A trained chef will tell you that it is very important to drain the blood from a fresh fish before bringing it to the kitchen. Good ol’ boys in Alabama or Mississippi who are sitting on a dock and filling a bucket with crappies and catfish for the church fish fry are likely to tell you that’s not true. As for who is right and who is wrong, there is no clear answer. Both people know how to cook tasty fish.
What is definitive, however, is that learning how to bleed a fish is pretty easy. These days, more and more people think that putting any fish, from a 15-inch walleye to a 50-pound cobia, on a cutting board needs an extra step in the maintenance process.
So, let’s talk about how to properly bleed a fish and some myths and facts about bleeding so you can decide for yourself. That call should be a check in the red column, and you’ll be ready to start the flow.
Salmon fishing is a popular angling activity around the world. Once you have caught your prize salmon, you need to know how to bleed it out so that the meat is safe and tasty. Proper bleeding improves the texture and flavor of the fillets. Here’s a step-by-step guide on the most effective techniques for bleeding out salmon.
Why Bleeding is Important
Bleeding out fish right after catching them serves several purposes
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Removes blood from the flesh Blood causes fish meat to spoil faster. Bleeding helps remove blood that may taint the flavor and texture of the fillets.
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Improves texture Blood left in the tissue can make salmon meat soft and mushy when cooked, Proper bleeding leaves the flesh firm
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Enhances flavor: Fish flesh with less blood tastes cleaner and fresher. The natural salmon flavor comes through more clearly.
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When you gut an animal, bleeding makes it easier to rinse out the body cavity completely.
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Cools the fish: The bleeding process helps cool down the fish initially before icing.
When to Bleed Salmon
It’s best to bleed salmon immediately after reeling it in. The frenzied fight to land the fish gets the blood pumping through its body. Bleeding it right away allows the heart to continue pumping out blood for a short period. Delaying the bleeding reduces effectiveness.
Only bleed live fish that have been handled properly. Improper handling like dropping the fish can rupture internal organs, mixing blood into tissues. Such fish won’t bleed fully.
How to Bleed Out Salmon
Here are the proper steps for bleeding out freshly caught salmon:
1. Subdue the Fish
Before bleeding, the salmon needs to be stunned so it stops wriggling, making it easier to handle safely.
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Use a priest or wooden club to give it a sharp blow on the head. Hit just behind the eyes with moderate force.
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For larger fish, you may need to also give a second blow near the tail.
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The fish should be stunned but still very much alive for bleeding.
2. Hang the Fish Vertically
Position the fish to allow gravity to drain the blood:
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Hang it vertically by the tail.
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Use a rope with a metal or wooden spike to thread through the mouth and out the gills.
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OR use a fish gripper through the gills with the head pointed down.
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Do NOT hang vertically by the jaw as it tears flesh.
3. Cut Behind the Gills
- Use a sharp fillet or hunting knife.
- Make a deep incision behind the gill plate on one side, into the main artery.
- Then repeat the incision on the other side.
4. Allow the Salmon to Bleed Out
- Let the fish hang and bleed out completely for 5-10 minutes.
- Blood will run from the gills and mouth.
- Longer bleed times result in firmer flesh.
5. Rinse Out the Blood
- Use a hose or bucket of seawater to rinse off any clots or remaining blood on the fish.
- Be sure to thoroughly rinse out all blood from the body cavity.
6. Place Salmon in Ice Slurry
- After bleeding and rinsing, place the fish in an ice slurry in a cooler or fish bag.
- Iced blood-free fish keep longer and have superior quality.
Alternative Bleeding Methods
If hanging the salmon is not possible on your boat, here are a couple alternatives:
Use a Bleeding Bucket
- Fill a 5-gallon bucket half-full with fresh seawater.
- Stun the fish, then place it head-first into the water.
- Cut the gills as above so blood drains into the water.
- Leave in the bucket for 5-10 minutes before rinsing and icing.
Bleed in a Livewell
- Place the stunned fish in a livewell filled with fresh seawater.
- Cut the gills as above and turn on the aeration to wash away blood.
- Leave for 5-10 minutes before rinsing and icing.
