Post by: yakimanoob on March 29, 2018, 11:41:30 AM
Apologies if this has been well covered elsewhere. I did try searching but I'm not sure what common words are used for it.
Do you kill your trout in some way before throwing them in the cooler? Knock 'em on the head? Decapitate? Some other method? I've heard some bits about people running a wire through the spine too.
Just curious what others are doing. I've typically just thrown them in the cooler and let them go to sleep. But I'm very much a rookie here.
And just for fun, I took my brother his family fishing at Rotary Lake in Yakima and we got stupid lucky -- arrived about 20 minutes after they dumped 4k new fish in the lake.
Post by: Evil_EdwardO on March 29, 2018, 11:47:46 AM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on March 29, 2018, 11:50:43 AM
Post by: Alchase on March 29, 2018, 12:13:14 PM
Sometimes if I am bored wile fishing I will clean them while still in the boat. Unless it is too big to handle alive, I just start with a cut up the gut. cutout the gills, run a thumb up the inside to get the guts and bloodline, call it good.
Big fish get a bonk on the head, LOL
Post by: Skillet on March 29, 2018, 12:30:10 PM
Post by: yakimanoob on March 29, 2018, 12:33:22 PM
knock them on a rock and get it over with. I can't believe I am even answering thisLike I said, I'm a serious rookie in terms of western/trout fishing. I grew up fishing streams in the southeast and kept the bass or bream on a stringer and they were alive until I was ready to clean them (or if I was with a friend with a boat, in a live well to the same effect). I did the same thing at first when I moved up here three years ago, but after watching my trout die pretty quick on a stringer, I just started throwing them in the cooler and feeling like there must be a better way :)
I'll try knocking them next time I go out (which hopefully will be soon...)
Post by: PolarBear on March 29, 2018, 12:41:40 PM
Bonk and pop a gill to bleed.:yeah:
Gotta bleed them out especially if you are keeping eggs to cure.
I was told that fish cannot feel pain only pressure.
Post by: h20hunter on March 29, 2018, 12:51:24 PM
Post by: 7mmfan on March 29, 2018, 01:13:25 PM
I don't like to see any creature suffer, so I often bonk my fish before I bleed them, but with little trout like that, that will usually kill them, not stun them, and you lose the heart beat to pump the blood out.
If you are just going to use them for crawdad bait, or something like that, just bonk them on the head and toss them in the cooler.
Post by: Seahawk12 on March 29, 2018, 01:37:34 PM
Post by: chiwawadan on March 29, 2018, 02:00:08 PM
Post by: W_Ellison2011 on March 29, 2018, 03:17:38 PM
I've always head bonked trout. In Alaska, most folks I've known with experience will rip a gill of the salmon to bleed it. "Makes for better fillets" was the claim.It 100% does make for better fillets when you rip the gill. Just slide a finger under the bottom gill and bounce the fish on your finger. Their own weight will tear it and you will see blood pour out instantly. It makes the fillets taste milder imo. We did the same with all the halibut we caught while up there too. Trout I have never ripped the gills but I could see it being the same. We usually either just tossed them into the cooler on ice or bonked then into the cooler. This year I will cut gills especially on the bigger browns we catch at the lake in the mountains we go to.
Post by: lokidog on March 29, 2018, 07:57:44 PM
Post by: W_Ellison2011 on March 29, 2018, 08:11:18 PM
Gill cut is the quickest way, they are dead within seconds of bleeding out. Bled out trout/salmon taste better than not.I haven't done trout yet but from my experience with lingcod, cabezon, rockfish, halibut, and salmon... They all taste better if you bleed them! I've got a spot in the mountains that we regularly catch 10"-14" rainbows and cutthroat trout plus a couple 16"-26" browns. I will be bleeding them this year for a taste comparison.
Post by: j_h_nimrod on March 29, 2018, 08:31:23 PM
Post by: Alchase on March 29, 2018, 08:51:50 PM
Seriously cutting a trout to bleed out make no sense to me unless you are packing them on ice after the bleed I guess. But if alive when you go to clean, it take seconds to gut and gill a trout, and anything with blood in it is pulled out along with the blood vain?
Post by: lokidog on March 29, 2018, 09:43:55 PM
Why the need to bleed out, if you keep them alive until ready to clean?
Seriously cutting a trout to bleed out make no sense to me unless you are packing them on ice after the bleed I guess. But if alive when you go to clean, it take seconds to gut and gill a trout, and anything with blood in it is pulled out along with the blood vain?
Most people have dead fish when they clean them, especially trout that die when you look at them funny. Also, from my experience, cutting live fish (at least bigger ones) is a pain in the butt. It also seems to leave more blood (staining) in the meat.
Post by: yakimanoob on March 29, 2018, 09:49:24 PM
I guess the theory with bleeding them is you end up with less blood/meat contact? I usually trim the ribs off when I filet, so I wouldn't have thought it mattered much if some blood got on the sides of the body cavity :dunno:
I'm weak on my knowledge of trout circulatory system anatomy, but those muscles have to get oxygen somehow. Are there small blood vessels going to the muscles? So maybe bleeding them removes the blood from those?
