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[Robert_G]

Yesterday afternoon I'm fishing the Vedder. Not a bad afternoon, but pretty busy. It's about 5 PM and I decide to put on one more fresh piece of roe and short float a few casts right through the deepest part of the run as I was starting to notice a push of springs and jacks that had moved up. Sure enough, my float goes under and when I get it to shore, it's a 4lb chrome marbled spring jack with my hook half way down it's throat.
I quickly bonk it and bleed it, pack it up and go home. The fish was literally dressed and on the barbeque within 30 minutes of bonking it. I don't believe I've ever eaten a fish so soon after bonking it before.

The fish was cooked in my usual dill sauce and the taste of the fish was fantastic, but the texture was very strange. It was slightly soft and almost a bit crumbly...but again....the fish was nickel chrome and tasted as good as any sockeye I had this summer.

Now I've heard lots of different opinions on how Rigor mortis works with fish....but there is no way that this fish ever came close to that stage. In fact when I went to cut the head off on the cutting board, the fish nerves acted up and the fish tried to flip on me. It was on the barbeque less than 5 minutes after that and no more than 30 minutes from the time I bonked it.

Was my fish too fresh? Any thoughts?

Edit....just in case someone suggests it was overcooked....it was definetly NOT overcooked.

[cutthroat22]

No.  A fish cannot be to fresh. 

[Stratocaster]

See this link:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/v7180e/v7180e06.htm

I think it is best to allow fish to go through rigor mortis first before cooking and eating. 

[Easywater]

Interesting info...

Also, I heard you are not supposed to filet a fish that is in rigor (usually a couple of hours after it is dead).

http://sakuratemple.com/sushi-forum/why-are-fish-muscles-soft

Once the process of rigor mortis has run its course, the enzymatic decomposition of the fish commences, the muscles fibers separate, and the connective tissue is loosened. It it precisely at this point that it is ideal to consume the fish, among other ends to make nojime sushi, the type that is made from fish which is not kept alive after it is caught. The opposite is ikijime sushi, prepared from fish with firmer muscles because it is kept alive until the last moment and used before rigor mortis can set in.
 
Edit to change the word "clean" to "filet" - no problems cleaning a fish in rigor.
 

[alwaysfishn]

See this link:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/v7180e/v7180e06.htm

I think it is best to allow fish to go through rigor mortis first before cooking and eating. 

Agreed!  This fall I cooked a sockeye within an hour of catching it and it tasted fine however the fillet did not keep it's shape on the barbeque and the meat separated. It also seemed to cook much faster than normal....

[Robert_G]

That was an interesting read.

I am almost getting the idea from reading that article that a fish can be cleaned out shortly after being caught, but it might be best to leave it in the fridge for at least a day.....maybe even 2 for ideal eating.
Gone are the days of bringing fish home for TONIGHT'S dinner if you want ideal eating.

[silver ghost]

Yeah that's funny, I BBQ'D a sockeye within 45 mins of catching it and it had the same "crumbly" thing with it. It tasted fine but the meat didn't stay together that well. I think it's best to wait until rigor has completed. It also seems if you play around with a fish with rigor (bend it etc) and leave it alone for 5-10 mins the rigor leaves quickly

[typhoon]

Try pulling pin bones on a fish that is too fresh - it's like pulling teeth. But if you leave the fish in the fridge overnight they come out real easy.

[frozensalmon]

The best of  best way, to eat salmon is

kill it right away, guts out, clean, take out bones

 filet the fish and cover it with plastic wrap , put in freezer, COLDEST temperature

after 1 or 2 days, take out and let it cool down to room temperature and ready to eat..

[typhoon]

The best of  best way, to eat salmon is

kill it right away, guts out, clean, take out bones

 filet the fish and cover it with plastic wrap , put in freezer, COLDEST temperature

after 1 or 2 days, take out and let it cool down to room temperature and ready to eat..

The FDA says you need to store fish in a regular freezer (-20C) for a minimum of 7 days to ensure parasite destruction, but hey, it's your brain.

[milo]

Yes, it can.
You should leave the fish in the fridge or freezer for at least a few hours after gutting/filleting it for the meat to 'shape up'.

[Fish Assassin]

Try pulling pin bones on a fish that is too fresh - it's like pulling teeth. But if you leave the fish in the fridge overnight they come out real easy.

X2

[hue-nut]

Very interesting, I had this also happen with a few springs this year, could not figure out why the meat was separating....I just thought it was because they were super colored and black now I know

[BigFisher]

Very interesting, I had this also happen with a few springs this year, could not figure out why the meat was separating....I just thought it was because they were super colored and black now I know

And thats exactly why all your pictures are posted in black and white.... 

[MIKE1]

Yes, it can.
You should leave the fish in the fridge or freezer for at least a few hours after gutting/filleting it for the meat to 'shape up'.

This is dead on

Its very similar to how allot of whole foods that need oils and moisture to settle in to the fibers and taste better after a short "rest" period (rice, some cereals, steaks, turkey). Fish is a very sensitive meat that is easy to not cook properly(my fish has been a victim of me getting distracted by an drink from time to time) and most people don't experience the "too fresh" effect because we have travel time, waiting till dinner time, marinate time etc.