Body Surfing Your Prize Chinook

dogrobber · 04-06-2002, 07:24 AM

I,m kind of surprised at the fish I,ve seen trailing behind a boat in the Columbia & Willamette Rivers. Diamondsides I can understand, but SALMON? I was on the www.salmonuniversity.com site the other day and punched up "Taking care of your fish" they tell you to bleed the fish and then drag it in the water for 10 minutes, while the blood is pumped out. I guess it makes sense, I just don't like the possible polution and seal problem. I do have a question however, the site talks of cutting the gills on both sides. What does this entail, especially when they were going to put the fish on a bleeding line?

SandySteel · 04-06-2002, 07:59 AM

What exactly is the "pollution" problem? Blood in the water is really no problem in my mind. I feel that we should be putting guts and gills and everything we don't consume back in the river anyway. Leaving carcasses to pile up and stink at the boat launch is another matter entirely. But if you are letting it go to distribute in the river and spread out, I don't see a problem.

Eric

dogrobber · 04-06-2002, 08:13 AM

SandySteel
I was refering to all the talk of the junk (chemicals, sewage etc.) I'm not afraid to catch & eat, just wondered about leaving them in the water needlessly.

SandySteel · 04-06-2002, 08:22 AM

I think if I was worried about the pollution in the water I wouldn't be fishing in the first place. The volume of water is the key here. Pollutants are diluted to a good degree in the free flowing water. Bottom feeders and resident fish are a problem in the Willamette and Columbia in my opinion and they have higher levels of pollutants in their flesh. This is why I won't eat them. But I don't think that the levels of pollutants in water flowing over a fish's gills is enough to cause a problem.
As far as how to bleed them I actually cut just one side but continue to cut down and through the white portion below the gills to get the actual vein that feed the gills.