How To Bleed Saltwater Fish (For Cleaner Fish Fillets)
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- Опубліковано 29 кві 2020
- Do you want delicious, clean saltwater fish fillets?
Then you’ve got to bleed your fish (the right way).
Bleeding fish helps get all the blood out, which produces tastier fillets.
Plus, it’s a humane way to kill fish quickly.
We had a smorgasbord day today on the water, so we brought back several different species to show you how to bleed each one.
In this video, you’re going to learn:
- when to bleed fish
- how to bleed several different species of fish
- how to bleed spanish mackerel
- how to bleed flounder
- how to bleed bluefish
- how to bleed mangrove snapper
- how to know if you did it wrong
- and more
If you like to catch and cook fish, you're going to love this video.
Have any questions about bleeding fish?
Or do you have a better way of doing it?
Let me know in the comments below!
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Tip: You’ll want the fish to be submerged in water after cutting. If they are just sitting on top of ice the blood coagulates whereas if they are submerged, staying wet, they bleed out faster and cleaner.
If you hit the fish on the head you kill it instantly without stopping the heart and allowing the blood to flow out of the fish. That way he’s not flopping around dying on ice. That’s the way I learned anyway. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for making time to leave the comment!
Salt Strong thats what we did in Alaska for salmon and halibut. Thanks for making videos!
That’s how I do it, it’s more humane
True but depends on the fish. Usually done with larger fish
@@surfr4life919 Even for smaller fish, you can whack them on the table, the cooler, or really anything else sturdy. It immediately renders the fish unconscious and allows time for the fish to bleed out without suffering.
I’ve been looking for videos on the best way to bleed a fish. Thanks for breaking it down and then showing it in action. Appreciate it and very helpful.
After you make the cut, stick him head first in a bucket of water to let him bleed out. Saves the ice for a clean, still fish.
Thanks for making time to leave the comment!
I agree with your technique. I saw another guy who let them sit in the net in cold lake water to bleed out good, and then put them on ice.
@@scottrados6100 Where I live the water is hot. I aint got that option.
The ocean is 30 degrees C here (86F).
Thanks. I was going to ask about that since I am new at bleeding and wanted to make sure.
A good tip. I always try to do that, just to keep my cooler and ice cleaner and fresh, though I don't know how long I will be gone fishing.
Hey guys- I’ve been a member for a couple years and love your videos. About bleeding a fish........I started doing this a while ago, but I’d suggest adding 2 things. 1. Kill the fish first. Ikejeme. A smack in the head works, but I carry an old fashion ice pick. A quick stab in the brain makes it ‘brain dead instantly but the heart is pumping. Then cutting the gills as you described. 2. Make a vertical slit near the tail, both sides, to cut the artery that runs lengthwise through the fish.
Hold it in the water for a few minutes and let most blood pump out. Even in my kayak, I pack my Hobie keeper bag with ice in a plastic bag,, like a 5 or 10 pound bag from a machine or gas station. Then with the first fist, I add water from wherever I’m fishing and drop in the fish. It gets really cold, the brain dead fish’s heart keeps involuntary pumping and you get a really well bleed fish. Works well in a cooler. Bloody, yeah. But you can change the water
If you keep the ice in the bag rather than dumping it out, it will last longer. In my Hobie cooler bag, I can keep bagged ice in a cold lump for at least 6 hours.
Wow. Mr. Blue still had a few dance moves left! lol Thanks for the knowledge.
Also hit your fish with something before bleeding it. Fish are very susceptible to blunt force and it will kill them and stop them from moving or sending adrenaline (which ruins the meat) but the heart will still bleed.
Great video as always. Garden pruners (snips) work also without the chance of stabbing your hand with the knife.
Thank you for this educational video so many fishing videos exclude this out of fear of upsetting viewers (good grief). Anyone new to fishing and harvesting their catch need to know how to do this. It e hate flavor to the filet and it is very humane to prevent the catch from suffering. Wonderful video and thank you!!
Exactly, people are so afraid of hurting people's feelings even though it's important sometime to educate people without hiding the facts, if not we will not learn.