Tips for Better Bleeding
- Only bleed lively salmon that has been handled properly.
- Use a very sharp knife to cut the gills deeply.
- Hang head-down for better bleeding through gills.
- Let bleed for at least 5 minutes, up to 10 minutes for best results.
- Submerge head in water or ice slurry to chill while bleeding.
- Thoroughly rinse all exterior and interior blood from fish.
- Place in icy slurry immediately after rinsing.
Properly bleeding out salmon takes just a little time and effort, but pays off in the superior quality, flavor, and texture of the fillets. Follow these steps for the freshest tasting salmon from your fishing trips.
How to Bleed a Fish
Different people have different ideas about the right way to bleed a fish. To be honest, I think it depends on the fish’s size and the situation. Regardless, all bleeding methods tie back to the gills, as blood surges through them constantly. A fish’s gills are the equivalent of our aorta—the main high-pressure vein in our system. Sever it and we’ll drain out pretty fast. The key in my opinion, however, comes down to draining vs. spilling that blood.
When fishing for smaller species, fisherman often just reach into the gills with their fingers and rip them out. This is called “popping” the gills. Because of this, the broken ends of the gills are left open, and blood will keep coming out of them. This method works well for fish smaller than 16 inches, since they don’t have much blood in their bodies to begin with. However, I’m not a fan of gill popping with larger species.
I like to use shears or a knife to cut off just one or two gills on one side of the fish. Next, I want the fish back in the water as soon as I make the cut. It can be in a livewell on a boat, a bucket, the net, or a rope stringer. People might think my method is cruel, but I want the fish to still be alive when I put it back in the water so it can keep breathing strongly for as long as possible. When the fish’s gills are cut off, it will pump out all of its blood, leaving behind meat that is completely blood-free. Cutting off all of a fish’s gills or popping them tends to kill it quickly, before the heart has a chance to pump out all of its blood.
Yes, most of the blood will drip out of the severed gills after the fish dies. But if you think that fish care and flavor are the most important things, you want as much blood as possible to come out of the fish. It doesn’t make sense to me when I see anglers on YouTube cut or pop the fish’s gills and then put it on ice or in a dry cooler. If you take away the fish’s oxygen, it will stop breathing faster, and now you’ll have a bloody mess to clean up and a fresh catch that is swimming in the blood you were trying to get rid of.
You Don’t Need to Bleed Most Freshwater Fish
I’ve spent a lot of time fishing for trout, crappies, walleyes, perch, and pike across the country, but I don’t remember a single guide, captain, or friend bleeding any of them. Only recently has more of a debate cropped up over the need to bleed freshwater fish. If you decide by big fish, long fights, and a strong fishy flavor, then not many commonly eaten freshwater players make the cut. It wouldn’t take long for the world’s biggest walleye to make acid, and a yellow perch’s small amount of blood wouldn’t change the sweet, mild taste of its white flesh. Bleeding has simply become fashionable, at least in part, due to a shift in our food culture.
“How-To” | BEST Way To BLEED Out Salmon, Trout, or Steelhead
FAQ
Do you have to bleed fish after catching?
How to bleed a salmon?
Bleeding a salmon is relatively easy, and all you need is a pocket knife and a piece of rope. You just have to follow a few basic steps to get the majority of the blood out of salmon. Once the salmon has bled out, you can store it on ice or in a freezer to preserve it for days. With that said, let’s cover the steps on how to bleed a salmon.
What are the benefits of smoked salmon over raw salmon?
It actually has the same characteristics as raw salmon, being relatively low in calories, it is an excellent source of protein, good fat and several vitamins and minerals. The smoking process just adds an aroma.
How to bleed a fish?
There are two main methods of bleeding fish which are, killing the fish humanely and pressure bleeding the fish. We have provided step-by-step guides for each method below. This method enters, stunning the fish and cutting its arteries to get out all the blood. Ikejime is one of the best ways to kill fish quickly. We talk about it in this video:
How to kill salmon?
You should always start the process by hitting the salmon on the head to kill it if it has been recently caught. Now, you won’t have to worry about your salmon escaping into the water as you try to wash the debris. After killing the salmon, you should rinse off the extra dirt from the body.