Bleeding Tuna
 

I have been reading about different methods of bleeding tuna from slicing the gills to making an incision behind the pectoral fin. Haven't hooked up yet but want to be ready. What do you guys recommend?

At the gills and at the tail and get em on ice IMMEDIATELY.

Also someone can probably chime in on rock salt + ice to turn em into solid blocks fast. :D

thanks for the tip. Is it necessary to remove the head and entrails before putting on ice?

Nope.
You can leave em whole.

I make an incision behind both pectoral fins about 2 inches deep and I also nick a gill and or the tail. I drag the fish around for a while and then throw em on the ice gutted. Some use a slurry with kosher salt, ice, and salt water which makes them really cold really fast but I dont have the space to do that. I leave them on ice for 24 -30 hours to firm up the flesh. Finally leave the head on because it is the law. The green cops frown on that sort of stuff.

great thanks. Hopefully I get one this year..

You can leave them whole, but heading them will make more room in the cooler and gutting them will cool them down faster. I use the one stab on the lateral line just behind the pec fin. If you know how to do it's the quickest and easiest. If you're hesitant you can cut the gills. Either way will work, just do it quick, while the fish is still alive and can pump all the blood out. Best way to coole them is in a slurry of flake ice and sea water, you can add more salt if you like. Second best is to just bury them in the flake ice.

Absolutely false! You have to leave the pec fins on, but you can take the head off.

I was misinformed and not aware of that. Say the fish is 30" and you cut the head off the fish is now 20". It is shorter than the 27" regs. How do they know the actual length?

You learn something new every day. Thanks MM

I just looked it up. They use length from CFL from tail to pec multiplied by 1.35. Saves alot of space. Good looks MM.

I'm sure you guys have read and or seen guys running a heavy piece of mono or wire down the spinal cord. Either after chopping half the head off or removing a plug at the top of the head.

I have never done this. But apparently it is to "completely" kill the fish, thus stopping the formation of lactic acid that destroys the quality of the meat.

Any of you guys do that?

I read that you should club the tuna once in the boat to prevent bruising of the meat, then to use either a knife or spike to destroy the brain. Is this necessary or can you just bleed the fish out?

yup, thats it, length can still be verified

Just keep them from flopping and immediately cut them and you should be fine.

They vibrate more than bounce. :)
The boat I fish tuna on has the heavy rubber mats in the cockpit so there's no worries about sliding around in the blood.

What we do to stop the tuna bouncing is to put a tail rope on it and tie it so that most of the fish is off the deck. Stops them bouncing and still lets them bleed out. I've seen the spinal cord thing done but I've never done it myself and all of my tuna hits the dock sushi grade.

If you club it and kill the brain you've killed the fish and it won't bleed out. Even with the spinal cord thing they wait until the fish has bled out. You stop the heart you've stoped the blood pump.

cover it's eye -> bouncing stops immediatly....;)

Good point..it seems that making the cuts and dragging the fish is best.

Always have done deep behind the Pec fin. One good pierce seems to get em gushing, then slash across the gills..

it's aint pretty clean fishing.... but pays off with tasty meat!

you look like axe murderer

Maybe I am Jim... Maybe I am.... :eek:
It aint easy holden em as they thrash their last thrash... but makes for a mean looking picture... (hence the grimace)

Taken from another site. Very thorough.

very informative. thanks!

That's the best piece of advice here if you want to release a fish.

I take a wet towel and put it right over their eyes - this way they don't beat themselves up while your taking the hook out. (Better yet, with larger fish, take the hook out while they're still in the water).

i understand that ...large fish 150+ should be left in water , tail wraped at boat w/ other line through mouth ... cut main art @base of gills and body handle .. keep fish alive and moving to bleed self out and bring body temp down... gill gut and dehead add to ice w/ salt water mix1 to 2 hrs..drain cover w/ more shaved ice....

No need to gill gut if you're going to take the head off anyway.