Hey bro theres one thing you need to do b4 you cut the artery. To quickly and humanly kill the fish you need to Iki Jimi then cut the artery. Iki Jimi is a Japanese technique that kills the fish instantly by placing a knife on top of the head and piercing the brain. Look up the technique. Nick Myers from breakaway tackle USA demonstrated that on a UA-cam video.
bleeding fish really does make a huge differences on the quality of the fillet especially with the fish that has a lot of blood in it. i like to add water in my ice just to make the blood come out more easily without getting too messy
Very helpful, Thank you for doing it.
Thank you on the show how to bleed a fish.Your video was very educational and keep educating us.That doesn't know how to be a better person when we go out fishing and take home some good stuff
Very Good tips thx again!!!
Dispatch before bleeding, more humane, imagine feeling and suffering the blade through your artery then bleeding out? Cool technique though 👍
Thank you for this informative video
Great tip!!! Thanks!!!
Very nice blue fish!
thank you for sharing !
Nice video, Thanks!!
Good stuff!
Man, thank you! I went out yesterday and caught a load of seabass but was ignorant of how and why to bleed the fish! Furthermore last summer I voided a load of bluefish thinking that they were not edible! Simple task but one that will improve my knowledge, I love when the light bulb comes on, once again thanks a lot!
Good comment. You probably know this now, but bluefish are fantastic eating if they're bled properly right after being caught, they're served the same day after being caught, AND if after being filleted, you trim off the bloodline. I catch bluefish all the time while surf fishing in Melbourne FL and then make breaded fish fillet sandwiches out of them for our kids. They love them. Happy fishing!
Take a look at a Japanese method of preserving fish called ikejime. Bleeding is one part of the method.
Great tip, thanks for sharing.
You're welcome!
Thank you... Subscribed :)
Perfect vid.
Thank you there are so many Spanish mackerel in right now.. . I will try in the next few days
This makes a very big difference with spanish mackerel.
Awesome video
I love catching fish but I don't eat them. My wife does and I never thought about bleeding them until I watched a fishing video a few minutes ago. Looks simple enough. Thanks for making this video.
No fried fish?
@@fliprodriguez5250 Nope. Don't like the taste.
@@twotoned2774 so no seafood? Well I’ll be damned.
@@fliprodriguez5250 I hear it all the time that I'm weird because I live in Charleston, SC and living on the water most people eat seafood.
@@twotoned2774 😂😂 damn what did you eat growing up? You an 80’s baby?
Wow.. it's that simple?
Thank you for the Vid..
You bet! Let us know if you have any questions!
Can you just let it bleed in the water for a couple minutes to minimize having blood in the cooler?
Right to business… I love it! You got a sub sir!!
Thanks so much for your support!
Thank you. I just subscribed
I love how most of the comments are trying to correct this video. I will say in its defense. The video was in focus. Thanks for that.
Look I like you guys I really do and every man each to his own. It is not known yet if fish feel pain but they do feel stress. As you could see on the blue fish it started flopping around when you cut the gills and causes the fish to build up lactic acid and adrenaline which makes the meat rot faster and have that oily fishy taste. I recommend you do and ikejime style way of dispatching and bleeding your fish since its the most humane and it results in better tasting fish. You simply either run a spike or nail through the fishes brain or hit it on the head with a blunt object so it can no longer feel stress and then you cut the gills and halfway through the tail to bleed the fish. Then you can put it on a half ice half water slurry for the fish to finish bleeding. You can buy or make your own brain spikes and it really does make a difference for you and the fish so I recommend you try it. I respect you and your opinion have a good day and may we all catch fish
Alejandro Garcia well said and agree with ur comment
@@GusLavidas2012 what about a quick hammer slap and gut?
@@GusLavidas2012 have you ever tried to spike the brain of a fish? it takes a lot of experience or else you'll cause the fish more pain than the normal bleeding method. Experienced cleaners and amateurs both don't understand that most people can't kill a fish instantly.
Fish have nerves, they feel pain
@@owenbicheno3511 apparently this guy knew the whole time
In all these years of fishing in Charleston, SC I have never bled fish. I will be from now on, thanks!
Thanks for the feedback and let us know if we can help answer any questions.
@@Saltstrong I will and thanks!
I do this for freshwater trout. I leave it in the water so the blood doesn't clot and stop the bleed. If I was bleeding fish as you do I'd hang it over the side of the boat or dock to let the blood pump out.
Oh, the flounder looked a little small if you ask me.
