Ok, I wonder this every time.....?

Question

I catch a nice fish, and being a responsible fisherperson, verify first that I'm within my size limits, but the only fish I eat is fresh, (no grody grocery store seafood here, thanks), so I bring it home and it happens EVERY TIME. I had a 20 minute drive home, got out my knife, gutted my little flounder (happens with reds and trout and everything else too... you guys know what's next....) he's got NO INNARDS AND HE'S STILL FLOPPING ON THE TABLE!!!! Even worse, rinsed out the body cavity, made sure all the vitals were gone and no more fish blood floating around, bagged him up and HE FLOPS AGAIN AS I PUT HIM IN THE FREEZER!!!! It drives me nuts, it's not that it grosses me out horribly or anything, and I know it's just nerve movement, but darn it, is there any way to keep my fish from moving around while I'm trying to disembowel them? Even with no head they do it sometimes.... darn cold-blooded, slow metabolismed critters.

Hmm... I guess this means I'm gonna have to go out and catch a bunch of fish and try all these methods. ;)

One question, which are the top fins on flounder? *chuckle* j/k, I know up from down... errr... left from right... whatever on those snaggletoothed, crosseyed tasty little S.o.B.'s.

Answer 1

try bleeding the fish first- just cut a few gill arches and put it back in the water so it can swim around while it bleeds out (of course, you should secure the fish first somehow)... the fish will also taste fresher if bled.

Answer 2

As with most all saltwater fish to preserve flavor they must be put on ice immediately. If you keep saltwater fish in a livewell they lose about half of their flavor very quickly. Also, it isn't such a bad idea to gut your first fish if not all the fish you catch and perform a mini-autopsy. Check inside his stomach to see what he has eaten that way you know what the fish are eating and can pick the right bait. This changes throughout the seasons as well as the day. Also, you should remove the head, which will eliminate all twitching in a matter of seconds. Good luck.

Answer 3

If it bothers you you can freeze them first, then once they're dead take them out and do the preparation. The fish will taste just as fresh.

Here's a tip: after catching the fish, immediately put it in an icebox or portable freezer so that on the way home it's already getting somewhat chilled (and also so you don't lose freshness).

This is what I do. I never prepare them alive. I don't have the guts to do so (pardon the pun)! ;)

Answer 4

Hi Gimmenamenow

Taking the fish home to gut is waiting too long; the meat will lose that 'fresh' taste. Proper care of all meats including fish says you should gut it right away and just as importantly and often neglected...you bleed the fish as soon as you've caught it and verified that it's the legal size and what have you. (By the way, thanks for being a conscience angler). Take your fish cut out or pull out it's gills and hold the fish (or tie it by it's tail and hang it upside down) so the blood drains out. Once the blood has drained, gut your wonderful catch. Butchers bleed their beef and poultry right away too.

I guarantee, you your fish won't move once your home.

Happy cooking Gimmenamenow

Answer 5

Use a club and hit them in the head!!! Yes it sounds cruel but it does keep them from flopping. I prefer to lay the fish flat on its side and give it a swift strike on top of its head just behind its eye. It may take repeted strikes on a large fish.

It can be dangerous when a large fish is flopping when you have a knife sticking half way in it.

you can also put them in icewater sometimes that shocks their system . you have to leave them in the water for a while though. It does firm the meat up nice if you plan on fileting them ,and will cut down on the flopping.

Answer 6

A few hard blows to the head with a heavy blunt instrument will kill the fish instantly. This is a very humane way of doing it. The fish may still twitch but it is not alive, this is just rigor mortis and takes time to stop. The fish is not suffering as it is already dead.

Answer 7

That's a good one!

You can put them on ice as soon as you catch them which will in a short time cause them to suffocate and die or bash their heads (sounds cruel I know, go ahead and send hate mail. I don't respond.). Either method works fine. Once they stop twitchin' they are done. A good hot skillet full of cooking oil will usually stop all but the most stubborn wiggling fish.

Answer 8

A flopping filet? Wow. Usually, just chopping the head off and gutting does the trick. Ice them first over night.

Answer 9

One good sharp blow to the head right behind the eyewith a claw hammer. Just hard enough to break the bone and crush the brain. One quiver and their dead forever. A lot more humane than gutting them alive too, I might add.

Answer 10

you club them on the head every fisherman does this if they have over active fish small fish i will use the handle of my knife but honestly just get used to it thats life as a fisherman