Taking care of longtails caught on the rocks

[russ_d]

Hello,

I'm not sure exactly how to take care of a freshly caught longtail. I caught one last night from the rocks but was at a loss what to do next.

I understand that you bleed it, but then how long before the fish goes off? Can I fillet it 3 or 4 hours later (ie take the bus home) or does it need to go on ice immediately? Should I gut it as well?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

PS: from California and we can't catch tuna from shore there so I never really had to think about it.

[richos]

You should Brainspike, bleed and gut your fish straight away. You should try and get the fish on ice as soon as possible. If you dont have ice available or plan on staying on the rocks for a whille after capture, cover the fish in a wet towel or hession bag, and store it in the shade. Keep the bag/towel wet by bucketing water over it every hour or so. Ive found the fish to eat just fine after being on the rocks for a few hours.

Oh, and keep an eye on the fish throughout the day.... As i once turned around to find a family of local rats eating my tunas head... eww :(

cheers

[mattooty]

Richos advice is spot on, cover with a towel and keep wetting it down. Most of the fish i caught this season i walked straight off the rocks and took home to get the most out of them. If you arent confident in spiking it then bleed it upon capture by using a broad knife and puncturing the blood vessel directly behind the pectoral (side) fins. Keep the fish vertical so all blood runs straight down, remove guts and gills. Ttreated this way, kept in the shade and wet it should last a little while longer.

[1lastcast]

I would have to say that it is hard to keep a fish fresh without putting it on ice being a lbg angler for many years and cutting my teeth fishing jervis bay i used to release most of my fish and generally would only keep the ones caught close to the time i was leaving .

Over the years i have seen plenty of people catch quality fish and leave it sitting on the rocks while they continue fishing and then throw it back in the water as they were leaving a few hours later because they didn`t look the best :'( .

May i suggest taking along an esky it doesnt have to be a real big one just enough to keep your drinks cold with a little ice or frozen blocks in it you can also get those insulated bags they would do the trick then you could fillet your catch and then continue fishing it only takes a few minutes to wack a couple of fillets of your fish.

This would solve your problem alternatively you could go fishing with a camera and then release your fish your photo`s will last a lifetime and will never go off ;) .


Later MONOSTRETCHO