Great weekend & tried bleeding out

[JJ7]

I am fairly new to walleye fishing and this is the first I have heard of bleeding out the fish. Can you give me some pointers on what and where to cut?

[wakina]

I am fairly new to walleye fishing and this is the first I have heard of bleeding out the fish. Can you give me some pointers on what and where to cut?

Cut at the base of the gills at the narrow area closest to the mouth be sure you cut all of the gills off also as close to the mouth as possible where they all come together, when done the head will be attached only by the back. I use a pair of Sea Shears from Cabela's but Fiskers work well also, just be careful of the pointed ends on the Fiskers. Point the fish away from you as sometimes they squirt a pretty large stream of blood. Put the fish in a 5 gal. bucket of water or a live well full of water or on a stringer and let dangle in the water for 5 to 10 min. as this helps in the bleeding process and also keeps your other fish and cooler much cleaner. If done right there will be very little if any blood in your cooler and it seems to slow up the slime production as well.
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[BILLY JOE]

have you ever tried knocking them out like a salmon just hit them in the back of the head this also helps on the slime in your cooler and keeps the meat cleaner not sure why but it works

[wakina]

have you ever tried knocking them out like a salmon just hit them in the back of the head this also helps on the slime in your cooler and keeps the meat cleaner not sure why but it works

Yes I have, but I much prefer bleeding them. It kills them quickly and gets rid of most if not all of the blood and stops most of the slime production. Getting rid of the blood seems to be the secret to white fillets! If I was going on a charter boat I would not expect the captain or mate to bleed the fish as they have their hands full just setting lines, netting fish and keeping things in order. There are alot of lines to watch and other things to keep organized on a charter boat!

[JJ7]

Thanks Wakina. I'll have to try that ... once I find the fish.

[wakina]

Thanks Wakina. I'll have to try that ... once I find the fish.

JJ7: You are welcome!!

Friday the marks were so thick and so good I found it hard to believe that we didn't snag a couple while trolling between D-can and Niagra.