Definitely need to bleed The Blues but flounder, mangroves and Spanish filets come out pretty clean without bleeding them. (I’m sure it was just for demonstration of the technique) nice video 👍
Hey man what type of knifes do you use? They seem super sharp
Greenhorn question... do you bleed them out immediately or just when you start to clean them.
Great video, especially for the beginner like myself.
Glad it was helpful!
I like to put them in the live well for a few minutes before putting the fish on ice, this way to fish continues to breathe and I find it will pump more blood out.
Awesome thank you bos
👍
Thanks!
Try this... I bleed almost all of my fish this way. When I first heard about this I was skeptical but I hav found it the best way to get every drop of blood out of the fish. I started this on Halibut. Ring 3/4 of the tail then break the spine. We leave the fish hang over board for at least 10 min. Then into the fish box filled with seawater. I live in Alaska, aluminum boat, so the water in the fish box stays at about 38-40 degrees. You will be able to see that with every beat of the heart a stream of blood. The larger the fish the longer it will take. A 100 pounder halibut will take a good 30 min. But when you process it there will be no blood at all, even if you scrape hard against the spine. I have since used this on salmon, and rock fish and it works on all of them. The drawback is you no longer can use the tail to flip the fish when cleaning. But then the quality of the meat is worth this inconvenience to me. In the end whatever gets the blood out, will improve the taste and appearance of the meat.
@melissa Just cut the tail off. All the blood to and from the heart fallow the spine, cut the tail off and all of the blood will bleed out of the fish.
Saltwater mixed in the ice too. Firms up the fillets (but y’all probably know that already, lol)
Yes, the salt will make the temp in the cooler colder.
Can you freeze actual saltwater to make salt ice?
Koopa Troopa Poopa yasse
Would it be ok to put fish in bucket of water for a few minutes to let the blood drain out. Then put on ice
I’ve heard to bleed fish but I thought you cut the tail. I guess you could use the same method on fresh water fish. Great information thanks
The base of the tail has a pretty good-sized artery, so that can work too for many species (many people cut both the gills and the tail)
Have you looked into Ikejime? Dispatching and severing the spinal cord to minimize lactic acid and then bleeding it?
Yes. It looks like a lot of work to do perfectly. But I'm sure it's helpful for making the meat even better.
It kills the fish instantly. Your right on.
I didnt know about lactic acid i thought it just stopped rigormortis or is it all the same process ?
It's a substance that is in blood. It's a waste product that contaminates the blood and tissues.
@@Saltstrong I have been making a cut through the backbone near the tail. This has kept the meat much firmer on species, such as sea trout, that tend to be soft.
The pros at the Chinese fish market whack the fish with a mallet so that it’s more humane….none of those pros just cut into the fish and let it flop around like that
Good vid!
Same is true with game species.
Bleed right away, and the meat will taste great. Great cooks know that.
Some hunters take long shots, and by the time they get or find the animal, the blood is coagulated.
Besides; see (Gen 9:3-4)
Thanks for the vid, but a question: assuming no sharks around, isn't it best to bleed them in the water? I'm only asking because I would think immediately throwing them on ice slows the blood flow and will cause clotting faster. Interested in your take!
It probably would not affect them that quickly! Typically bleeding a fish will not take a long time at all in a cooler!
@@Saltstrong Thank you for the reply. And this is timely, because this weekend I'm headed to the NH coast for some flounder. :-)
Would've been more humane by first incapacitating the fish with a proper bonk on the head to knock it out and then bleeding it immediately after...
I use game shears to cut the same vein. Makes a bigger deeper cut and is safer to use.
Shouldn’t you stab it in the brain first? Also doesn’t hurt to run a wire through the spinal cord
I turn 1 of my livewells into a deadwell. I cut the fish like you then I put it in the deadwell with water, it bleeds out. Then on ice it goes. After a couple of fish I flush out the well.
Wouldn't it be easier to slice from outside in then getting the knife in the gills. Not sure I am new to fishing but trying to learn. I went out with a charter and the mate just reached in with his finger and did it...
That can work too. You just want to be sure to cut the blood line.
Ive seen it done a slightly different way. After the cut is made, you put the fish head first in a bucket of water, it struggles and pumps all the blood out of its body. Done right the fish is cut, bled, and drifting off in less than 10 seconds.
👍
Thanks for showing that! What about for pompano?
Yes, bleed pompano too. They'll taste much better, especially if you trim off the bloodline after you filet them.
