# Do you bleed the fish you keep?



## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

I just started bleeding the fish I keep. Wondering what your thoughts are on this. I learned to do it from the boat captains in Alaska. They said it kept the fillets clear and not full of the discolored blood.


----------



## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

I do when I go to Powell striper fishing. We cut their gills and put them in the live well, it makes it much nicer when we fillet them.


----------



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I typically don't, but I think I'll give it a try.


----------



## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

I had never heard of bleeding a fish. I'll give it a try though next time.


----------



## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Wipers, cats, and bass all get bled when i catch them. I don't mess with other species though.


----------



## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Good to know. I have noticed a difference even though i dont eat trout all that much.


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I usually bleed saltwater fish by cutting off or around the tail. Force of habit I guess.

I gill and gut Kokanee immediately.

The rest of them, just whatever.


----------



## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

If I'm keeping trout I clean asap. Perch and gills just go on ice when I catch them. Everything bleeds when I hit them in the head.


----------



## Leaky (Sep 11, 2007)

I guess I'm the minority. I fillet every fish except trout and about 50% of them. What blood???? I even clean them the next day!!!!! :shock: They sure taste good to me. Really don't understand all the " hoop- la". Educate me, ok.? Be gentle to an old fart. :lol: Explain exactly how to bleed em and maybe I'll give it a try even though I'm blissfully happy the way it is now.


----------



## Bassrods (Jan 14, 2008)

Just think of the last fish you fillet, did one side bleed more then the other???

To bleed a fish I cut the gills, then when I fillet them there is no blood and far less mess and they seem to tast better...


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Come to think about it, my dad always cut the gills on large catfish and carp.

This is good: http://quamut.com/quamut/fish/page/how_ ... _fish.html


----------



## Wilford (Mar 31, 2009)

Wyogoob,
Thanks for that reference. It was good for "bleeding" fish, but I also got some other good information.


----------



## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Bassrods said:


> Just think of the last fish you fillet, did one side bleed more then the other???
> 
> To bleed a fish I cut the gills, then when I fillet them there is no blood and far less mess and they seem to tast better...


Yep... I did an experiment with some brooks this last weekend. Bled two and let the others sit on the stringer. They splashed around and filled the fillets with blood. The two I bled were clean as a whistle. I think I'll keep doing it. Oh and they were tasty smoked!!


----------



## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

In the summer, I don't use the livewell and put them in a cooler on ice. Once the surface water temp drops, I'll use the livewell again.

Bleeding may be fine, but I think cooling them quickly is more beneficial.


----------

