Author Topic: " Bleeding Tuna?" (Read 13872 times)

REEFMAN · « **Reply #20 on:** October 30, 2012, 05:37:47 PM »

If I was you, I would do what you suggest, but also cut it behind the pec fins to help it bleed out before the heart stops pumping.
If your meat looks nice and red when you're preparing it, then it should be 100's. If it's brownish, then it's been spoilt slightly and affects the taste of the meat. Not sure whether this would matter to plebs like us, but I know that Sashimi buyers are VERY pedantic about brown Tuna meat.

Toppie · « **Reply #21 on:** October 30, 2012, 05:43:55 PM »

Quote from: Fritz on October 30, 2012, 05:31:27 PM

I get a huge amount of the blood out by clubbing it and then removing the gils and insides. Short while later its at home and being prepaired to eat. This should be ok shouldn't it?

No, unfortunately not Fritz. You should share it!

Fritz · « **Reply #22 on:** October 30, 2012, 05:51:17 PM »

Quote from: Toppie on October 30, 2012, 05:43:55 PM

Quote from: Fritz on October 30, 2012, 05:31:27 PM

I get a huge amount of the blood out by clubbing it and then removing the gils and insides. Short while later its at home and being prepaired to eat. This should be ok shouldn't it?

No, unfortunately not Fritz. You should share it!

Clive! dont make problem mine. The only way you going to sort out that problem is if you move closer to the sea.

Seventenths · « **Reply #23 on:** October 30, 2012, 06:48:42 PM »

ok, here goes....

The guys are right the knotch on the head is for subduing the fish to stop it thrashing about on the boat.
We usually do it like this, the fish is lined in near the boat, two short garfs are place in either side of the head - dont gaff the body if you value your life on my boat, then fish is held up to the gunwale. A small incision is made aft of each peck, about 1 inch behind and 1 inch deep (cut deeper and you just bugger up the meat), you will know you have hit the artery as it will pump blood.

With the back of a knife you scrape the forehead between the eyes backward, you will see a small round mark on the head. here you cut out a small knotch in which you will find a small hole (about 6-8mm in dia on a 40-70kg fish). You insert the reaming tool - mine is a 6mm S/Steel rod down the inside of the spine, this kills all the nerves. I normally push it in and out 2 or 3 times till the fish stops moving, don't worry about the blood flow as the heart keeps pumping despite this.

See in the picture - mine have "T" handles fitted, using mono is a pain and takes too long....
The fish is the lifted on deck , a one inch incision is made in front of the anus towards the front of the fish, you insert your finger and hook the gut at the anus and pull it out. I then cut this and insert and salt water pump into the cavity, which forces everthing out the mounth, my water is chilled to start cooling the fish from inside (ie from slurry tank). You often get your bait back and you can also see what the fish are feeding on helpful for what to use as bait/lure from there on!!

Then the scicles and tail are cut off with a large saw.

Once the guts have been expelled from the mouth the head is cut aft of the eyes and removed with the guts and gills, the carcasse is then inserted in a pre cut mutton cloth bag which is tied (I use cable ties), then lowered like that into flake ice slurry - this whole process should not take more that a few mins.
The slurry should have just enough water in it to allow you to be able to submerge the carcasses but the must not slop about - this will damage them. The mutton cloth protects the scales, so the fish does not get chaffed and has a healthy appearance. The brown colour is usually from the fish getting to warm not from the blood. The blood will usually take away the translucent colour of the flesh and collects around the centre of the fish (about the spine) in a dark red comglomerate - no matter how well you bleed the fish, there will always be some blood.
The cold chain is more important than bleeding. The heart of a tuna is at the base of the gills, where they come together under the medial line (chin), when you rip out the gills you often damage the heart and it stops pumping so you often do not get rid of the excess blood.

If you catch a large tuna after a big fight, feel the body, you will feel and elevated body temperature, this result from the chamical process of burning fuel/energy are large tunas body can go up to 10deg above the sourounding water temp... you want to cool the fish as fast as possible if you want to keep the quality... I alway take ice to sea for my sashimi snack!!

See the tool marked in the image, note the fish on the bottom left of the first image whose gut has been forced out of his mouth.... I have added some pretty arrows!!!

I practice sensible fishing but if I am going to eat a fish, I want it in the best possible condition.... this is teadious but helps. Tuna tubes helps too!!

Rule!!!
7/10

REEFMAN · « **Reply #24 on:** October 30, 2012, 07:10:26 PM »

Great post 7/10!! Thanks for sharing that!

I think Fritz on his Jetski might sukkel a little to do all that though...?
What would be the bare minimum to do... ie: if you were on a Jetski, how would you do it?

Fritz · « **Reply #25 on:** October 30, 2012, 07:18:25 PM »

Thanks 7/10. Your explenation has help a lot and has given me a better understanding on why and how.
But remember I am on a jetski and dont have the means and space to have all this done. So what would you recomend me doing and what should I leave out. The other thing the fish is for private use and I share with my friends and inlaws at the old age home.

