Fish storage

Question about fish storage for maximum freshness...

I've been using the Seattle Sports kayak fish cooler with several blocks of blue ice to keep my catches cool while I'm on the water.  After fishing I put them on ice and filet them when I get home, or sometimes the next day.  Then, I'll probably eat one of the fillets that night and vacuum-seal the rest and put them in the freezer.  So, all good there.

The question relates to multi-day fishing trips (like for example, the ORC).  Lets say you're away from home for 3 or 4 days.  How do you handle the early catches?  I've seen conflicting advice on the best way to handle.  I've seen:

* Don't keep anything you can't eat or freeze within 48 hours
* Just leave them on ice whole and deal with them when you get home
* Gut them, and leave on ice on the bone, then fillet when you get home
* Filet them and keep the filets in a ziploc on ice til you get home, then vacuum seal and freeze

Anyone care to weigh in?  Heading to Westport for the long weekend (conditions permitting) and I want to keep everything legal.

Thanks!
Rory

This has always worked for me...


 Filet them and keep the filets in a ziploc on ice til you get home, then vacuum seal and freeze

I'd say, if you have access to a cleaning station, and have room in your car for a big enough cooler, fillet them out, and vacuum seal them right there.  Glad makes a handpump vacuum sealer and zipperbags in quart and gallon size.  Get about 20lbs of dry ice, and bury the vacuum sealed bags at the bottom of the cooler, under a layer of newspaper, with the dry ice on top.

I think it's important to bleed them, then knock them out, and get them on ice as soon as possible (if you're in fresh water that's really cool, you can keep them on the stringer)

For obvious reasons, you may not want to bleed things in the salt, but knock it out, and keep it cool, and get it on ice soon as ya can.

I generally don't fillet until I get home, (unless there is a really nice setup like the one at Depoe Bay!) but if it's gonna be in the cooler more than a few hours, I will gut it.

This has always worked for me...

 Filet them and keep the filets in a ziploc on ice til you get home, then vacuum seal and freeze

Ditto!

For obvious reasons, you may not want to bleed things in the salt, but knock it out, and keep it cool, and get it on ice soon as ya can.

I knock em', bleed em', and throw them into the salt on my stringer unless I'm paddling.  Keeps the adventure interesting.  And I have noticed a good change since bleeding them as soon as I catch them. 

For obvious reasons, you may not want to bleed things in the salt, but knock it out, and keep it cool, and get it on ice soon as ya can.

I knock em', bleed em', and throw them into the salt on my stringer unless I'm paddling.  Keeps the adventure interesting.  And I have noticed a good change since bleeding them as soon as I catch them. 

Ya I'm a big fan of this method when boat fishing gonna start doing it in the yak too.

Besides
15 foot shark + 13 foot kayak = kick ass photo op!!!

OK you guys what is this bleeding stuff.  When I take out my 22' boat I just put my rockfish on ice. I haven't gone rockfishing in my YAK yet,so this is new to me. Is there a certain way of cuting them to bleed them. Also doesn't this bring some unwanted visitors around our nice skinny short YAKS.

Dunno about rockfish, but salmon that are bled by cutting or tearing a gill arch taste better and keep better until processed at home.  Bleeding lessens "fishy" taste, as it drains the blood from the flesh.  Immediate gutting lessens "belly-burn"---caused by digestive enzymes attacking the belly wall.

Bleeding a fish when you catch it, results in better tasting meat.

My method is cutting the gills or ripping them with my fingers.  I wait a minute or two, then put a knife through the brain area.  I know I've hit the right spot when the whole fish shudders.

......... Also doesn't this bring some unwanted visitors around our nice skinny short YAKS.

But, getting up close to "nature" is part of the fun, right?? 

Bleeding a fish when you catch it, results in better tasting meat.

My method is cutting the gills or ripping them with my fingers.  I wait a minute or two, then put a knife through the brain area.  I know I've hit the right spot when the whole fish shudders.

I agree totally Lee, bled fish is the best fish. Just ask Jay...

This is where the Hobie is nice, I just rip out gills with my pliers and toss 'em in the Mirage drive well to bleed out. I'm almost always leaving a blood trail out the drive well.... It only sucks when you toss a Ling there and it makes a beeline for your groin..

I normally rip several gills out, and hang the stringer from the side of the boat when I'm not moving.  I haven't thought of spiking them until after reading the tuna info - spiking them might reduce the overall level of lactic acid in the muscles, and might improve the texture even more...

That's why I go all stabby on them, to stop them from trying to struggle and creating more acid in the meat.  I learnt it from my GF's fishing book   

  I haven't thought of spiking them until after reading the tuna info - spiking them might reduce the overall level of lactic acid in the muscles, and might improve the texture even more...

Hmm, good point.Gonna have to try that.Great idea Lee, now you learnt us somethin.
 
Get them bleeding real heavy too, they don't kick long after that. Bleeding improves the BRF immensely!