When to kill and bleed a fish

Question

I am getting into fishing (I bought an entry-level spinner and plan on going to some nearby rivers/lakes) and have been reading a lot of conflicting information in regards to the sequence of events that transpire from the time you catch the fish, to the time you eat it.

Obviously, first you must catch the fish, which as a newbie will probably be a bit difficult for me. Once I catch my first fish and determine that it's of legal size and is a species I'd like to eat, then I need to immediately begin preparing it.

I've read that bleeding fish (cutting the gills) helps remove the gamey odor that a lot of fish have, as well as removing certain undesirable toxins.

But what do I do if I'm not done fishing yet? What if it's still early in the day and I want to keep fishing for a few more hours? Obviously then, I need a way of preserving the fish so that it doesn't taint before I even get home. The thing is, I don't like the idea of keeping a fish alive once I catch it. Not judging others, just personally would rather kill it as soon as I catch it and put it out of the stress/misery of being caught & wounded.

So, given everything I've read, I'm wondering if my following solution is viable, and if not, why:

1. Catch the fish, and kill it immediately (probably a knife through its brain is what I've found to be the quickest/humane method)
2. Bleed the fish, totally
3. Throw it in a cooler full of ice, and continue fishing
4. When I get home, clean/fillet it

The only thing I'm worried about here is that perhaps the fish will somehow spoil from the time I throw it on ice, to the time I get home (which should never be longer than 6 - 8 hours). Ideas?

Answer 1

It depends on what you have access to.

If you have plenty of cooling, then gut, bleed, and ice immediately. However only do this if you can keep it cold. This requires a LOT of ice because you have to have enough ice to bring the fish down to near freezing and keep it there.

If you cannot keep the fish cold then you want to keep it alive. There are many methods for this from the basic stringer, to live well, and live nets. The basic concept is the same.

I will mention that you have to take care with nets and stringers. Other fish/animals may like the meal you've tied up for them. ;)

Answer 2

Important to note that specific state regulations could apply to your situation. For instance, my state has a fishing regulation which states:

"It is unlawful for any person to possess a fish in any form or condition other than whole while on or when unloading the fish from a boat, while wading, or while fishing from shore on any waters in this state where a fishing license is required."

It could probably be argued by a warden that by bleeding/gutting the fish, it is no longer 'whole'. While it might not be the prescribed method of anglers, I have seen many individuals bleed the fish (specifically catfish) by removing a section of the tail. This would absolutely put you in violation of the above regulation.

Make sure you have thoroughly read and understand all of your states fishing regulations and there are not any rules similar to the one in my state (OH)

Answer 3

There is no reason to kill, bleed and gut the fish immediately. The ideal way to preserve freshness is to keep the fish alive as long as possible. Depending on your situation this is best accomplished via a livewell (found in most recreational fishing boats), if fishing from shore, a traditional fish stringer or a wire basket are your best bets. Once you are done fishing, then you can clean the fish entirely.

Examples:

Liveswells: Livewells & Aerators

Stringer: Berkley®-Fish-Stringer

Basket: Berkley®-Floating-Wire-Basket

Answer 4

I suggest keeping it alive in a keep net. That way all of your problems disappear.

Answer 5

I fish daily in a kayak and have caught and eaten thousands of fish from snapper to mackerel to wahoo. I throw them in the hull of the kayak with no ice and continue to fish, sometimes for several hours. Been doing this for years and have never had an issue.

Answer 6

After you kill and gut the fish, then clean it (wash it and scale it, if it needs scaling.) I don't know what you mean by "bleeding" a fish: I only ever gut it. After doing this, you do not actually need to put it in the cooler. You can leave it out for a couple hours, it will not spoil. This has been my experience - I've done this, and then cooked the fish when arrived at home later. If you stick it on ice, it will preserve even longer, so no worries there.

EDIT: someone mentioned that fresh fish will spoil if left outside even for a short period of time in South Georgia. Should probably be aware of this. I can't say whether it's true or not: my experience is entirely in the dry desert southwest and Rocky Mountains.

