well, I’ve been doing an aerated live well for years and only losing live fish seldom before we load and clean quickly afterward. I’ve never have served fish that even resembles a fishy tasting fish!

BUT, I may be packing ice in my live well for a while to see if I can taste a difference.

Rip the gills and ice them. It’s easy and mess free. Been doing it since I was a kid. My great grandma taught us that.

Deuces wrote:

Ewwww, my meat has blood in it, lol.

Sounds like when I cook my steak rare and my lady thinks the red is blood lol

We don’t bleed them, but any walleye we intend to keep (usually in the 15″-17″ range) gets an immediate “headache” courtesy of a small billy-club, and then gets dumped on ice. Lots and lots of ice. We keep a minimum number of fish in the live-well, and they’re usually smaller(14″). We don’t keep anything over 18″. Stopping the heart by quickly killing the fish prevents bloody fillets, and keeping on ice…..not just in a cooler….stops any bacterial growth in its tracks.