Fish for the table

[sisu]

I am curious about several things in regards to "in the field" preservation of fish for the table.

How many of you try to bleed your fish before killing it?
   I try to stick my knife in the neck of the fish right where the gills and abdomen meet at   the little V. There is a major artery there and if you cut it the heart will pump the fish dry. We do this on salmon, steelhead, ahi, ono, etc.

How many of you gut it as soon as possible after bleeding it?
   Do this right after the bleeding of big fish. If small we  gill and and gut.

If in a boat do yo have ice to put the fish on?
   We keep ice in a cooler and the fish go right there after we've done the cleaning and bleeding

If stream fishing, either wading, small drift boat where space is limited, do you have some special way to care for you catch so the flesh stays firm and cool?
   Bleed, gut, rinse and put in a canvas bag that filled with grass, the bag is kept wet so it acts as a cooler of sorts

I'd like to hear what everyone does as we are into fishing season and that means more meat for the freezer, smoker, canning jars, etc.

[tlbradford]

I have never tried bleeding a fish.  I gill out and gut as soon as I can when steelheading and salmon fishing.  If it is spring, summer, or fall, I have a cooler with Ice packs handy.  I have never bothered with anything when winter steelheading.  90% of my fish is grilled.

When lake fishing everything stays alive until I get home.  They get cleaned and cut into steaks or fileted immediately.

This is the way I was taught, but I would love to hear what other folks do.  As many hours as I put in for each steelhead, I wouldn't mind taking a little more time to make it taste better.

[russ]

with SH and salmon i either cut the gills or cut the tail. they will bleed out either way. then gut them. cook and EAT!

[singleshot12]

Yer doing it right sisu,makes all the difference in the world for the table.

[huntnphool]

I bleed all my fish, for halibut and sturgeon it helps keep the meat nice and white.

[rougheye]

I bleed all my fish .I if it is salmon or steelhead I just pop 1 gill while they are still alive ,gets all the blood out.Clean meat and dont taste fishy.

[Red Dawg]

yep bleed them all.

[Antlershed]

Bleed all of them, put on ice in the cooler, gut at the end of the day.

[ICEMAN]

Fish is food. Nothing worse than seeing some dufus trolling around the lake all day with a stringer of trout draggin in the warm oily chop on the surface of the lake. "These trout are always muddy tasting!" 

I treat fish like food! Always have ice around, and kill the fish and ice them down, clean later.

[Wea300mag]

Bleeding is the best, I also fillet my salmon without gutting, it's quick and easy. We always catch out limits in minimal time so ice is not as important.

[Antlershed]

I almost forgot....release all Humpies 

[MuleySniper]

Yank the gills, tie em right over the boat and watch them bleed!!!!!! Just hope a seal doesnt come up and snag it while you are doing it
MS

[Smokepole]

I bleed trout throught the gills, but I usually konk bigger fish on the head and throw them right on the ice.  Never bled a big fish, but I'm going to try it now.  Never had a bad king caught in salt water, but they might be even better bled like that.  Have to try it.

[tlbradford]

So when I remove the gills is this the same as bleeding a fish?