bloody fillets?

[78mudbug]

for some reason when i fillet crappie this fall they are bleeding like crazy.didnt do this in the spring .is there a reason for this

[FroggerZack]

Are the crappie on ice before you fillet them?

[78mudbug]

no ive not been puttting them on ice.and they are still alive when i start filleting them. i guess i should be icing them down and letting them expire huh

[Locator79]

Throw them in a bowl of milk or salt water, takes it right out. As far as why, I can't be of much help.

[Hanr3]

Are you double washing them?

After you fillet them up toss them in a bowl of clean cold water, once they are all filleted, rinse again in another bowl of fresh clean cold water. That pretty well cleans them up.

[chaunc]

I followed the lead of an 80 year old man i took fishing last fall. He slits the throat at the gills and puts them in a bucket of water. Do this while they are alive so they pump all the blood from their body. You'll see the diffrence when you clean them. No bloody mess on the board and the fillets are clean and white. I have a picture of some i did today. I use kitchen sheers to slice them. Make sure you cut the gills when you slice them. AND be sure to hold them down in the bucket when you do them so you dont get blood splattered on you or the boat.

[Kyle Schoenherr]

I've always put um on ice before I clean fish and they never bleed after that. It seems like they fillet alot better after being on ice and the fillet has a different texture.

[Chasing Ghosts]

I've always put um on ice before I clean fish and they never bleed after that. It seems like they fillet alot better after being on ice and the fillet has a different texture.

Icing them cause the crappie's system to try and conserve heat in their core... vaso-constricting the blood vessels in the flesh and most of the blood goes into the crappie's vitals.

[Buckeye Mike]

Not sure as to why they bleed, but when i have bloody fillets, dont matter what kind of fish it is, what i do is to fillet the fish, put them in a large bowl, and then take your garden hose with a sprayer on it, have the sprayer on full blast, and stick the sprayer into the bowl. Do this a couple of times, and fillets come out nice and clean.

P.S. do this outside so the boss dont get mad.

[chaunc]

Not sure as to why they bleed, but when i have bloody fillets, dont matter what kind of fish it is, what i do is to fillet the fish, put them in a large bowl, and then take your garden hose with a sprayer on it, have the sprayer on full blast, and stick the sprayer into the bowl. Do this a couple of times, and fillets come out nice and clean.

P.S. do this outside so the boss dont get mad.

Mike, bleed them out like i showed and you wont have to wash blood off the fillets. Just give this a try and you'll be surprised at how clean the fillets will be. If i get out this afternoon, and catch some fish, i'll post pictures of the two diffrent fillets.