Do you rinse your fillets?

[woodduck30]

Rinse and no soak. If you have treated water the chemicals affect the fish.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Rinse and no soak. If you have treated water the chemicals affect the fish.

I have been messing with this a little as well, I can tell a little difference sometimes. I think the last couple times I did perch this winter I did my wash and short water cycles with a little salt in 1 or 2 then drained well and put bowl in the fridge with a damp paper towel over them to have not so much water in them then to the vac sealer (have a chamber vac now)

 

[Sluggo]

Try cleaning a salmon without bleeding it out beforehand. You won't make that mistake again.

 

[wslayer]

One thing I will say is that I started to bleed the fish just a couple years ago. It's been quite the difference maker in the appearance of the filets. If bled out in the livewell, there's very little to no blood on the fish, and that beats the heck out of having to scrub the blood off in the sink.

For just a few bucks at Menards, these make quick work of cutting the fish:

No tools needed, grab one gill and pull.

 

[guywhofishes]

lol - that makes it grizzlier for some reason

 

[WormWiggler]

Since I seem to follow the weirdest path possible.... long time ago, a sage voice told me fish like water on the outside.... so after many shitty fish meals with the milk carton mess I made a change and everything was glorious.... filet, didn't bleed out mostly cause I never thought to or new how, a quick rinse and pat dry. Then I commandeered the old bags tupperwear that had and upper & lower with a rack between, ice on the bottom, fish on top. Into the fridge until the next day... I think my original plan was one of them fancy smancy vacuum sealers but being poor (because of old bag) i just used saran wrap trying my best to have no air be near the filet. then the wrapped pieced went into a ziploc freezer back and I could take out as many as I needed. I always did that zipper thing so most pieces with 3" or so. Man I miss fishing.

 

[Jiffy]

SDMF ONLY eats fish that has been frozen and caught on slip bobbers. It’s true!

 

[deleted___account]

Stupid question time. What happens if u just vacuum seal your eyes. Anybody do that?

 

[Jiffy]

Sounds painful

 

[tikkalover]

The wife caught a 10 pound kitty cat today on Sakakawea, bleed it out in the live well and have it soaking in salt water in the camper fridge.

Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow after dredging it in seasoned corn flour and giving it a bath in 375 degree oil.

 

[CatDaddy]

The wife caught a 10 pound kitty cat today on Sakakawea, bleed it out in the live well and have it soaking in salt water in the camper fridge.

Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow after dredging it in seasoned corn flour and giving it a bath in 375 degree oil.

I'm sure you already know this, but make sure ALL red meat is off the skin side of the fillet. That's the mistake I see people make most often and blame the fish for the taste. I promise if you get that all off it'll be some of the best fish you've cooked. Good call on bleeding it out first - cats hold a TON of blood.

I cut mine up into approximately 2" x 2" cubes to bread and fry. They cook much more evenly that way.

 

[tikkalover]

Yep, red meat is all trimmed off.
Wife’s grandparents were from Arkansas and her grandpa showed me the to clean and cook catfish.

 

[svnmag]

I'm sure you already know this, but make sure ALL red meat is off the skin side of the fillet. That's the mistake I see people make most often and blame the fish for the taste. I promise if you get that all off it'll be some of the best fish you've cooked. Good call on bleeding it out first - cats hold a TON of blood.

I cut mine up into approximately 2" x 2" cubes to bread and fry. They cook much more evenly that way.

When you don't really care for the taste of fish; there's really not a lot of meat on an "eater". I WILL NOT knowingly eat belly/rib meat except when picking the skeleton of "pan sized" trout. I can't get over the idea of mercury.

 

[CatDaddy]

When you don't really care for the taste of fish; there's really not a lot of meat on an "eater". I WILL NOT knowingly eat belly/rib meat except when picking the skeleton of "pan sized" trout. I can't get over the idea of mercury.

Agreed. But it's not mercury that drives my cleaning habits - it's taste taste taste. My wife says I've ruined any restaurant fish for her, won't order it. We were on South Padre and she mistakenly ordered fish. Blood line not removed from fish, took one bite and got some, said "No". $30 down the drain but I understand. And it reinforced my "provider of the family" aura

 

[tikkalover]

My estimate is I’ve been eating mercured up fish for 60 years. My eyes aren’t glowing so I must be ok.

 

[Davy Crockett]

My estimate is I’ve been eating mercured up fish for 60 years. My eyes aren’t glowing so I must be ok.

Back in the early 80s there was a state wide warning that pregnant women shouldn't eat Devils lake fish. We were raising babies at the time and quit fishing there. My deal is that I can clean a bunch of fish and treat them all the same and still have some peices out of the pan that have an off taste compared to the rest. Another thing is in the same time early 80s time frame we used to catch walleye in Sakakawea that had what they called sand flesh. You didn't know till you filleted them and the fillet was like sand just mushy and you could push your finger right through it. I still push my finger into every other fillet and some fish, even pike are just firmer than others.

 

[Davy Crockett]

The claim back then was that the wind was fallout from the coal fired power plants to the west

 

[Allen]

Stupid question time. What happens if u just vacuum seal your eyes. Anybody do that?

I vacuum seal all my fish and wild game nowadays if it isn't prepared the same day. You can reasonably save the fish in the freezer for well over a year. Yeah, I know the purists among us would grimace at this, but I have never once had anyone complain about a meal made with them.

I guess I am just assuming you are shortening the name of our beloved walleyes to just "eyes".

If I'm wrong, go with Gilda Radner's catch phrase.
nevermind

 

[CatDaddy]

I vacuum seal all my fish and wild game nowadays if it isn't prepared the same day. You can reasonably save the fish in the freezer for well over a year. Yeah, I know the purists among us would grimace at this, but I have never once had anyone complain about a meal made with them.

I guess I am just assuming you are shortening the name of our beloved walleyes to just "eyes".

If I'm wrong, go with Gilda Radner's catch phrase.
nevermind

I add one step to vacuum sealing.....I wrap the fillets in saran wrap. Keeps the moisture from getting in the seal. I've had success up to over a year without freezer burned fish.

 

[deleted___account]

Learn something new everyday I guess. I always just froze them in water. Might have to try the vacuum sometime.