Great tip! Thank you. Is this process different for sharks?
Not sure... we don't eat sharks much at all, so haven't ever tried it with them.
You can do it the same but also much gut the shark, if not it will leave secretions thru the skin and into the meat which will cause it to go bad
I leave mine on the hook still and then cut the gills and toss them back in the water to bleed out. Let him go for about three or four minutes and then throw them right on ice.👍👍
Good way to feed the sharks or a bigger fish.
That's what I do
What do you think about whacking the fish between the eyes before bleeding it out? I just bled my first live fish. It was a bit sloppy, but I whacked it first. Better for the fish? Better for the meat? Worse for the fish? Worse for the meat? I have no idea.
In any case, very helpful video!
We can make a video/tip on this topic!
"That's how you kill the fish humanely" *Hears the bluefish thrashing around in the cooler for minutes*
From a sitting or lying down position, if you get up fast, you faint. That is because your blood pressure goes down. Now imagine , your artery that goes to your brain is cut. What would you feel? Again you faint, but much faster and severely this time. Can you insert an object into a fish's brain faster and more accurately than just cutting its artery? In the former method, you still have to do the latter and possibly inflicting another pain. That the fish is flapping around 1) does not mean it is feeling pain because, it should not be conscious; 2) it is only for seconds, that is only until all the blood is drained out; and 3) it should help get more blood out because of muscles contracting.
Thanks for the feedback!
I use a good pair of heavy duty fishing shears. Much safer especially on the water
Thanks for making time to leave the comment!
Thanks - I would suggest perfecting the technique further by using the ikejime method
Thanks for the tip!
Tip: kill the fish with the brain spike method to kill them quicker (obviously) and make the fish last longer in the fridge.
I put them back in salt water for a few minutes after I cut the gills.
How long do you wait until you filet the fish? Thanks
I like to wait long enough for the fish to get very cold because it makes the cleaning easier and ensures that the meat stays cold while cleaning.
Is it ok to bleed the fish and then put it in saltwater? Because I don't want to ruin my fish
Ikijime. I’ve heard and read it’s one of the best ways to kill and bleed a fish. I’m still trying to master it
I'm working on it too the only thing with it is that every fish has a "sweet spot" (if you could even call it that) where the fish bleeds better than other areas; sometimes its a stab through the gills, sometimes snapping the neck, sometimes cutting the gill artery like in the video, Not as much of a simple process as the videos and articles say.
Like everything, they always make it look so simple haha.
Aren't you supposed to stun them first?
For anyone saying that it's cruel to do this while the fish is alive. But the only way to bleed a fish is if the heart pumps out the blood. And I have done trials on fish that have to be bled or can be really bad and if the fish isn't alive only Heald the blood gets remived
Good demonstration, but killing the fish first is a little more humane (iki jime and then bleed), no?
Description
I bleed but also add the Ikejime style of killing. You've never had better meat! This method kills them humanly and very fast so there is no time for adrenaline to get in the meet. Try it out. When added to bleeding you get the absolute best meat!
I prefer putting the in a bucket of water. They continue to try to breath, and pump all the blood out. After a few minutes of bleeding out I put them on ice. Much cleaner, as well.
You are so right . I take a bucket and let them bleed out for five minutes in ocean water before ice. More comes out. Fact is all kind of stuff comes out we never knew. Each fish requires new water. White stuff. black and blood. Difference is night and day. Sashimi grade even the second day. Before the next day was no good to me. Only took 40 years to learn. Try the bucket and video what is left... Oh.
Luke - After you bleed them. How long do you let the blood mingle with the other fish before you dump the water or ice?
What do you do with fresh caught fish and you are out on a jetty with just a 5 gallon bucket? What do you do?
fill the bucket with water and bleed the fish in it
Do you think they felt any pain ! .
can you bleed them out, if your on a kayak and have them on a stringer
You risk attracting sharks that way
It's interesting how many people comment on the cruelty of this ... and maybe there are ways to lessen whatever suffering a fish may feel.
But the underlying assumption seems to be that had the fisherman (excuse me, fisherperson) not caught the fish, it would have lived a long and happy life and gone peacefully to its rest in fish hospice with a prayer group singing hymns as it went to its watery reward.
Uh, no. Most fish die by being eaten whole (if small), or being ripped apart or shredded while alive, or dying of starvation when injury, infection, or disability prevents them from eating or competing for food. It ain't pretty, folks.
