Fish Cleaning

[fisherman]

Hello friends. I am gearing up for this season's coho which is a fish and style that I have never put any time into. My question is what is everyones own personal style when it comes to cleaning and keeping the fish? What are some of the rules and etiquette? I have spent most of my time fishing for bass and I really am not into eating bass. I remember gutting and cooking some atlantic salmon as a kid but that was 15+ years ago. What is the method of choice from when the fish is landed onto the beach till it is ready to eat on your plate?

[Osmosis]

Right when you land 'em get those gills cut, to get as much blood out as possible. Then what many of us do is tie them off (under the gill plate and out the mouth) on a small section of thin diameter rope and put them back in the water to keep them cool until you're done fishing. On hot summer days or if you're fishing in very warm water its best to gut them very soon after catching them, and pack their body with ice.
I wait until the end of the day and I gut my fish and throw the guts back into the river. make sure to toss them out far enough that they dont end up on dry land, since they smell terrible when that happens. ODFW for some odd reason frowns on this but I feel that putting those guts back puts some nutrients/food back into the system for the whole food chain to keep rolling with.
I generally then take the gutted fish home and filet them on my tile table. bag and freeze until ready to use.

[Gabe]

Right when you land 'em get those gills cut, to get as much blood out as possible. Then what many of us do is tie them off (under the gill plate and out the mouth) on a small section of thin diameter rope and put them back in the water to keep them cool until you're done fishing. On hot summer days or if you're fishing in very warm water its best to gut them very soon after catching them, and pack their body with ice.
I wait until the end of the day and I gut my fish and throw the guts back into the river. make sure to toss them out far enough that they dont end up on dry land, since they smell terrible when that happens. ODFW for some odd reason frowns on this but I feel that putting those guts back puts some nutrients/food back into the system for the whole food chain to keep rolling with.
I generally then take the gutted fish home and filet them on my tile table. bag and freeze until ready to use.

I agree with everything but the very last scentence. YOU MUST have at least some of the days catch that night, unfrozen, fresh out of the river. OHHHH SOO GOOD.

[worm slayer]

I grew up with stealhead as a 5 night a week main coarse and watched my mom for many years clean and fillet fish, my dad would always cut the gills right away to get as much blood out as possible and he never bonked them this would keep the heart beating for a long time. There is also a point you can cut in at on the lower side of the tail but you sometimes lose a little meat from the blood being on it basically you cut up between the tail and the ventrical fin and it hits the back side of were the blood pools in the back. Ok now for the gory bit that supports the way I do it, if you take 2 fish caught at the same time and bonk one and cut the gills on the other when you go to clean them hours latter the heart will still contract on the one that you cut the gills on but not the one you bonked. When you make the first cut up the belly keep your knife very parallel with the fish and dont go very deep because you dont want to knick the gall bladder it is the little green thing that hides behind the liver. Once all the guts are out it doesn't matter if you clean the blood out of the back unless you are going to cook the whole fish. Assuming you have removed the head turn the fish so that it is pointing toward you and put the tip of the knife just above the back bone with the blade facing the top of the fish, push it in and you will hear it starting to cut through the pin bones then run up the back bone and out the top of the fish, flip the knife over and run it down the inside of the rib bones and you will have them almost all off them I turn my knife flat and head straight back to the tail and you have almost a perfect fillet with litte need for trimming. And always wipe your blade inbetween cuts to remove slime and scales and then you don't have to rinse the meat when you are done and you won't lose any flavor either. I'll will have to do a video of me cleaning fish next, it won't be as gory as the crab one.

[worm slayer]

I agree with everything but the very last scentence. YOU MUST have at least some of the days catch that night, unfrozen, fresh out of the river. OHHHH SOO GOOD.

yes Tracy always wants a steak from behind the head he thinks that meat is the best.

[worm slayer]

Tracy got these friday below cedar creek so here is how I fillet my fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klehVCMJ15o

[Chinook SSSF]

I love salmon steak! They are super for BBQ and smoking! Salmon Steaks work realy great for dry sugar brines, where the salmon oil makes the juices...Thanks for reminding me, I had not steaked out a salmon in a while, now IM on a mission : P

Super job on the fillets in the video Wormy! Thanks for posting : )

[Ed Fast]

Nice fillets! Good job.

Here is how NOT to fillet a salmon (or large trout):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxw02yT8dfY&feature=related


LOL! read the comments below that video!:rolleyes:

here is the amazing pin bone remover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flF7JEJCr6k&feature=related

here's the more practical way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0PcBRGutXA&feature=related

Ed

[Gabe]

HAHA, I love how he had excuses about the knife during the vid.

That pin boner is crazy....reminds me of a jacked up Stomper.

[worm slayer]

Thanks guys.

All I can say about that guy is WOW.

I love that pin bone thing but I think I'll stick to my tweezers, I would probley get my finger stuck in it or something.

And I think I will continue to clean them first cause I don't want any chance at the gall bladder getting hit by the knife.

[RollinontheRvr]

I am with you Teri, I think I will keep the cleaning thing in front of the fillet thing. I am with you guys on the pin boner thing, that was pretty cool. I think I could keep from getting my fingers stuck in it though...:D

[Lucky Lewie]

I had never seen that vid b4. I would be ashamed and embarrassed for anyone to see it. What a hack job and waste of meat.

Great job on yours worm!!!

I like this too,

http://www.salmonuniversity.com/ol_htfs_intro.html

Just need the fish

[Chinook SSSF]

Great thread! I am so going to make a great walleye cleaning video nest spring, just because of how cool it is to prep them. Sounds silly I know but I learned about something called the Zipper ;)