Taking care of tuna in the boat

South Paw · 07-06-2003, 09:35 AM

After a day on the ocean and a night at the cleaning station I've found that the first and most important, after catching of course,thing to remember about taking care of tuna on the boat is ICE. You just can't have too much. There are many different ways to chill tuna but they all take tons of ice to do well. There was another thread on different ways to get them cold fast awhile ago and they are all good. But you have to get them cold ASAP for the best meat. Also if they are chilled clean through it's a hole lot easier to process because the meats much firmer. As far as eating there is absoutly no comparason between a quickly chilled tuna and one that's not been chilled. Even for canningthe difference can be tasted. It's the difference between gormet and cat food.

puffins crew · 07-06-2003, 10:20 AM

Hey Houston,

One tuna trip, and you have become an expert. :shocked: :grin: Congrats on getting into some fish.

So, only 15 fish?? How did you like spending the next 3 hours after hitting port carking fish?

A true labor of love, for sure.

Peace, Tom

South Paw · 07-06-2003, 08:44 PM

Tom, Ever ate tuna that wasn't chilled well?

07-07-2003, 08:14 AM

SP,
It can make you sick or kill you.

Albacore Tuna Captain · 07-07-2003, 09:59 AM

I've heard a lot on this subject over the years and would like to point out that the chilling of the fish quickly is absolutely essential for quality eating.

When I was a young lad (moons ago) I worked on charter boats in Southern California. They never iced the fish in those days. They just put them into burlap bags and kept them wet. I think this helped a lot in chilling the fish down. But you have to wonder about the quality of the eating when you considered the temp down there is so much higher. :whazzup:

I know of a Charter boat locally that does not ice any of the fish, just keeps them wet in a box and he's been doing it that way for years. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] So far I guess it hasn't killed anyone but just the possiblity makes me cringe.

AS for me, I carry a ton of ice and make an ice slurry with salt water. The fish get chilled so cold that the filleters actually complain that the fish are allmost too cold to cark. Oh well, damn if you do, damn if you don't. I'd rather take the chance on a filleter throwing knives at me than a customer getting ill.

Captain Mike

Pilar · 07-07-2003, 10:21 AM

Mike, the slurry is the way to go. My boat is pretty small but we make the room for a 50 gallon plastic tote with a lid. 10 gallons of seawater and (4) 10# blocks of ice and some crushed for the slurry.

We cut the fish for bleeding and toss them in the carking tank to let them trash, bleed and chill for at least 20 minutes. All of the fish we caught Fri and Sat were primo grade. So cold inside it hurt your hands to carve them.

We don't do cat food on my boat.

You need at least a pound of ice for every pound of fish. Scombroid poisoning is for those that are not paying attention to details.

OceanBlue · 07-07-2003, 10:30 AM

Just say no to cat food!

It's hard to slow down to take care of fish when they're still biting. But what's the point of bringing in another when you've got 2 or 3 on the deck that need to be taken care of? If you've got fish on deck and get bit, keep the boat going and leave the line alone. Chances are, that if he's hooked well, he'll just hang out for the minute or two it takes you to clear the decks. Better yet, leave the gear in the boat until you've cleared the decks. Then you don't have to worry about it.

Just my $.02.

Oh, and PC, Mr. Southpaw may have been an OREGON tuna virgin, but he had definitely played with the bullets before Saturday.

I hope we get to go this Saturday. I'm looking forward to fishing with you, my friend!

Mark Mc · 07-07-2003, 12:25 PM

8 knots, it's better to let them bleed in a tub of "fresh" saltwater for a few minutes. Why add hot blood to your slush ice? Also, Jen, I'm curious about your statement "Oregon rules say you can't discard any part of the fish in the water." Are you referring to the DEQ reg about no carcasses in the bay? I really doubt there is a reg against putting fish material back in the ocean. If that were true, then every single commercial salmon troller has been in violation every day they fish. If there really is such a reg, it is not being enforced.

A really fine way to take care of a **few** fish for that special sashimi is to remove the guts & gills after bleeding. The core temperature will drop much faster as now your slush (or ice when you pack the belly with it) is against the inner surfaces of the belly & spine. They gut real easily: just make a 2-3 inch belly cut from the anus (I hate writing that word on this board), reach in and sever the guts where they attach at the "aft" position. Then when you cut the gills, you can remove the gills & guts in one yank. Also realize that you are not adding several pounds of hot guts to your slush or ice, so your ice lasts longer for the same amount of usable fish.

"hot guts" - sounds like a good name for a band.

[ 07-07-2003, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Mark Mc ]

Salmonator · 07-07-2003, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark Mc:

"hot guts" - sounds like a good name for a band.

puffins crew · 07-07-2003, 02:32 PM

Nothing personal, just throwing my buddy a quick jab.

As for the context of this thread, it is right on the money, and very timely also.

Jen, I am rubbing my fish rock every night, and praying to the weather Gods for a safe ocean this weekend.

I have a "Tuna Tuffy". :shocked: Working is hard, my mind is on watching the handlines, and twitching to hear the reels one lone song, ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzZZZZZZZZ!@!

I can hardly wait.

Peace, Tom

[ 07-07-2003, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: puffins crew ]

South Paw · 07-07-2003, 03:07 PM

Jen is right on the money. The fish we did on Saturday is exelent. I'm BBQins some now while I'm canning and washing the new boat. Oh Tom? THERE AIN'T NO TUNA IN OREGON!!!! Kill many many fish Saturday. Mabe I show up for the carking party on Saturday night.

puffins crew · 07-07-2003, 04:45 PM

ROFL!! Right on, Houston.

My BBQ just got a fresh rebuild, and my better half wants some fresh tuna, grilled, canned, or any way she can get it. Well, allmost any way. :grin:

Have a smooth day, and I cant wait til the weekend gets here.

Peace, Tom

Aqua-Holic · 07-07-2003, 08:31 PM

Thanks Mark!

8knots · 07-07-2003, 11:17 PM

First, congrats on the successful tuna trips. It has me going crazy to get out. Putting my port tranny in on Thursday. May get down to Ilwaco for the duration of the summer by early next week. Glad to hear that Mel also found them off the CR. Can't let the central coast boats have all the fun!

Question for the experts.....in my tuna trips, the last two years, we got a routine going. Gaff them, bap them and bleed them in the gutter for about 5 to 10 minutes. I have room on the boat to do this and then I use the raw water wash down to hose the gurry out the scuppers. I then put them on ice. I will now start using a chilling solution. Makes a lot of sense as it takes so long to get them cold on just ice. Now, the question......am I leaving them too long on deck when they bleed out for 5 to 10 minutes, or should I just let them bleed out in the chilling tank? If so, will having them sit in the bloody slurry for 20 minutes have any detrimental affects.

Expiring minds want to know.

Aqua-Holic · 07-07-2003, 11:26 PM

I would like the pros and cons on gutting the fish (TUNA)

OceanBlue · 07-07-2003, 11:40 PM

8 knots - if they're not bled out in 5 min, the cut isn't a good one. They will continue to make the slurry bloody, but they should be plenty bled within 5 min. before they go in there. The slurry having blood in it does not affect the meat.

Aquaholic, Oregon rules say you can't discard any part of the fish in the water. I have seen them gutted at sea, though, and I don't know if it was sending them to the quench-tank gutted or brain-spiking them or what, but the meat DID seem affected. Much softer than the meat that I've seen with Pilar's method. 1-2 inch cut above the long fin... bleed, bleed, gush, gush, flop, flop. Into the tank for 20-30 min, then buried in ice. Nice firm fillets every time.