Prepping your fish for better taste

I know several folks here are almost obsessive-compulsive on how they kill, bleed, and clean their fish once they catch them. 

Generally, we...
1.) bonk the fish
2.) cut the gills to bleed the fish
3.) ice the fish down
4.) gut and clean as soon as possible

With steps 1-3 usually happening right on your kayak.


It is possible, we have it all wrong..
http://luckypeach.com/how-to-perform-ike-jime/

For those who don't want to bother reading the article...this Japanese method (ike jime) takes this fish quality preparation the obsessive compulsion to the next level.

1.) catch the fish
2.) put live fish in live tank for about an hour to let it relax and reduce lactic acid build up
3.) remove fish and spike it in the brain
4.) cut the through the spine near the gills to bleed the fish
5.) cut the tail and poke a fine stiff wire up the spinal cord (neural canal) to destroy the remains of the nervous system.
6.) finish bleeding out the fish on ice
7.) place whole fish (including guts) on ice for 8-72 hours (depending on fish size) until it comes out of rigor mortis.
8.) gut and clean your fish as usual.

1.) catch the fish
2.) put live fish in live tank for about an hour to let it relax and reduce lactic acid build up
3.) remove fish and spike it in the brain
4.) cut the through the spine near the gills to bleed the fish
5.) cut the tail and poke a fine stiff wire up the spinal cord (neural canal) to destroy the remains of the nervous system.
6.) finish bleeding out the fish on ice
7.) place whole fish (including guts) on ice for 8-72 hours (depending on fish size) until it comes out of rigor mortis.
8.) gut and clean your fish as usual.

#2 would be a whole lot easier on a PB.  Pretty constrained on realestate on the kayak.  Plus, live well requires power.
#4   don't you want to cut arteries to bleed it out?
#5 Uhhh, yeah, I'm not going to mess around with that
#7 assumes you have cooler capacity to hold whole fish for that amount of time.

I think the step that makes the biggest difference and is often over looked by sport fishermen is letting the fish rest till it comes out of rigor.
I don't do it because that is a pain .... but it does make a difference.

The Japanese fish handling procedures make sense if you're in a large fishing boat, you're catching large and valuable fish, and you hope to sell them to the sushi market, which apparently demands very careful handling of fish.  Us kayak anglers can learn something from the Japanese fish handling techniques, even if we can't duplicate all those procedures on our somewhat smaller craft.

One thing we can certainly do is put the fish on ice in a cooler.  But I'm surprised by how few kayak anglers carry a cooler on their kayak.  It isn't good for fish to lie in the cargo area of a kayak for several hours.  It isn't possible to carry a cooler big enough for a large halibut on a kayak, but you can jam a pretty wide range of fish into a cooler which fits in the rear cargo area of a kayak.

I gut my fish and snip their gills while I'm out on the water, let them bleed out for 10 minutes or so on a stringer, and then put them on ice in the cooler I have strapped on the back of my kayak.  Eventually the sea lions and the sharks will work their way up the Columbia River to Western Montana, and I won't be able to bleed the fish out in the water, but this procedure is currently still working for me.

I think the step that makes the biggest difference and is often over looked by sport fishermen is letting the fish rest till it comes out of rigor.
I don't do it because that is a pain .... but it does make a difference.

I often take fish out of my kayak cooler which have stiffened up with rigor mortis in a curve, and flatten them out on a cutting board before I start processing them.  Does flattening out the stiff fish do something undesirable to their meat?

I always carry a cooler for Salmon, but it's not feasible for bottom fish.  Bottom fish take up too much space and rockfish spines destroy bag style coolers.

No idea ... it is about the only way to cut them when in rigor.
They will relax from rigor in a day or so

I always carry a cooler for Salmon, but it's not feasible for bottom fish.  Bottom fish take up too much space and rockfish spines destroy bag style coolers.

Also bottom fish are not as nearly as temperature sensitive as salmon. I never ice my bottom fish and just let them hang in the water on the clip. 
Gutting salmon after they bleed really helps to cool them as well.

I recall this topic not to long ago which has expanded my catch quality quite a bit.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=15240.0

Specifically- now I try not to rinse my fish in fresh water before freezing (getting better at the fileting table to keep the filets clean). I chill the filets prior to freezing, pat dry, vacuum seal, then freeze fast in the chest freezer.

Eventually the sea lions and the sharks will work their way up the Columbia River to Western Montana, and I won't be able to bleed the fish out in the water, but this procedure is currently still working for me.

Thought that's what you folks called the people from Calif that bought all the land in Montana?

Gutting salmon after they bleed really helps to cool them as well.

I have thought about doing that, but haven't tried.  Anyone know if there are any rules about gutting a salmon on the water?

Gutting salmon after they bleed really helps to cool them as well.

I have thought about doing that, but haven't tried.  Anyone know if there are any rules about gutting a salmon on the water?

Perfectly legal in Washington ....

Is there a benefit/detriment to freezing your fish before sealing the vac bag?  I've been doing this for a while to avoid sealing problems and keep the sealer clean.  I can't say I've noticed much difference in meat quality.

-Mark-

Is there a benefit/detriment to freezing your fish before sealing the vac bag?  I've been doing this for a while to avoid sealing problems and keep the sealer clean.  I can't say I've noticed much difference in meat quality.

-Mark-

None at all ... often a benefit as you can generally freeze faster with out the bag around the meat.
Put a metal tray in your freezer and let it get really cold then lay the fillets on the sheet. They will freeze faster. Vac once frozen and the fish will be just fine.

I haven't "bonked" any rockfish, ling or cabby for several years as I want the fish to pump out as much blood as possible while it is alive. That and I haven't really needed to bonk one to calm it down. 

So, bleeding is right then if I commit to keeping it. 

Into my insulated heavy PVC fabric cooler bag, that has a big dry bag full of ice on the bottom, or sealed frozen sponges lining the bottom.

Once back on land, I don't filet my fish until later in the day when everything else has been cleaned and put away, I've had a beer and had a chance to relax.  The bag does a great job of keeping the fish cold that long.   
I also avoid letting fresh water contact my fillets until I am ready to cook them.

Lings seem to hold rigor longer than the rockfish in my experience, so they usually get processed last.

I am considering trying gutting lings and rockfish while out on the water just prior to coming back to dock to see if that improves anything.