Sturgeon bleeding

Waterfish · 01-26-2004, 06:04 PM

I've followed several Ifish threads on bleeding sturgeon. Most of the posts I've read say to keep the fish alive until you are within an hour of heading for the dock, and then slice the gills and let the fish bleed out for 30-45 minutes. However, one Ifisher (can't remember who) said that the fish will bleed out better by making a cut behind the vent, and pushing the blade up to the spine. On Saturday during the Sturgeon Challenge, I caught my first keeper (44"). After hanging the fish off the side of the boat I cut the gills on one side, and after about 20 minutes it appeared to be bled out. Then I decided to also make a cut behind the vent. When I did, I was surprised to see a significant amount of blood come out. Now I wonder if it would have been better to just make the one cut behind the vent and not cut the gills... I got home and filleted the fish, and the fillets were very white looking with little or no blood. I trimmed all the red/yellow fat off, cut it into 3/4" thick pieces and my wife fried them in Pride of the West batter. Man was that ever good!

Fshklr · 01-26-2004, 06:10 PM

Sounds like you covered the bases, haven't heard or read the vent bleed out until now.

I personally take them home alive in the back of my truck, then when home I tie the tail and hang it upside down and place a garbage can underneath, then cut the gills where both sides join just at the mouth. I wait ten minutes then begin skinning the filleting. Have yet to run into blood and fillets come out white except for fat layer. Take them inside and slice the fat and dark meat away and vac pac :grin:

Phishin Phool · 01-26-2004, 06:20 PM

I don't know but it seems to reason that if you cut the gills you'll want to drag the fish by the tail and if you cut the vent you'll want to drag the fish by the gills. I always cut them at the gills myself only because thats the way I was taught. But, if you're going to drag them along side the boat you want the cut down stream. Maybe it's just me and my reasoning. Or maybe It's because I've had a few to drink.

--PP

Waterfish · 01-26-2004, 07:13 PM

I did a search and found the thread I was talking about where people recommended bleeding by making a cut behind the vent ("Best way to bleed a sturgeon?). By-the-way, how do I make a link to a thread in Ifish? In that thread, three Ifishers; SturgeonKing50, FSH4EVER, and Fishkiller, all recommend the vent cut method of bleeding. One other thing I forgot to mention about my first sturgeon cleaning experience - I watched a sturgeon cleaning demonstration at last years Sportsmans' show, and I cleaned my sturgeon the same way, without gutting the fish or trying to pull out the cord. Just like in the demo I saw, the method worked very well and I got nice fillets off each side without wasting any meat. I suppose if it were going to be all day before filleting the fish, it would make sense to gut it after it was caught, but if you clean it soon after it was caught, I don't know why you would want to gut it. Maybe someone with more experience than my one fish can explain why you would?

TundraIII · 01-27-2004, 06:21 AM

I see no reason to gut the fish but maybe someone else has a preference. I can see why bleeding salmon can really make a difference in keeping the meat blood free and increasing the quality of eggs but I have never really seen a significant difference in a filet of sturgeon that was bled and one that was not.
Maybe someone could enlighten me on this?

Waterfish · 01-27-2004, 05:33 PM

TundraIII, From what I've heard, you bleed out a sturgeon for the same reasons you would bleed a salmon or steelhead. I'm sure someone with more experience than I can give some good reasons.

rileyusmc · 01-28-2004, 08:01 AM

Waterfish; I was taught the vent method by an old man who has been fishing for sturgeon for longer than I've been alive.His reasoning for bleeding them slow was that the blood gets sucked out of the meat and into the body cavity to try and keep the organs alive. Sturgeon are a tough fish! I've caught them at 6:00 am didn't get home until 5:00 pm and still had to thump them with a hammer so I could clean them. And you CAN tell by looking and tasting if a sturgeon has been bled right. If there is ANY blood in the meat they taste like S**T!

Jimmy Carl Black · 01-28-2004, 09:34 AM

The removal of blood from the carcass immediately eliminates the number one source of microbes working on degrading your meat. As the fish dies, all sorts of processes in the body change and decay begins to increase. Less microbe=less decay. I wouldn't open the body cavity if I didn't have to and expose the fillets to Columbia or Willamette water [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] .

jb · 01-28-2004, 10:07 AM

Good point Jimmy Carl Black

glassblower · 01-28-2004, 10:16 AM

I was always taught to bleed all the fish we caught. I know it seems to taste allot better than some I have ate that other people caught and cooked up that had not been. The meat also seems to look more appealing.

TundraIII · 01-28-2004, 10:23 AM

Ok you all have converted me! I will bleed the next sturgeon I get and see if I find a difference. Just seemed to me to be so little blood anyway that I didnt see much need for it. Not sure exactly how to do it and I dont want to cause any unnecessary suffering either.

River Kid · 01-28-2004, 10:42 AM

Okay, let me be the first dummy to ask!! Where or what vent are you refering to. Myself I bleed a sturgeon by making a straight-in cut, that is placed on the bottom of the fish about an inch behind where the gills intersect. Intention is to cut near the heart. If placed correctly you can see the heart pump out the blood freely. I use the same method on salmon and they really pump away. But where is that vent your all talking about.

rileyusmc · 01-28-2004, 03:57 PM

River Kid;
Put the fish on a rope,tie it off & Make about an inch-inch&1/2 cut right in front of the anus and INTO the main vein,when it's bleeding good toss in the water and for the first hour,about every 20 minutes stick your finger in the hole you made and clean out the blood clots.After the first hour you only need to do it about every 45 minutes.Keep this up until you go home and when you clean the fish the meat will be T-shirt white.
Then thems some good vittles!

Waterfish · 01-28-2004, 05:30 PM

Fishkiller, In the other sturgeon/bleed thread, a couple of people said they made the cut either into the vent, or behind the vent. If you are making the cut in front of the vent, isn't that risking punturing the guts?

TundraIII, Good point about unnecessary suffering. I seem to remember reading an article that said that fish don't have the same type of nerves that humans have, and that they don't feel pain as we know it - but I don't know... If they do feel pain, is it any worse to bleed them to death or leave them hanging alive on a rope tied off to the boat?

rileyusmc · 01-28-2004, 08:26 PM

waterfish; no I don't worry about puncturing the guts because you're only cutting about an inch up and into the main vein. you'de have to cut a longer rip than that to hit any gut material