Thanks for watching!
Question: wouldn't putting them on ice cause the blood to clot faster?
Putting them in just water will make them bleed out better, then once they’re bled out put them on ice. I find that unless the fish is submerged in water the blood just clots and stays in the fish.
Why not stun the fish first? Bat to the head or a spike?
Use a four-step Japanese method called ikejime.
If you are kayak fishing, will you attract sharks by bleeding fish? Serious question.
It's certainly possible, but not very likely. Keep an eye out and you should be fine. When I keep fish on my kayak, I use a knife or shears to cut the same area and then use my lip grippers to hold the fish and bleed it over the side in the water. It's easy to see the blood pumping out of the fish and gets a similar result.
is it saltwater?
once you do the described procedure, NOT ICE COOLER immediately!
or enjoy cleaning your cooler with flies, as you are filleting the other fish.....
BLEED FISH as described, LEAVE FISH IN THE SALTWATER, the blood won't coagulate, and you can rinse it off prior to cooler.
IMHO.. I've had blue fish, king Mac, and whiting taste like fresh tuna, or flounder (can't go wrong if you distress them early), trigger, snaps, groups, porgy's, bonnets, black tips... whatever.... you've got to... bleed da fish.... "Kiss da gurl" sha-na-na-naa, my-o-my you got to bleed-da-feash (my little sister ruled the VCR, dammit, I had to watch what she was playing, little mermaid ;-p ) i'm old... VHS/VCR
do you concuss the fish first?
Some people do
I put them in a bucket of sea water to bleed out for 5-10 minutes before chilling them down. Just cuts down on the mess. Note that down here in the South Island of New Zealand, the water's only 17℃ at the most in Summer.
In the hot Florida weather, we have to put them on ice immediately so that it stays as fresh as possible.
Does this hurt the fish?
A bonk on the head first renders them unconscious, so at that point, no. If no bonk, then yes.
Regardless, like all living things relying on the heart pumping blood for survival, once the artery is severed, a loss of blood to the brain results in the same loss of consciousness and death. Just takes a bit. Personally, if I’m ever a fish, bonk me on the head first.
Fish should be gutted as soon as possible, which means cleaning out its body cavity and removing blood, bacteria and other materials from its digestive tract. Removing the fish's internal organs (and gills!) slows down spoilage and prevents parasites from moving into the flesh. If you can only bleed the fish for some reason, gut it as soon as possible for the best product. My friend gave me some bled, but not gutted, bluefish that he'd caught only hours before up here in New England, and already the flesh that was in contact with the stomach contents had started to degrade. Chemical digestion by fish begins in the stomach. The stomach has cells that secrete hydrochloric acid (like humans), which hydrolyzes the food and promotes enzymatic activity by decreasing pH.
Thanks for the tip!
Should I cut sharks in the same place/way?
A real old timer showed me how to prepare spiny/dogfish sharks...basically cut off right before their tails and let the blood/urea drain. We steaked it up and broiled with garlic/salt. Surprisingly not bad...picked the meat out from the cartilage.
That blood could be used as excellent bait colouring.
Eh would get pretty gnarly!
It seems cruel but you should mention the mercury. The mercury levels in the blood of fish increase with size as they have eaten more small fish each containing small amounts of mercury. Small fish = small amounts but larger ubher predators = lots of Mercury -.. In Oz logan River Bull sharks are inedible if not bled before you eat them (Possibly also from all the meth heads buried in the river being eaten by same... ). Lactic acid in humans is from hypoxia over time before death (Downtime) . Same in fish - they get hypoxic out of water as they cannot breathe air. Bleeding them after the head bang death should allow them to die as well as move blood for a while but all of these ways will cause lactic acid as its not relevant to adrenaline except that adrenaline increases the blood flow over time whilst alive .A very simplified explanation and I am mostly guessing at this logically (ICU Nurse).
Cut under the gills, toss it into ice. You got snow white filets 😊
Have you found the Ike Jime method, it's more humane and demonstrates skill, knowledge, and professionalism, along with producing far better, higher quality fish.
Bleed fish the way you showed but put them in a bucket of water head first. They will bleed more thoroughly.
Thanks for making time to leave the comment!
Mmm cool-aid
Wouldn't the ice clot the blood
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