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Author Topic: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?  (Read 9066 times)

dennisK

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techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« on: October 14, 2005, 07:10:17 AM »
I have noticed different techniques of prepping the fish at the river.

Most folks bonk and leave it in the water which I think is not the best way.

I was wondering about 2 things:

Bleeding the fish - do you bonk fish first and then bleed by cutting gill/artery and let bleed out withOUT bonking? a guy i spoke said he did not kill the fish before bleeding since it bleeds more effectively whilst the heart still pumps...any opinion on this?

Gilling - I also notice some fisherman cut the gills out at the river and it results in the head sort of barely attached to the body....what is the point of cuttign the gills out?
« Last Edit: October 14, 2005, 07:25:06 AM by dennisK »
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DragonSpeed

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2005, 08:02:56 AM »
One wack to the head, and then a series of cuts to remove all within the head (gills included).  There is usually enough residual stimulus in the heart for it to bleed out quickly.

I don't leave my fish in the water.  I place them in a burlap bag which I have soaked in water.

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Gillie

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2005, 01:00:42 PM »
Usually I like to gut and gill them right away,unless the bite is really on I'll bonk and gill leave it in the water to bleed. not bonking they can flip them selfs back into the water and your out a fish you just killed. Leaving them in the water depends what system I'm on, or of I have a cooler. Chehalis, vedder, squamish, into the water, as I'm not packiong around a cooler. On the Fraser right into the cooler, as I'm most likely in the boat and have the cooler.
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Gooey

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2005, 01:16:37 PM »
Bonk and tear (I just grab the gills and twist - be careful if you do this to a big spring). 

As DS said, there is enuff kick in the heart to pump out the blood.

I think cutting the gills is a good practice as blood is where a majority of the bacteria are or will from after death.  So removing the gills before or after bleeding helps purge all the blood and minimise bacterial growth (that what me commercial boss taught me anyhow).
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meca_357

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2005, 04:02:46 PM »
if its a small fish  hence a coho 12lbs under or such grab it by the gills and flip it over your head it rips the gills right out of the socket and it bleeds off... if its a big springer bonk cut the gills hold head down and let it bleed , make sure its not flopping and make a lil weir on the shore and put in there to make sure it doesn t flow down river
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Eagleye

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2005, 07:50:28 PM »
bonk it, then cut the front section of the gills, quickly submerge the fish's head in water (so that the blood doesn't congeile) and bleed  thoroughly, cut the rest of the gills out then tie to a piece of rope and submerge the fish in water.  Before you leave gut the fish, descale it while removing the slime (with a serraded knife, give it a final rinse in the water and put it in the cooler. If the cooler is nearby place the fish in the cooler rather than the water.  I like to freeze two buckets of water before I go fishing so I don't have to pay the astronomical amount of money the gas stations want for block ice. Break the ice and spread over fish.
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Sam Salmon

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2005, 07:54:08 PM »
If you cut the gills on a fish there's no need to smash the thing in the head.
He's dying as the blood leaks out-the heart keeps beating until it's done-WTH is the point in bashing him anyway?
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No_way

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2005, 07:59:15 PM »
Bashing them first is meant as a humane way of killing them.  They don't need to be living to bleed them.
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Eagleye

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2005, 08:00:45 PM »
IMHO it is more humane.  If you give it a good bonk the fish doesn't struggle as much and I would assume suffers less.
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Sam Salmon

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2005, 08:28:57 PM »
Quote from: Eagleye on October 14, 2005, 08:00:45 PM
IMHO it is more humane.  If you give it a good bonk the fish doesn't struggle as much and I would assume suffers less.
Why assume anything-the fish doesn't struggle at all once you cut it's gills-it simply ceases to move.
Also-the heart pumps the blood out as long as it's beating-smashing the thing means it dies sooner and the heart doesn't beat as long.
We never bonk any fish except for Rockfish anymore.
For some reason they don't bleed much when you cut their gills so they're bonked and pitched into the lazarette.
Try this the next time you catch a nice 25+# Spring in the chuck-leave him in the net and leave the net in the water-tear some gill rakers loose and watch the blood pump out-you won't believe how much comes out.
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grandpa

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2005, 06:26:06 PM »
A biologist I worked with many years ago always said " live fish always in the water , dead fish always out of the water " If the water is the least bit warm the flesh detorates ( sp )quite quickly so you don't have the best eating fish .wrap in a moist burlap bag as suggested , sphagnum moss or ? and out of the sun as much as possible..Once the ribs start breaking out in the abdominal cavity your quality is a way down
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grandpa

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Re: techniques of prepping the fish at the river?
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2005, 06:33:08 PM »
I forgot to add , keep as cool as possible till you get the fish home or to a cooler
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