Bleeding out fish

fish4fun

fish4fun

Well-Known Member
Until last year, I never even thought about bleeding out my fish I planned to keep for the table. Someone on this board brought it to my attention last year, when i posted a picture of a fish that was not bled out and they commented on its discolouration. Looking back at that picture now vs the pictures of the fish is have taken this year now that I bled them out, there is a drastic difference in appearance..... The main difference though is in taste. The fish taste so much better if you bleed them out right away. I only bring this up because I see a lot of pictures of fish on this board, that are not bled out. And you can see it in the coloration of the fish in the pictures. For all of you who don't bled your fish out, I would urge you to try it one day. You will even notice a difference in the smell (drastically reduced) while you are cleaning the fish! Happy fishing
 
thanks…. i do this on lakers but not walleye…will have to remember to give it a try
 
Great advise, I started last year and now prefer both the improved taste and clean fillets'.
 
Bleeding out fish you plan to eat definitely improves the flavor but everything you do to get the fish to the table as fresh as possible improves the quality. If you bleed out the fish and don't have a cooler full of ice on board your boat to store the fish you have not done yourself much good.
 
I also bleed then heavily ice immediately all walleye I catch. I also cut out all the dark mud line along with belly, makes a huge difference.
 
Yes, agreed on the ice... I got tired of buying ice. I know I'm cheap! I freezer 1-1.5 l water bottles. I have about 10 of them. I bleed out in one live well that easily recirculates fresh water through it. Then once the fish have bled, I transfer to my other live well that is full of the frozen water bottles. Works well for me. I have not run out out of fish storage yet unfortunately.
 
Should you bleed out the walleye as well or just the rainbows,also what about the silver bass?
I know people don't like them but I think they are alright.
 
@fish4fun... I'm cheap too. I make all my own ice and bring about 40 lbs. for every walleye excursion and about 25 lbs. if I go for perch. I have the ice in one cooler and transfer to the big cooler as needed so ice is distributed throughout all of the fish. It keeps the perch so cold half of them are still alive when I fillet them. A good bonk on the head usually settles them down before I go to work. :p
 
fish4fun said:
Yes, agreed on the ice... I got tired of buying ice. I know I'm cheap! I freezer 1-1.5 l water bottles. I have about 10 of them. I bleed out in one live well that easily recirculates fresh water through it. Then once the fish have bled, I transfer to my other live well that is full of the frozen water bottles. Works well for me. I have not run out out of fish storage yet unfortunately.
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Thanks for the tip fish4fun.I was wondering what that other live well on my boat was for.LOL Tight lines,& FISH ON!!
 
When you bleed the do you just cut the gills or do you cut the gill & cut the gut open... also when you bleed them out do you hang them over the side fora while? just wondering the best method... I have heard of it but never tried it. After reading this I'd like to try a couple as I am on vacation next week...
 
image.jpeg @JustForUs , probably the best image to depict how I do it, is the bottom rainbow in this picture. I cut through the gills, and sever the "throat" a well. I cut almost up to the spine. Just so the head is still attached. It bleeds them out very quickly. My boat has two live wells. I leave one on recirculating, and I use it to bleed the fish out in. Water gets really bloody, but after a few minutes of recirculating, it clears right up again. After the fish is bled, I transfer it to my other live well, which I fill with ice, and use it as a cooler. You could bleed over the side but it would want to make sure you secure the fish very well so you don't lose it while you bleed it. A good slip not around the tail..... Or through the jaw..... Something secure. You will be glad you tried it! The first time I did it, I kind of squirmed..... Slicing the throat of a live fish....., but in the end, the fish dies very quickly, as apposed to just throwing them on ice, and letting them die slowly in the cooler. Better tasting meat for sure!
 
JustForUs said:
When you bleed the do you just cut the gills or do you cut the gill & cut the gut open... also when you bleed them out do you hang them over the side fora while? just wondering the best method... I have heard of it but never tried it. After reading this I'd like to try a couple as I am on vacation next week...
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My daughter attaches a plastic coated piece of cable, cuts the gills with scissors, hooks to a cleat and drags for 5-10min. Sometimes blood gets all over the side but she rinses with the hose.
 
Fished the bay since I was a kid many moons ago and have never bled them out, dad didn't pass that along. Are you bleeding out perch as well?
 
I read about bleeding fish out on this board also....so last year...first walleye...I tell the guys we are going to bleed it out before it goes on ice....I cut its throat..one guy ties the fish over the side to drag it for a bit....about 30 seconds later I watch the eye slowly sinking to the bottom ! sigh....
Now I bleed them out in the live well and put them in the cooler on ice !
As for bleeding out perch ! hmmm...pretty sure my boat would look like a murder shot from Criminal Minds by the end of the day....well maybe not this year !
 
I always bleed out pics, bows and salmon. I use a set of poultry scissors to snip the throat in the live well and leave them in to bleed for 20 minutes before putting them in the cooler on ice. I have never tried perch but no reason that it wouldn't work for them. It's definitely worth the effort.
 
I see a few people put their catch on ice right away. Is it necessary to put them on ice if you have a livewell?
 
If you are keeping them alive, then live well is ok, if they are going on the table, I bleed them and ice them right away. The sooner you get he meat cold the better quality of meat
 
With the water temps what they are I don't like using the livewells, like slow cooking the fish in 80F water and they will start to get blotchy. Ice is expensive buying it by the bag. We fill large pop bottles full of water and freeze them overnight. Then throw them in a cooler or livewells. Put your fresh catch, bled out, under the bottles and they will stay as fresh as possible without spending 15 bucks or more on bags of ice. The last time I bought ice at the store before heading out and got sticker shock, I thing it was 20 bucks for 5 bags, I went out and bought a fridge with an ice maker in it. I love it but still use frozen bottles and use the ice from the fridge for my ice tea and Dr. Smirnoff's.

Plus the fish don't get water logged sitting in thawed ice. Fish sitting in water is the worse thing you can do to a fish once it is dead.
 
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