I really don't think the bleeding thing is totally needed ?

Rinse very well After zippering -taking out that Nasty piece in the middle of every fillet. I rinse until they are very white under cold running water.

At our cleaning table we set up large rinse buckets and use the nice cold water that comes out of the well there.
Then Vac seal and they are fine

Just my Opinion? Glad your wife likes them now !.

 

I bleed em, don't bleed em, just depends on the day. I've had mine right at 1 yr in the freezer and do not find a difference. I am picky about how I clean the fillets. I don't vac seal them anymore, I went back to just a bit of water in a freezer bag, squeeze out all the air, and to protect from other objects that might rip into the bag I wrap in freezer paper or foil. For me it's alot easier than vac pack.

 

Started bleeding walleye several years ago.... Will never go back.

 

I started bleeding my saugeye this summer. I haven't noticed a taste difference but it does make for a cleaner fish cleaning table.Best thing is they're dead when I go to fillet them up so no more gill,cheekplate,and fins cutting me up.

I got a pair of fisker snips and snip the gills of the bigger eyes and throw them in the live well. 20 or so minutes later when they're dead,then I slap them on ice.Nice cold white fillets after I slab them.

 

been bleeding eye's for several year's, wanna see alota blood ? bleed a salmon sometime. I was amazed...

 

Started bleeding mine this year, mostly because it leaves the cooler a lot cleaner at the end of the day. No
Scrubbing to clean it out. As for the taste I don't notice a difference, if we don't bleed them we soak the fillets in cold water and it gets them as white as if they were bled out. Started freezing them in water instead of vacuum sealing, had too many seals some loose in the freezer.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire

 

Bleed them, have done it both ways and bleeding defenitely makes a huge difference. Also, don't vac seal, freeze them in a bag filled with water, keeps them just like fresh caught for many months. I get many compliments from people I share my fish with.

 

Novice here, so how do you bleed them?

 

Just slit their throats! Another good thing about bleeding is you have the option of those nights where you are dead tired and dont feel like cleaning them you can just throw em in the fridge and clean them in the mornin.

 

When I clean my fish I soak the fillets in cold water over night in fridge. The next day they are white as can be, rinse and freeze in water. I take the bloody water and dump on my wife's rose bushes, everybody wants to know what she does to her roses because the flowers get real big.

 

Novice here, so how do you bleed them?

Several methods. I used to just cut their throats, but last few years, I use a pair of EMT shears and just clip their gills and turn them head down in a 5 gallon bucket filled about 1/3rd full. I use a fish thumper to "put them to sleep" first, so they don't thrash around a lot.

I'm a big fan of vac-sealing and have eaten fish 2 1/2 yrs old and they still tasted great. I recently upgraded to a weston "pro model" vac sealer and that thing is the bomb.

 

im surprised no one has posted this yet - old family trick - no bleeding necessary. After you fillet the fish, cover the fish in ice cold water and add salt to the water and stir it around, like a LOT of salt. let sit overnight. drain and rinse in the morning, then do the process again (freeze fish the next night).

You wouldn't believe what comes off the fish... usually there is a thick layer of slime on top of the water after it sits over night. Don't believe it? try it sometime, works with any fish. you'll be amazed at the amount of stuff that comes out. And as for the taste, virtually all 'fishy' taste is gone. This is how i handle steelhead fillets, and the fish tastes excellent after this process. I'm one of very few people that like to eat them out of all the people i know that fish for them, and i'm assuming for that reason.

 

Thanks boatnut, im going to try it next time.

 

I bleed 'em all. Walleyes, perch, salmon, 'gills, white bass, catfish, crappies, you name it....if I keep it, it gets bled. Cleaning table is 1,0000% less messy. Fillets are pearl white. Rinse twice, dry with paper towels, and vacuum seal flat and stack in freezer, adding newest fish to the bottom of the stack. No need to soak.

We typically host 2-3 big fish frys per year at our home, and many of the folks who initially said "well, I don't like fish" now go back for seconds. My wife has gotten so used to seeing packages with pearl white fillets in them that she has questioned packages that had pink-ish looking fillets in them as "bad or something."

To me, I think the combination of bleeding plus vacuum sealing keeps the fish fresh for longer periods in the freezer than not bleeding/freezing in water but to each his own. I can thaw vacuum seal packages in about 10 minutes in the sink, but you can't do that with a 2# block of ice.

JMO....lots of different ways to do it.

 

Several methods. I used to just cut their throats, but last few years, I use a pair of EMT shears and just clip their gills and turn them head down in a 5 gallon bucket filled about 1/3rd full. I use a fish thumper to "put them to sleep" first, so they don't thrash around a lot.

I'm a big fan of vac-sealing and have eaten fish 2 1/2 yrs old and they still tasted great. I recently upgraded to a weston "pro model" vac sealer and that thing is the bomb.

Oh Boy be very careful Mike "put them to sleep" Fish Thumper ? I bet some one out they will object to you doing this ?lol

 

This is the first year I have bled as well. At first I just used the fillet knife I kept in the boat to slit each gill. It wasn't ideal, I read online of taking pruning shears and cutting the tissue that connects the gills (throat). It works great, they bleed out FAST and ya don't have to worry about them thrashing around while you are trying to knife the gills. My Dad has fishing for 30 years couldn't believe how white they were when he got home. I just don't like to run it under water to much cause the tap water is 50-70 degrees so every time you rinse it it raises your fish from ideal 36-38 degrees and raises it then drops it back when you put back in the fridge. Did it like that for years though, so either way is fine but I can Definitely tell a difference. And to me the 5 seconds it takes to go snip far out weighs soaking and rinsing multiple times.
I believe he is referring to a "Billy club" similar to what salmon fisherman use to stun the fish and knock it cold.

 

The main reason we started bleeding fish is to keep everything clean at the table when filleting. Makes a huge difference. The only problem is taking the time to do it during a hot bite. Once at home the fillets get zipped and any dark meat gets trimmed. In to a large bowl of water and salt then the fridge for a day or so. Love the bleeding trick.

 

Very interesting how some swear by it others don't taste the difference? Regardless, thanks for the information. Never did, but will try it sometime.

Although on occasion I will enjoy a good shore lunch. I'm primarily a catch and release guy. I understand though 17/18" walleyes are delicious. From time to time I keep a few filets from St Joes River, Berrien Springs. The water there is ice cold and very clean. But for the most part if I want to eat fish, I go to a nice restaurant and enjoy a good meal. Thank you.

 

Very interesting how some swear by it others don't taste the difference? Regardless, thanks for the information. Never did, but will try it sometime.

Although on occasion I will enjoy a good shore lunch. I'm primarily a catch and release guy. I understand though 17/18" walleyes are delicious. From time to time I keep a few filets from St Joes River, Berrien Springs. The water there is ice cold and very clean. But for the most part if I want to eat fish, I go to a nice restaurant and enjoy a good meal. Thank you.

Once you eat fresh caught fish restaurant fish tastes like crap to me!