Answer 7

Your concern for keeping the fish alive longer than necessary is valid. I used to like to club fish to kill them immediately. However I now typically bleed by cutting the gills as you describe. This kills the fish rather quickly if done properly. It also offers other benefits which may or may not be important in any given situation.

First, it helps diminish the amount of blood getting on the flesh when fileting. Despite years of semi-regular practice, I still often nick an artery along the spine when fileting larger fish (like Striped Bass or Bluefish). This invariably bleeds all over that filet, and can be difficult to rinse off. Bleeding first vastly reduces the amount of blood that is released when this happens.

Second, for some species it really does mean the difference between a nice palatable dinner and a super-fishy tasting/smelling meal. The difference is most pronounced in oily fish like mackerel and bluefish. There is also a long tradition around here of bleeding sharks that are headed to the dinner table to help remove uric acid (I believe) and other substances that would foul the meat.

Answer 8

I kayak fish and do it this way:

• catch fish

• cut through the "throat" by putting the fish on its back (belly up), inserting a knife through one gill opening to the other, and then cutting "upward" to sever the little connection of flesh directly under the gills (where the belly becomes the chin)

• bend the head backward to snap the neck (spinal column)

• (this step I only do for certain species) remove guts and gills

• let fish bleed out for a few minutes

• put in cooler with big slabs of ice that I freeze in cake pans or juice / pop bottles that are full of ice

On warm days in Nova Scotia this will get me through a long day of fishing with fresh and high quality fish. On smaller fish I can do the above without a knife. It satisfies numerous personal requirements;

• a quick humane kill

• no fish flopping around in my kayak as they suffocate (a terrible way to die, by the way)

• the heart beats for a minute after you snap the spine so blood gets pumped out where you cut under the gills and this improves the quality of the meat

• fish are kept cool until I can fillet them that night at home

Just watch that your ice doesn't melt, leaving your fish sitting in water, which can soften the flesh. If your ice is melting a lot, drain the water out.

Answer 9

Bleeding really only needs to be done for fish that have really bloody meat. These fish are often "athlete fish" such as Jacks or Tunas.

From what it sounds like you are going to be fishing in rivers and lakes, this is not a situation where you are going to need to bleed the fish. Fish like trout, bass and walleye have white meat so you won't need to do this to them before you fillet them.

Answer 10

It is better to have an idea what to do with the fish rather than spoil a life.

The kill method you mentioned is the ikejime method (). Ikejime is just a fancy Japanese word for sticking a sharp screwdriver to a fish's brain (where it is widely practiced). This method kills the fish humanely, with immediate brain dead. This also improve the flavor. Highly recommended.

To do this :

It involves the insertion of a spike quickly and directly into the hindbrain, usually located slightly behind and above the eye, thereby causing immediate brain death. When spiked correctly, the fish fins flare and the fish relaxes, immediately ceasing all motion.

Immediately after killing the fish, make a direct cut on the gill on each side and the fish would be bled out from the gill arteries.

If you want skin on fillet, scale the fish before take out the gut, otherwise you squash the flesh and make it mushy.

I would also gut the fish before throw it on the ice as the bacteria in the guts usually start the spoil process.

It is a clean whole fish and you can do some delicate filleting at home.

Answer 11

There's no need to bleed your trout mate.

Unless you're planning on freezing it and eating it at a later date, or curing it in the off season to eat at a later date.

If you plan to eat your trout fresh and tasty that evening, you won't need to bleed it mate. Fish are bleeded out almost 100 % of the time in the commercial industry as blood can promote bacteria and eventually may have a negative affect on the quality of the meat - often commercially caught fish won't get onto a dinner plate for up to a week.

No need to bleed in your situation mate. You're welcome to bleed one and not the other, eat at them both, and see for yourself.

Answer 12

I would be reluctant to use a live basket, stringer, or a keep net from a kayak or canoe in any southern water that may harbor an alligator. Securing that basket to a thwart and tempting an animal with large teeth to latch onto it just sounds like a bad idea to me..

Answer 13

What you do really depends on your location and type of fishing. When fishing in the cold mountains for trout where it is below freezing is a very different situation being out in the middle of summer in the tropics fishing for tuna. Find out from your local enthusiasts what is legal and best for the type of fishing you do