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So if you’re going to keep a fish to eat, do you troopers cut their throats to bleed them out?

Its pretty common practice down here to bleed the fish and get it on ice or in an ice slurry.

I noticed on the Captains latest post (on his site) none of the fish kept had been bleed.

I find it makes for better eating if you bleed them. It doesn’t leave as big a blood line along the fillet.

What do you think?

I never bleed fish. Now hogs on the other hand...

I've seen it done, usually on Tuna charters. I don't do it though.

Now Deer on the other hand.....

It is standard practice here in AK to bleed your catch, absolutely, especially for salmon, halibut, and rock fish. Put them on a stringer ( or harpoon for big halibut) , gut their gills and drop them back in the water to bleed out. Or in the boats fish box that can circulate fresh aqua. Definately notice a difference in the color of the fillets. Results in a less fishy taste.

We'll bleed bluefish but that's about it. The Stripers, fluke and seabass we catch don't sit in the box for more then a few hours so there's no need to bleed them. They hit the fillet table as soon as we get back to dock. I know people who will but for smaller catches, It' doesn't really seam to make a difference. Even the king salmon and steelhead trout we caught last weekend were not bled. I guess it's all in your taste? I eat alot of fish and I think bluefish is about the fishiest tasting fish I'll eat although eating the smaller ones taste much better then the biggers ones.

Unless tourny fishing (blood weighs a bunch!),, we always bleed keepers.. The only time I don't is when I'm stream fishing and keeping the trout alive while still fishing.
Huge difference in the taste though

Sparra, Tuna get bled out immediately but I don't do it with Stripers although I probably should. I think it would make the fillets taste better for sure although Jim has a point. Our fish go on ice and are only in the box for a very short period of time.

Never done it, usually fish northern pikes, lakers, wallies, etc....it had never occurred to me, but thinking about it now, might save me some time on cleanup when i get back to the fillet block...and you guys can seriously notice a taste difference?

Yeah, I can tell Rodge. Even if its a short time. The idea is to get as much blood out of their system as possible, as blood is the first thing that goes bad.