Bleeding fish to improve quality

  • In light of the recent thread where Davie "El Degollador" performed his art on a cobia I wanted to get more information on bleeding fish and whether this is actually a valid practice for us as spearfishers. My thought was that when we shoot a fish most of the time it bleeds out anyways, especially if gutted in the water, so maybe bleeding out is something more important for H&L fishermen. I also wanted to find out what is the best method for it.


    Here's a little info I found so far.

  • Damn Pargo with that description who want to add something;):D. I like to bleed in the water and sometimes gut the fish for some chumming action, problem with it is that sometimes that might bring some gray suits faster than usual.:)

  • PARGO do you work in real life with Photoshop? :laughing3::laughing3: You might have to give me a few hints when i get the software back. I want to edit/fix some personal pictures and some diving pictures as well:thumbsup2:

  • i heard a guy who owns a fish market talk about chill killing. I thinkl this method should be added too the discussion. the idea is that you use the cold to keep the fish super fresh as it is also killing it. the would or addition cuts you make are fine, but he stressed that ice and sea water make for the best tasting fish cos it keeps better.


    i wonder if it is critical that they die in the ice or just that they get there fast.

    i like to spear fish

  • I think that they need to get there fast. Becasue as soon as fish dies it start the process of spoilage. So salt water would be like a natural seasoning:D/.preservative. But If you kill the fish getting it to ice fast helps the meat a lot.

  • I agree with this all. Some fish need to be bled(cut gills/throat), while others not so much. We've done the cut throat and leave in the water thing(tuna) but I didn't see much of a difference
    Also, gutting and gilling, is a must. Ice is the next thing in line. The more the better especially in the cavity. If possible, the blood line that goes down the length of the spine should be cut out ASAP(fillet). Any blood inside the body that comes in contact with the flesh darkens it and spoils it quickly. It "will" change the taste..

  • i heard a guy who owns a fish market talk about chill killing. I thinkl this method should be added too the discussion. the idea is that you use the cold to keep the fish super fresh as it is also killing it. the would or addition cuts you make are fine, but he stressed that ice and sea water make for the best tasting fish cos it keeps better.


    i wonder if it is critical that they die in the ice or just that they get there fast.


    I don't like this method. I'd rather put the fish out of its misery as quick as possible, if I did not do it with the initial shot. I spent some of my early years driving for some of the best freediving commercial fishermen in the keys and Miami. They would probably stone a good portion of their catch and the rest would be brained very quickly. They did ice them very well and this was part of the duties of the driver on the boat.


    This chill kill method may be good, but I have a hard time hearing a fish flapping in the ice box as I trek onto the next waypoint.

  • agreed, i always iki them too, i was just wondering what others thought about the chill kill method....to me, iki is essential cos it keeps the vibrations to a minimum and that is tax man stealth :)

    i like to spear fish

  • Another old thread I felt I'd drag up. :D




    Bleeding fish makes a marked difference in some species, a more subtle difference in others. Just like proper icing, proper bleeding and gutting of a fish will help extend fish quality and longevity.


    One example of a fish where bleeding makes a marked difference is our California yellowtail. By the color of the flesh, I can immediately tell if a fish has been bled and how well. The taste difference is quite noticeable as well. After securing the fish, I brain the fish then immediately slit the gill membranes. Once the blood cloud disperses, I gut the fish and scrape the bloodline out. Then it goes into the fishbag. :)





    Here are two useful online resources I've come across:


    Great site overall. This particular article numerically quantifies the correlation between temperature and shelf life. :cool2:
    http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/pubs/spoils.htm


    Very thorough PDF on handling and care of fish for sashimi-grade quality. While a lot of it's not applicable for spearfishing, I found it interesting. I've used some of the techniques before, such as the gutting method for removing all organs without opening the belly. With pictures for those of you that have ADHD like me. ;)
    http://www.spc.int/Coastfish/Fishing/Sashimi_E/Sashimi.pdf

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