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Bigdaddy1 · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:55 pm Post subject: To Bleed or Not to Bleed?

The other day, Tyler and I were talking about sharks and eating sharks and he asked me if I bleed the shark? I said no. When offshore fishing the crew never bleeds the shark when they put it in the cooler. Some guys on the beach bleed their catch, but not all.

Sharks have a weird odor. I filleted a small BT and the fillets had a weird odor. I take extra care with my fish and always haul extra ice down the beach. My catch is always kept cold. I cooked the shark the next day and it was great!
Tyler said something to me that has had me wondering what that smell is? Tyler said that sharks piss themselves and taint the meat. I had never heard this. Tyler correct me if I'm missremembering our conversation.

I read sometime back in Saltwater Sportsman magazine that Tuna should be bleed and that deck hands on charters will not do this for you and one should learn to do it themselves. I have caught my fair share of Black Fin Tuna and have never bleed them either. What is the proper way to handle sharks or large fish for table fare?
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Paul S Perez
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Hardhead · Finger Mullet Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 40

Hey Paul
It has always been a kinda common law amongest the fishemen that I have fished with that the sharks do urinate through the skin. For that reason when I catch a keeper Blacktip, I always as soon as the decision is made to eat that one and not release (as I do release 98% of them)I will immediatly gut the shark and rid him of the innards so that the meat cannot be tainted with urine. And I mean within the first minute or so. I see no need to bleed then cuz he is in the cooler and has blead all he is gonna bleed. I am sure that others have their way to do this and mine is just one way. But I sure do know the difference between one that has not been gutted ASAP and one that has.
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Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12865

I meant to gut and bleed at the same time. When we got one the other day we gutted it and then hung it out for a few minutes. My personal opinion is that if you fight them a long time they will come in already smelling of urea. I always let those go, however if I am really wanting to have blacktip I will get one that does not have that smell when you bring it in and then immediately as Hardhead says gut it right then and there and get that kidney or bloodline out that sits along where their backbone would be if they had a backbone. It has always worked well.

Glad you enjoyed it Paul.

TT
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Dink · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:12 pm Post subject:

I'm in 100% aggreement with Tyler. I don't keep more than two sharks a year, but the ones I keep were in a short fight, then gutted and bleed just like Tyler said. Then ply them high with ice. This makes even the fincky fish eater love a nice grilled blacktip steak. It's making me hungry in fact!!!

poland_jack · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 4

If I keep one, I immediately remove it's head and the tail, gut it, and thoroughly wash it out in the surf. Then pack it on ice and leave it there. Never had a problem with one tasting bad.

Bigdaddy1 · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:49 pm Post subject: What about other fish?

What about Charters? Tuna, Kings, etc.
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Paul S Perez
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jwhpopeye · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 6:59 pm Post subject:

I read somewhere of people cutting the gills. It keeps the fish alive a little longer and his heart pumps the blood out through the gills.
What do you guys think of that?

CastnBlast · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:28 pm Post subject:

Hey guys, a little biology 101...Sharks do not have swim blatters, and they maintain their bouyancy by secreting oils into their flesh through their liver to maintain proper bouyancy. That's why they get that funky smell. Bleeding helps a little, but to avoid that odor and flavor, it's best to remove remove the liver, and that will drastically improve the flavor of your shark meat. Wink

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FB PHIL · Flour Bluffian in training Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 455

I don't usually keep many sharks yearly, but if I catch a BT big enough to eat I either gut it or sort of filet it out and ice down the meat or carcass. I always soak the meat in a bath of milk in the frig over-night, then wash it off good with fresh water and package it up for eating or storage(in water or vacuum seal it). The milk (lactic acid)removes any of the amonia smell and tastes great.

Jay Gardner AKA snookered · Guest

yes, bleed tuna......cut their throats when they're still alive and it will do the trick.....if you're on a long trip, might as well gut the thing too and stuff the cavity with ice (we're sashimi freaks, so extra care is taken)......

kings it doesn't matter so much, unless you're on a long range trip, then gut them.....never heard of anyone bleeding kings though, never did it either......nor wahoo.....

a rare BT taken for table fare get the treatment very similar to most everyone that has posted's advice....

R.Arnold · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 1:46 pm Post subject:

cut the head off, then slice down the belly and take the guts out, then cut the tail off. Wash in the surf and pack in ice.

Dexter · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:41 pm Post subject:

Actually it is better to bleed any fish one intends to eat. I regularly bleed Redfish and large Trout and it makes a difference. The color of the flesh is really white if the fish is bled and one can tell the difference after cooked. I do not bleed every trout but most of them if I think about it. All reds are better if you bleed them. It just makes sense if you are going to eat them.
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The Trash Heap · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:23 pm Post subject:

Sharks store urea in their body fluids as a part of their physiology, known as osmoregulation. Without the urea, the salt in seawater would tend to absorb the fresh water in those body fluids and literally dehydrate them.

Most bad tastes in seafood come from a buildup of ammonia as urea and other nitrogen compounds like proteins break down. The liver, gall bladders, heart and kidneys are also strong-flavored, as may be other areas with a large blood supply. Fish will also build up fatigue poisons like lactic acid (sour milk smell) during the fight and as they lie thrashing around on the bank or in the boat, so put them out of their miseries quickly if you want to promote only their best flavors. Many do this with a club, applied to the back of their heads.

As some fishing regs require leaving the fish's head and tail intact until reaching a final destination, you can still do a good job by gutting and gilling, but the quickest way to bleed a fish is not to gut and gill it, or even to cut the gills, but to slice through the vetebral artery immediately on landing the fish. Cut a bit more than half way through the narrowest part of the body just forward of the tail, severing the backbone. Hold the head higher than the tail until the heart stops pumping. It's quick and humane.

Always ice your fish ASAP, especially if you don't bleed the fish, to slow down the production of ammonia.
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Hardhead · Finger Mullet Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 40

That is one nice thing about PINS being a barrier island ....Not required to keep fish intact. Fillet on the spot those reds and trout.
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R.Arnold · Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:02 pm Post subject:

If that is true, that is news to me. Good news. Thanks alot.