How to bleed a tuna?

[Xgolfer]

What is the proper way to bleed a tuna?

[parapapam]

This is the "proper" way:

http://www.spc.org.nc/coastfish/fish..._E/Sashimi.pdf

But I don't do half of that... I just do two slices behind the pectoral fin (two on each side).

I then cut a small slice in front of the tail about 1/2 an inch in from the end if the fish(why? I don't know since it does seem to do much....)

I keep the saltwater washdown on the fish to prevent clotting.

After it is dead, I cut around the anal opening and push that back in the fish.

I then cut about a 3 inch hole in the belly, reach in and cut away all the guts, etc.

Lastly I remove the gills and pack it with ice...

There are a million variation on the theme though...

Mike

[billfish]

I posted a few months past and got lots of great feedback on bleeding methods and cooling..

http://reel-time.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50650

[Capt Dave]

Originally Posted by parapapam

This is the "proper" way:

I keep the saltwater washdown on the fish to prevent clotting.

Mike

Actually, saltwater makes a fish's blood clot. Fish blood will not clot when exposed to air.

[Xgolfer]

Thanks for the great info...really appreciate it

[parapapam]

Originally Posted by Capt Dave

Actually, saltwater makes a fish's blood clot. Fish blood will not clot when exposed to air.

Dave,

Not to argue the "science" of your statement but when ever the hose flows across the slice, it pours blood. Your statement does make perfect sense to me given that fish live in the water. But my eyes see the blood flow when the hose hits them. Maybe it is the water pressure of the hose and not the water itself that stops the clotting....?

Mike

[BobPink]

best method I has seen is to cut behind the pecs ( cutting at the tail doesn't do much for the bleeding but does stop the tail from beating up the deck ), put a wet towel over the eyes and shove the SW washdown in the mouth. Keep water going over the gills and the heart pumping and she'll pump herself dry. Just watch that first gaff shot so you don't hit the heart.

[SamRiley]

I would not suggest slicing the tail unless you have a rope through the gills.

[twofinbluna]

As someone said there are a bunch of ways to do it but this is how we have always done it. (only goes for giants, you wouldnt want to do this with a little one). This is for harpooned fish but I am sure it can go for any method...

Bring it through the door and then cut the tail and then the heart. Then stick a knife into the fish in what is basically the armpit (in the groove for the pec fin, close to the base of the fin, a little underneath if anything). This lets the air bladded deflate and makes everything drain a little easier.

Next, take a knife and find the soft spot under the chin of the fish, what is basically the neck, directly on bottom. There is a soft spot and you can cut right through and this will seperate the bottom of the head from the body.

Next, make an incision 6 inches in front of the bung hole, and slice back up to the bung and make a circle cut so that you literally cut the hole right out. Then reach in and cut the poop chute (gross) and then try and scrape arounf with your fingers trying to loosen all the attachments up. This will make it possible to pull the whole set of organs off when you cut the head off.

Next, cut the skin that is behind the gills, its like a diaphram that is a semi circle, this will get you into the body cavity. You need to cut the gills on both sides unless you are going to flip the fish.

Next saw through the fish straight across. make the cut directly halfway between the top of the gill plate and the eye. try and saw all the way through without flipping, it hurts the fish when you roll it over. Saw straight down and dont cut too much. Try and then get through and get the head off. It isnt something I can explain and you will have to work at it. It can be a major pain in the ass if you cut too far forward when sawing (but you can hurt the fish is you cut too far back...so be careful)

Get the head off and clean everything up, making sure to get all the pieces of guts in the cavity, like the air bladder and whatever that crap is that is always way up in there.

We use a harpoon and so it is usually in the boat within a minute of being hit and so the heart is usually still beating for a few minutes and it is pretty alive even though it is dead. Because of this we bleed and dress it fast and then 'rod it' which is when you take a think amuminum rod and stick it into the spinal column and kills all the nerves. They can rot quick, and it usually makes the tail kick a few times. This is probably only something you can do on a rod and reel fish if you bring it back to life at the boat before killing it. It wont work if the things is just stiff.

I didnt realize how long this would go and I hope you understand it. This is how we have always done it and the dealers always seem to like it so I know it works.