Deep water reds, nannygai sometimes tough to eat ?

[odes20]

Ok just a query. Sometimes a few fellow fishers and I note that catches Red Emporer, long nose Emporer, and Large mouth Nannies are a bit chewy from deeper water. Eg 65 - 70metres.
Does anyone have any understanding of why this is so? And also what treatment of the catch do you know that will minimise such?

Does brain spiking help?

all clues appreciated.

Cheers!

[bluefin59]

Sounds like they are no good better send them over my way I have a special way of tenderising them ; ) Matt

[phantomphisher]

Although i haven't had any problems with chewyness in deep water, i'm convinced that brainspiking helps. I do it with a knife just up under the gills. Spikes/bleeds in the one go and it still looks good in photos.

[perko]

When I used to red fish off Turkey Beach we would get the odd red (1 in 20) that was not edible. We could tell as soon as we got them in the pan. They would swell up and go very hard and chewy. They also had a lot of sinew in the flesh. Never found out what the problem was. No amount of brain spiking/bleeding would have helped.

[Rip it up]

Just a guess. Does it matter what time of year they are caught? Is it related to spawning season?


Damo's dodgy boat building repair centre.

[Pazz01]

Hey Odes

I don't keep long nose emperor anymore as everyone we have caught has been tough like boot leather. Many a time we have caught some stonkers of these and prepare a feed and they are terrible.

I've noticed on a few of the reds (big mouth and emperor) we catch at different times they can be chewy - generally the models over 10lb seem to be a problem. I've always found the bigger fish to be more of a problem. When they have that sinew/fatty stuff between the flakes they can be a bit chewy. We always cut their throat so I can't comment on brain spiking.

Unfortunately I don't catch enough of them to be able to work out what causes it!

Pazz

[neil_stessco]

I've found with the reds and big mouth the fillets that have a clean white flesh are beautiful and the fillets with a greyish colour are not as nice and a bit tougher. I also brain spike with a sharpened no.1 Philips head screw driver.

[Back In Black]

Due to my inability to catch them, the question has never been raised!! LOL

[bannana]

I have brain spiked and bled my fish for over ten years because that's what I thought was the right way but over the last few years I havn't bothered simply because in my opinion it doesn't matter. I would happily bet anyone if I cooked up two reds... One bled and spiked and one just throw in a salt water slurry without bleeding and spiked that no one could tell the difference. It's funny how some cryvac and others just use freezer bags but at the end of the day if your eating red emporer that's been thrown into a salt water ice slurry then filleted and frozen in a freezer bag I'd bet London to a brick 95% of people wouldn't know the difference between that and a red that's been spiked, bled and cryvaced!!!

[perko]

Hey banana, do you get the odd one that cooks up tough ?

[phantomphisher]

Will say that vacpacking DEFINITELY extends the time that fish can be frozen and remain good.

[bannana]

Hey banana, do you get the odd one that cooks up tough ?

Mate I can't say I have. However i wouldn't bet my house on it. We caught about 15 or so last week and and they all should be consumed by the guys in the next month or two. I'll touch base with the guys and keep a closer check on it. I'm sure if you guys have experienced this then of course its true i just haven't had a bad one yet. Most of our fish are eaten over a 3-4 month period so freezer bags does me fine. i suppose if your keeping fish longer than that then the cry vac would come into its own. Just my 2 bob guys.

cheers

[Horse]

Some fish like Spangles are prone to tough fish syndrome. I have had it in reef Jacks as well but have never come across it in Reds. Larger Nannys are not as well textured as some of the other species we are talking about

[odes20]

Interesting comments about long nose. All that I've caught in shallower waters, are a greyish color,up to 45 metres over the years, have all be great to eat, even bigger ones. But those I've caught drifting in 65 metres are as tough as. They have reddish heads as well.
I always bleed without fail and vac seal at home. It's got to be something either seasonal or their diet. Who knows

[Reefmaster]

I'm with Keith on this one. I've eaten hundreds of reds and only had one that was tough to eat. That fish was a 16.4kg fish but we've eaten plenty of bigger ones that were fine. I also don't bother bleeding/brain spiking them and I honestly don't think you can tell the difference with the species in question. Generally long nose, spangled emperor are very tough eating particularly with the bigger fish. I've also found big 13-14kg plus large mouth nannygai to be almost uneatable and same goes with big jacks.

Cheers
Greg