Fritz · « **Reply #26 on:** October 30, 2012, 07:24:54 PM »

Tony I think we must make a plan and get down to the Cape for a Tuna sesion. This has been my lifelong dream to catch a Tuna bigger then 50kg and if I get one at the 70kg mark I will die a happy man. The best I have ever done was just over 32kg here of Durban and I actually think the fish was lost. I have since then never gotton to pass 20kg.

Seventenths · « **Reply #27 on:** October 30, 2012, 07:57:51 PM »

Quote from: Fritz on October 30, 2012, 07:18:25 PM

Thanks 7/10. Your explenation has help a lot and has given me a better understanding on why and how.
But remember I am on a jetski and dont have the means and space to have all this done. So what would you recomend me doing and what should I leave out. The other thing the fish is for private use and I share with my friends and inlaws at the old age home.

I don't fish commercially anymore but still treat my tuna like they the last fish in the world (precious) because they are such good eating. Marlin/sushi/marlin/sushi/marlin/sushi/marlin/sushi/marlin/sushi ahhhh darn.. get the Konas! eat the bait....

haha ... get a bigger jet ski!! The biggest problem I found with tuna I caught in natal is they go off so quick! they already warm due to water temp, you can always try take a soft cool bag with frozen bottles. Take sevearl sizes for potential diffrent size fish 1X500ml, 1X1L and 1X 1,5L should do the job. If I cant get Ice, I freeze bottles. Bleed, head, tail and bag him fast ,shove the frozen bottle inside the fishes gut cavity, then put it in the cooler bag... that would be my suggestion. I am not much good on jet skis. Dont bother to spine him.. just knock him on the head with the "shillelagh".

If you wanna come to CT, no prob but leave the sea scooter behind... we can go on my boat rather! Feb the best time for Stripeys and this month(nov & May) for Tunas if the SE goes away.

7/10

Seventenths · « **Reply #28 on:** October 30, 2012, 08:01:49 PM »

Crickey...!! just noticed that pic of your sea scooter!! bigger that my first boat!!
just load up your chest freezer!!

Fritz · « **Reply #29 on:** October 30, 2012, 08:31:35 PM »

I have been "Strap On"before but "Sea Scooter"is a first for me. I like that.
You must be carefull I might just phone you from the airport and say right lets do this thing.

Seventenths · « **Reply #30 on:** October 30, 2012, 08:46:25 PM »

No prob, just PM and check I am in the country as travel plenty.... will be back in begin dec then again in feb...

will have to drag old RM with and show him there more than rivers and lakes to this world...

7/10

super_daav · « **Reply #31 on:** October 31, 2012, 09:56:24 AM »

Fritz its difficult on our smaller vessels. I cut behind the fins and maybe the neck to bleed. Scares the **** out of me as I hold a fish with blood everywhere only mm's off the water! Bleeding into my fish hatch on the ski is exceptionnally messy and hard to clean.

I might look at a fish bag for that specific purpose in time to come with some specifically frozen bottles.

Fritz · « **Reply #32 on:** October 31, 2012, 10:50:44 AM »

Dave I have been bleeding Tuna all night long on Youtube and with all the info the guys gave me here. Now I am contimplating getting some Tubbies for my jetski so that I can pack some ice when going out.

shagnrelease · « **Reply #33 on:** October 31, 2012, 11:09:35 AM »

Keep a small noose rop tied to your ski tie this to the tail and cut behind the pec fins and toss it back over the side, but keep an eye out for any cruising johnnies. This will effectively pump all the blood out as the fish trys to swim away. once its dead i pull the gills and put it in the hatch with a few frozen coke bottles. If you have a fish bag on the ski its a good idea to have a couple of frozen bottles in there its not as good as ice slurry but helps bring the core temp down a little.

peterblace · « **Reply #34 on:** October 31, 2012, 11:19:34 AM »

Bert from Nirvana charter at Ponta do Ouro after cutting behind the fin stuck the Tuna in the Lunar Tubes and start the water pump...what's the reason for that?

shagnrelease · « **Reply #35 on:** October 31, 2012, 11:22:06 AM »

I do the same, I use the tubes instead of roping the fish. It just helps to keep the fishes heart pumping a bit longer as it is getting oxygen and the water pumps the blood out.

flippie · « **Reply #36 on:** October 31, 2012, 04:21:01 PM »

This is what whe do is puncture on both side
and cut a piece out on top af head to push in the stainles rod

Fritz · « **Reply #37 on:** October 31, 2012, 04:25:35 PM »

Nice fish you have their flippie. You dont by any chance want to send them in our direction. We only get their smaller brothers here.

flippie · « **Reply #38 on:** October 31, 2012, 04:52:09 PM »

hahahaha if only they whill listen and follow me then ill do it gladly and drop some of on they whay there here in Witsand

tkei · « **Reply #39 on:** November 01, 2012, 11:51:51 AM »

Flippie, looks like those were on Dr fish with miles!