any tuna ?

[capecodder]

Now that I have my intinerary down, how does one properly bleed and clean a bluefin? Got to be prepared... From what part does the best sashimi come?

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by capecodder

Now that I have my intinerary down, how does one properly bleed and clean a bluefin? Got to be prepared... From what part does the best sashimi come?

First off, the tuna regs change October 1st. one fish between 47 and 73 inches I beleive, one per boat. I do not have the bulletin in front of me. That's a substantially larger fish. They are out there but the smaller ones outnumber them by a long shot. A tuna found to be legal should be chin gaffed. Gaffing in the belly or across the back ruins good tuna flesh. Use two in the chin or cheek if needed for weight. Just where the gills meet the lower part of the throat mkae a slice and free the gill where they attach at the bottom. Tie a tail rope and hang the fish over the side unless you like blood on everything. Give him five to ten minutes and bring him back aboard and finish the gutting process then pack him on ice even the belly cavity. Tunas don't "fillet" like normal fish. Two from the shoulders back to the tail and two from the cheeks and belly back. You will find an area around the latereal line that is dark red and full of minute veins and hundreds of small white threadlike nerve endings. Cut that off. It's tuff and it just sucks anyway. Skin and cut the piece into medallions 3/4 of an inch thick. I don't do shashimi. I rub with a mix 1/2 cajun spince and 1/2 brown sugar both sides and each side three minutes on the grill. Yummy.

[capecodder]

Thanks Flap, got to be prepared and optimistic!

[Steve K]

I caught my first sbft last Friday on a popper. Now I have tuna fever. Bleed out the fish by making two vertical slices just behind the pectoral fins. The slices do not have to be deep. You should also plunge a knife through the soft part of its head into its brain to kill it immediately. These fish will continue to produce lactic acid which degrades the flesh if they are not killed immediately. It needs to be gutted immediately and have its cavity packed with ice especially if you are going to eat the tuna as sashimi.

[thefishingfreak]

Originally Posted by Steve K

I caught my first sbft last Friday on a popper. Now I have tuna fever. Bleed out the fish by making two vertical slices just behind the pectoral fins. The slices do not have to be deep. You should also plunge a knife through the soft part of its head into its brain to kill it immediately. These fish will continue to produce lactic acid which degrades the flesh if they are not killed immediately. It needs to be gutted immediately and have its cavity packed with ice especially if you are going to eat the tuna as sashimi.

dont plunge a knife anywhere. especially in the good head meat.

do like flap said and cut there throat while the hearts still pumpin' and hang them bye the tails to bleed.

don't kill them right away. bleed them out til the heart stops beating.
then gut them, remove head/gills/guts. then ice them down good.

[capecodder]

If one does not have shaved ice is regular ice ok? Will it bruise or ruin the meat? Do you mix with some salt water?

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by capecodder

If one does not have shaved ice is regular ice ok? Will it bruise or ruin the meat? Do you mix with some salt water?

Got Ice Rink?

[Steve K]

Originally Posted by thefishingfreak

dont plunge a knife anywhere. especially in the good head meat.

do like flap said and cut there throat while the hearts still pumpin' and hang them bye the tails to bleed.

don't kill them right away. bleed them out til the heart stops beating.
then gut them, remove head/gills/guts. then ice them down good.

I have to disagree with the above. Here is a link to proper tuna handling.

http://www.fishep.com/fep/documents/Sashimi.pdf

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Steve K

I have to disagree with the above. Here is a link to proper tuna handling.

http://www.fishep.com/fep/documents/Sashimi.pdf

Interesting and thanks for posting, everyone should read the description there are some really detailed diagrams, but since I am not fishing for commercial sale to the Japanese Sashimi market and since I have had no problems with the way I have been doing it I will stick to the methods I use. The cut I make does not sever the heart but the ateries seperating the gills for the heart and it pumps until the fish dies from loss of blood. Then we bring back aboard and remove all the entrails, scrub and pack on ice. One thing i always marvel at when doing this is that the fishes body cavity temperature is noticeably warmer than the the water. I guess they do indeed develop body heat. Thanks again for posting. It ain't over by a long shot so go get 'em while you can it's a long winter.

[thefishingfreak]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

It ain't over by a long shot so go get 'em while you can it's a long winter.

thanks flappytail!!!! you rock!! thanks again for the hospitality
boated 3 for 5 today with about three more knockdowns.