trolling depth

[WAcoueshunter]

I always gut because it cools the fish much faster.  You don't eat the inside of the ribcage, so really no meat touches anything.

These fish are coming from 50-55 degree water, you don't need to really cool them too much.  More about keeping them from getting warm. 

[WSU]

I use the whole humpy for crab bait, so I don't bleed or gut.

[lokidog]

Humpy out of the river sure, do that, pink out of the salt, you're a fool... just sayin'.   

[WSU]

I was kidding.  Somebody has to say something like that on a humpy thread.

[lokidog]

I was kidding.  Somebody has to say something like that on a humpy thread.

You are forgiven, unfortunately, I have encountered that attitude frequently.  Of course, who wouldn't prefer eating a king or sockeye to a pink?  IMO, a pink in the boat is worth a whole bunch of kings in the sound.   

[WAcoueshunter]

I was kidding.  Somebody has to say something like that on a humpy thread.

   Seriously, ain't that the truth!  Think there's a rule somewhere that you can't go 10 posts without a crab bait reference.  I always just chalk it up to BD types that don't know how to properly take care of fish - either that, or they're trying to eat river fish.  Same people that don't like antelope.   

[WapitiTalk1]

I always gut because it cools the fish much faster.  You don't eat the inside of the ribcage, so really no meat touches anything.

This. You're fishing and got fish to catch. Filet at the ranch.

[pd]

Or just bled out and on ice....   

 

Thousands of gill netters can't be wrong (I know somebody will flame me for this...).  Scissors are fine, or just reach in and pull the main line on the gills, and throw them in the ice hold.  They will bleed out just fine, and cool at the same time.  Don't gut them---a waste of your time, and introduces bacteria in the process, speeding deterioration.