Bleeding Fish

Buzz Wing · 05-11-08, 01:40 PM

Although mostly concerning fish you plan to eat, do you believe that bleeding a fish really does make the meat less bloody and add to its overall flavor?

I did this to all the bluegill, crappie, perch, and trout yesterday since we didn't have a cooler or livewell, and was just wondering if it really helped. All I did was slice out their gills and lay them in a plastic grocery bag over the side of the boat.

Does anyone believe in this?

-Buzz

JB · 05-11-08, 01:47 PM

I only fillet when i get home and then change the water several times. You can rub your fingers over any blood areas and under a faucet get most of the blood out, some fish have a tad of blood in the meat, appears red. Also you can soak the fillets in milk or 7up before fixing to get rid of any strong taste.
I try to keep the fish alive as long as possilbe right before I clean them.

Buzz Wing · 05-11-08, 01:55 PM

Thanks, JB.

-Buzz

JB · 05-11-08, 02:03 PM

I've heard of some older guys on lakes north of hear that freeze thier perch and crappie fillets in the fishes slime thats there when ya clean, and dont rinse them off, to me thats gross..others prefer some flavor by scaling the fish n leaving the bones in. I always fillet the skin n bones n ribs out as i go.
The biggest thing i see bout bleeding them out is the potential mess in the boat, plus taking up time...is it a tradion up in your neck of the woods bzz?

Buzz Wing · 05-11-08, 02:07 PM

Haha... No tradition, JB, just easier to kill them if you don't have a cooler or livewell to put them in. All I had was a plastic bag so I slit their gills and threw 'em in their, then hung them in the water.

-Buzz

JB · 05-11-08, 02:17 PM

oh i see, the days of the stringer are long gone i guess, next time carry a bucket lol the fish will get a strong taste if ya do that in the heat of the summer...i only keep fish when the water temp is cold around here (great lakes)

fishin' fool · 05-13-08, 10:43 PM

Anytime we get big flat head or channel cat fish we always bleed them out. Its actually a good idea to do it with any fish you plan on cleaning. It gets rid off all of the blood with in the meat. The meat is much whiter when you bleed a fish. With cat fish, salmon and trout the meat still can be alittle red but that is from mioglobin (I think that is how its spelled) which is the same as hemoglobin in humans. Fish that are constant swimmers have more mioglobin than others. good fishin

05-11-08, 01:40 PM	#1
Buzz Wing BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hudson, MI Posts: 1,219	Bleeding Fish Although mostly concerning fish you plan to eat, do you believe that bleeding a fish really does make the meat less bloody and add to its overall flavor? I did this to all the bluegill, crappie, perch, and trout yesterday since we didn't have a cooler or livewell, and was just wondering if it really helped. All I did was slice out their gills and lay them in a plastic grocery bag over the side of the boat. Does anyone believe in this? -Buzz

05-11-08, 01:47 PM	#2
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	I only fillet when i get home and then change the water several times. You can rub your fingers over any blood areas and under a faucet get most of the blood out, some fish have a tad of blood in the meat, appears red. Also you can soak the fillets in milk or 7up before fixing to get rid of any strong taste. I try to keep the fish alive as long as possilbe right before I clean them.

05-11-08, 01:55 PM	#3
Buzz Wing BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hudson, MI Posts: 1,219	Thanks, JB. -Buzz

05-11-08, 02:03 PM	#4
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	I've heard of some older guys on lakes north of hear that freeze thier perch and crappie fillets in the fishes slime thats there when ya clean, and dont rinse them off, to me thats gross..others prefer some flavor by scaling the fish n leaving the bones in. I always fillet the skin n bones n ribs out as i go. The biggest thing i see bout bleeding them out is the potential mess in the boat, plus taking up time...is it a tradion up in your neck of the woods bzz?

05-11-08, 02:07 PM	#5
Buzz Wing BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hudson, MI Posts: 1,219	Haha... No tradition, JB, just easier to kill them if you don't have a cooler or livewell to put them in. All I had was a plastic bag so I slit their gills and threw 'em in their, then hung them in the water. -Buzz

05-11-08, 02:17 PM	#6
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	oh i see, the days of the stringer are long gone i guess, next time carry a bucket lol the fish will get a strong taste if ya do that in the heat of the summer...i only keep fish when the water temp is cold around here (great lakes)

05-13-08, 10:43 PM	#7
fishin' fool BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 184	Anytime we get big flat head or channel cat fish we always bleed them out. Its actually a good idea to do it with any fish you plan on cleaning. It gets rid off all of the blood with in the meat. The meat is much whiter when you bleed a fish. With cat fish, salmon and trout the meat still can be alittle red but that is from mioglobin (I think that is how its spelled) which is the same as hemoglobin in humans. Fish that are constant swimmers have more mioglobin than others. good fishin

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