:dunno: :dunno: :dunno:
Post by: j_h_nimrod on March 29, 2018, 09:50:03 PM
@Skillet - do you want to elaborate on bleeding a king for commercial sale?
Post by: jackelope on March 29, 2018, 10:07:59 PM
knock them on a rock and get it over with. I can't believe I am even answering this
It’s perfectly alright for new folks to ask questions. If you don’t like it, don’t respond.
Post by: Skillet on March 29, 2018, 11:18:12 PM
@Skillet - do you want to elaborate on bleeding a king for commercial sale?
You pretty much nailed it. Kings and coho get the same treatment. I'll add that blood seems to be a primary source of the "fishy" taste in salmon, and to get the premium money trollers do for their fish we get as much out as fast as possible. For my operation, that means:
Stunning in the water
Popping/cutting a gill
Bleeding immediatly in a seawater tank until water runs clear
Heading or gilling fish
Pressure bleeding
Gutting
And finally icing or freezing on plates
Pressure bleeding is done with low pressure seawater through a pipette inserted into the main artery along the backbone, under the kidney (what most people call the bloodline), prior to gutting. If done right, pressure bleeding really improves the quality, shelf life and flavor of the fish. Not practical for fish under 5-ish #, though, unless you really downsized your equipment.
The fish I catch to sell look like this within 15-20 minutes (max) of being landed.
Post by: chiwawadan on March 30, 2018, 08:22:10 AM
@Skillet - do you want to elaborate on bleeding a king for commercial sale?
You pretty much nailed it. Kings and coho get the same treatment. I'll add that blood seems to be a primary source of the "fishy" taste in salmon, and to get the premium money trollers do for their fish we get as much out as fast as possible. For my operation, that means:
Stunning in the water
Popping/cutting a gill
Bleeding immediatly in a seawater tank until water runs clear
Heading or gilling fish
Pressure bleeding
Gutting
And finally icing or freezing on plates
Pressure bleeding is done with low pressure seawater through a pipette inserted into the main artery along the backbone, under the kidney (what most people call the bloodline), prior to gutting. If done right, pressure bleeding really improves the quality, shelf life and flavor of the fish. Not practical for fish under 5-ish #, though, unless you really downsized your equipment.
The fish I catch to sell look like this within 15-20 minutes (max) of being landed.
Great response. Thanks for sharing the insight!
Post by: yakimanoob on March 30, 2018, 08:58:14 AM
knock them on a rock and get it over with. I can't believe I am even answering this
It’s perfectly alright for new folks to ask questions. If you don’t like it, don’t respond.
Haha. I don't mind. And this has me reminiscing about our thread on wolves last year. Pretty sure skyval still thinks I'm a troll, but that's ok. :chuckle:
Post by: pianoman9701 on March 30, 2018, 09:11:38 AM
Post by: yakimanoob on March 30, 2018, 09:30:42 AM
Post by: yakimanoob on March 30, 2018, 09:31:32 AM
@Skillet - do you want to elaborate on bleeding a king for commercial sale?
You pretty much nailed it. Kings and coho get the same treatment. I'll add that blood seems to be a primary source of the "fishy" taste in salmon, and to get the premium money trollers do for their fish we get as much out as fast as possible. For my operation, that means:
Stunning in the water
Popping/cutting a gill
Bleeding immediatly in a seawater tank until water runs clear
Heading or gilling fish
Pressure bleeding
Gutting
And finally icing or freezing on plates
Pressure bleeding is done with low pressure seawater through a pipette inserted into the main artery along the backbone, under the kidney (what most people call the bloodline), prior to gutting. If done right, pressure bleeding really improves the quality, shelf life and flavor of the fish. Not practical for fish under 5-ish #, though, unless you really downsized your equipment.
The fish I catch to sell look like this within 15-20 minutes (max) of being landed.
Getting back on topic... Thanks Skillet! This is very helpful for me.
Post by: Alchase on March 30, 2018, 09:34:19 AM
Post by: Alchase on March 30, 2018, 09:40:50 AM
I have never noticed a flavor difference personally, but there is a difference in storage life and quality.
I agree, Trout do not have the oil Salmon do. So anything you can do to minimize the "dryout" that happens in the freezer is a good thing.
If you are eating them for dinner that night?
I would not even worry about it.
Post by: branches on March 30, 2018, 09:32:52 PM
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on April 02, 2018, 10:58:59 AM
Post by: Skyvalhunter on April 02, 2018, 11:56:24 AM
Post by: jamesfromseattle on April 06, 2018, 08:29:32 AM
With trout and salmon I usually stun an pop a gill. If you’re like me and have a tough time keeping your gear organized, don’t worry about using any equipment: just a solid punch with a closed fist to the top of the head then use a finger to pop a gill. To pop a gill you can just put your index finger in the gills and pull towards the tail. I do both sides because of my OCD, but one is probably good enough.