Whats your gutting and gilling process at sea?

[odes20]

Just interested in hearing other peoples ideas re this topic.

Over the years I always gutted and gilled before washing over the side then into ice box.
But these days I dont bother to remove the gills. I just open up the gut cavity as usual, and cut the gut off the back of the gills, rip it out and Im done ready for the wash. Saves a lot of time.
Also what are you using to cut pectoral fin off on reef fish?
I just use cheap side cutters from Supercheap or where ever and try to remember to keep them washed and sprayed with Lanotec or simalar. Seems to work OK

Cheers
John

[Marlin_Mike]

I do mine at sea. Much better than having to do it at the ramp or home when you get back. And you are feeding the other fish at sea with the guts etc when you throw it overboard.

I use a cheap pair of side cutters as you do for any fin cutting.

Mike

[odes20]

I usually only gut as we leave for next mark. Also I hate filleting with gut still in

John

[Vitamin Sea]

I don't gut fish at sea, ever. Me thinks as soon as you put a knife in the fish you are opening up areas where bacteria can set in, especially in a not 100% clean environment (esky)

Better to do at all at home or where you are filleting/completing the process.

I just use a knife to cut off the fin.

Cheers

Bill

[thelump]

Usually dont gut and gill at sea just a brain spike and bleed by cutting gills down low. to do this I use a pair of stainless secateurs/scissors that I got from Ikea. Also really good for the pectoral fins

[TREVELLY]

I gut and gill just before returning home (that is when I catch fish - unlike last trip).
I prefer to freeze fish this way then make my mind up later if filleting or scaling and cooking whole - this I do for reef fish.
Bigger fish I leave whole and fillet at the ramp.
I trim fins with braid scissors but this is not ideal - will get some meat scissors or secateurs soon - just need to remember.

[FINICKY]

I like it simple. Catch the fish, throw it in the esky, take it home for some photos and then fillet it. I leave guts in and scales on. Just take the fillet and skin it.
Done.

[jason p]

if im doing a day trip i will normally gut and gill at the end of the day,but only the ones im going to freeze whole. i will only gut the ones im going to fillet if i know there going to sit on ice for a couple of days before i can fillet them.
if im doing an overnighter i will normally gut n gill all fish to fill in time between catches/beer.
a pair of scissors is all i use for the fins.

cheers
jp

[stacer525]

i also just throw in the ice slurry, and fillet n skin the fish at home.
few happy snaps for the album first of course.
stainless steel surgical scissors work a treat for the fins.

[marto78]

I stick a knife in the gills and let them bleed out in the kill box, then wash them off and straight into the ice for however long (sometimes 3 or 4 days depending on the trip) then fillet everything when at home. I've got a pair of hair dressing scissors that came with my hair clippers to cut the fins and what ever else with.

[Apollo]

Bleed them & brain spike them in a kill box, put them on ice and fillet/skin the at home. Freezer the carcass and guts to be feed back into the system or a pot next time.

[Noelm]

I guess the truth to all this is dependant on what sort of fish you have, and how long you are expected to be out, like for me, we get a fish down here called a Gemfish, bloody ugly thing with hideous teeth that are covered in slime that causes some bad bleeding, and their guts would make a billy goat puke, these are kept whole, on ice and filleted at the ramp, and the carcase, complete with guts intact is tossed to the Pelicans, but for (say) a Snapper, then a whole different set of "rules" would apply, same would go for Spanish Mackeral for you QLDers, the difference in the way it is handled will be different to a (say) parrot (if you get what I mean).

[Pazz01]

We cut the throat and put them in a wet hessian bag to bleed out. At end of stop we rip the guts and gills out quick and then into th esky. We bought a pair of special scissors from Erskine's Tackleworld in the city that the guy said are specifically for cutting fins. Little pair with orange handle. Should go in there and check them out.

Pazz

[Smithy]

Got onto some Fiskar brand orange handle scissors with a lifetime warranty from Spotlight for $6ea I think they were. Early days yet so will see how they go. Before that K-Mart and the white plastic scissors with the SS blades set in for about $4ea. That is just for pec fin snipping, snipping gills or necks to bleed fish out and cutting up mullet fillets etc. into smaller sizes rather than using a knife. No need to gill and gut if you are going to fillet and you are only introducing bacteria into the gut cavity. Fish can stay on ice for a very long time whole if the ice is kept up to them.

[bondy99]

Yeah I agree with smithy.

Also food for thought..for every hour fish left in sunlight is one day shelf life gone (especially for commercial trawlers)

[spelchek]

Boy am I kind of glad to read Smithy and Marto78's posts - I thought (after participating in this thread (http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?178160-Preserving-catch-and-bait...anyone-vacuum-sealing-onboard)) that I must be the only one here happy to let fish sit in the slurry for a day before filleting.

[odes20]

Interesting how many fishos leave it all till you get home. I tried that once but dont like the gut /fishy smell that seems to infiltrate the fillets near the gut cavity. They were very cold as well. I would have thought that was a more significant danger of bacteria?

JOhn

[spelchek]

My theory on the 'don't touch until home' [or even the next day] approach is that not only are they easier to fillet after time on ice, but there is less chance of bacterial contamination because you have not broken anything holding bacteria in (ie intestinal wall) - actually it's technically holding bacteria out I 'spose, but you get my drift. By gutting the fish hours before filleting, you'll inevitably get bacteria introduced into the abdominal cavity by the very act of opening it (from the air - bacterial spore are everywhere!), not to mention the traces (no matter how minute) of faeces that will get left when intestines break on removal.

The 'odour contamination' (again, in my humble opinion) is less likely due to the same reasons as the above.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on the matter. The easier to 'fillet after a day on ice' is a bonus!

[jason p]

By gutting the fish hours before filleting, you'll inevitably get bacteria introduced into the abdominal cavity by the very act of opening it (from the air - bacterial spore are everywhere!), not to mention the traces (no matter how minute) of faeces that will get left when intestines break on removal.

nothing like a good marinade now is there :P


The easier to 'fillet after a day on ice' is a bonus!:thumbsup:

jp..........

[ranga7]

Yep i agree with this. I fillet and skin 90% of the time anyway.
My theory on the 'don't touch until home' [or even the next day] approach is that not only are they easier to fillet after time on ice, but there is less chance of bacterial contamination because you have not broken anything holding bacteria in (ie intestinal wall) - actually it's technically holding bacteria out I 'spose, but you get my drift. By gutting the fish hours before filleting, you'll inevitably get bacteria introduced into the abdominal cavity by the very act of opening it (from the air - bacterial spore are everywhere!), not to mention the traces (no matter how minute) of faeces that will get left when intestines break on removal.

The 'odour contamination' (again, in my humble opinion) is less likely due to the same reasons as the above.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on the matter. The easier to 'fillet after a day on ice' is a bonus!