bleeding/gutting tuna?

[thunderfoot]

As a rec guy, and fishing from a small CC, what do you think are the mandatory steps for preparing tuna? Typically I will bleed them well, but have never gutted or cored them. We already have a lot going on in the cockpit of a small CC. The meat seems fine when bled only.....I am sure that coring / gutting is better,but is it mandatory?

If you are coring.....why not gut them by splitting the belly and being careful not to cut any stomach, etc?

I am ready for the water to warm up around here and pull some hoo.

[BlueH20Boss]

We just bleed them...... under the throat, and by the tail. On a maddog bite on the night chunk, gutting a tuna on deck is the last thing on my mind. I am sure u get a little more quality meat if you gut or core immediately and then pack with ice, but bleeding tuna has come with no complaints to those eating our caught tuna.... just my opinion.

[marlin magnet]

Welcome to the Board. A couple of things to consider. buy heading and gutting,
1. your able to store more fish in the same area.
2. your able to pack ice better
3 by packing more ice, the quicker the body temp goes down, hence fresher meat.
4. If you prepare a brine of ice and salt, soak for 5-10 minutes in the brine, then pack on ice even better.

It's all about, you spent a lot of money to catch the fish, why wouldn't you want to do the best job of preparing and cooling your catch?
Bleed first by slicing behind the starboard pec fin. rinse constantly with salt water

[clt_capt]

Be careful about heading the fish - It is not legal in NC to land headless/tailless fish - I don't know about SC


No one may possess aboard a vessel or while engaged in fishing any fish subject to limits without head and tail attached, except for alewife and blueback herring used for bait provided not more than two fish per boat/operation may be cut at any one time. - Reference 15A NCAC 3M .0101



We simply lift the pectoral fin and knife down to the spine to bleed them. Then slit open the belly, remove the guts, and pack it with ice before putting it in the box.

[thunderfoot]

The heads have to be on here too I do believe. I was wondering if anyone did the gutting thing (not throught the gills). That sounds like our best bet for my boat / crew that fish together.

[Squidnation]

The heads have to be on here too I do believe. I was wondering if anyone did the gutting thing (not throught the gills). That sounds like our best bet for my boat / crew that fish together.

If I am not mistaken the heads DO NOT have to be on. But at least one Pec fin must be on. Someone may correct this but I think that is the law.

[hubris 1]

i have a small diameter welding rod, about three feet long. i attached it to a handle that came off a de-hooker, crimped it on. any way, cut off the head, and slide the rod down the center of the spine........watch out. he will jump around. it kills the central nervous system. pack em in ice. they cant melt it. their temp cant rise. your welcome for the TIP of the day!

[fightingcouch]

i bleed all my yellow fin, Head them, gut em, and spinal tap them. We do this all as soon as the fish hit the decks to every one.

[rarhomes]

i bleed all my yellow fin, Head them, gut em, and spinal tap them. We do this all as soon as the fish hit the decks to every one.

Is this so you can sell the fish?? Or just the way you like to do it??

[matey1]

i too fish from a smaller boat and we cut them at the pec fin to bleed them. i bring alon gsome water bottles that were refilled and froze. i can slide 2-4 of these down the throat of the tuna and into the cavity to help cool from the inside. we have found this works fairly well. we then brine the cooler w/ ice and sea water until good and cold and then pump out the water.