Caring for your Catch

"Bleeding a fish" is exactly what it sounds like. When your fish tastes or smells "fishy", it's because it has already begun to spoil. Any blood left in your fish will promote bacterial growth, so removing as much of the blood from your catch as possible as soon as it's out of the water, in conjunction with getting your fish on ice, is the easiest and most beneficial thing you can do from a quality standpoint. While there are a number of methods for bleeding a fish, any method is better than simply throwing your fish in a cooler until you get to a dressing station. Below are a few ways Alaskans bleed their fish.

The simplest way to bleed a fish is to cut the gills after the fish has been stunned and set it aside. A salmon's heart continues to operate for a time after brain function ceases, so you can safely immobilize the salmon and allow it to bleed out without it flopping around and bruising the meat. Generally, a knife, pair of pliers, or a gloved finger is used to separate the gills and allow the process to take place. As you may have guessed, however, clotting does begin to occur within a minute or so. On a warm day, this may only allow 25% of the blood to exit the body before the flow ceases. Understanding the value of proper bleeding, most Alaskans take the process a bit further. Following the above steps and placing the salmon in water allows the blood to pump out while slowing the clotting. Up to 75% of all the blood will exit the fish in this manner, which is more than enough to negate the likelihood of any blood-pooling or bruising. To remove all the blood from a fish, some fisherman will inject low-pressure water intravenously into the salmon and push out all the blood in the circulatory system. Besides ensuring the maximum amount of blood is removed, this method's main benefit is that it can be accomplished after clotting has occurred.

Baranof's captains utilize the "wet bleeding" method for its efficiency and cleanliness.

We all know that we put food in the refrigerator to keep it from spoiling, but what does the cold temperature actually do? Our food at home, just like the fish you catch on your vacation to Alaska, is covered in microscopic organisms. Most food products we purchase at our local grocers have artificial preservatives added that prevent the growth of these organisms that seek to devour our food before we can. Fresh fish obviously does not, and once the animal dies the body stops producing any anti-bacterial agents that keep the fish healthy. Spoilage begins almost immediately after the fish is landed, but there are measures that can be taken to minimize this. As soon as your fish is bled, it should be packed in ice or stored in a freezer. Below we further explore these concepts critical to the quality of your catch.

The main culprit in fish spoilage is bacteria. If you've ever worked in the food service industry, you may remember the "Danger Zone" of 41-161 degrees Fahrenheit. Anywhere within this range is ideal for most bacteria to reproduce exponentially. Since the fish you catch are cold-blooded, and with sea temperature ranging from about 45-55 degrees from May to September, your fish are literally living in the Danger Zone. Just reducing your catch's temperature from 37 to 32 degrees will double the amount of time it takes for bacterial growth to exit the lag period and begin reproducing. For more on bacterial growth and other quality issues, click here.

The simplest way to bleed a fish is to cut the gills after the fish has been stunned and set it aside. A salmon's heart continues to operate for a time after brain function ceases, so you can safely immobilize the salmon and allow it to bleed out without it flopping around and bruising the meat. Generally, a knife, pair of pliers, or a gloved finger is used to separate the gills and allow the process to take place. As you may have guessed, however, clotting does begin to occur within a minute or so. On a warm day, this may only allow 25% of the blood to exit the body before the flow ceases. Understanding the value of proper bleeding, most Alaskans take the process a bit further. Following the above steps and placing the salmon in water allows the blood to pump out while slowing the clotting. Up to 75% of all the blood will exit the fish in this manner, which is more than enough to negate the likelihood of any blood-pooling or bruising. To remove all the blood from a fish, some fisherman will inject low-pressure water intravenously into the salmon and push out all the blood in the circulatory system. Besides ensuring the maximum amount of blood is removed, this method's main benefit is that it can be accomplished after clotting has occurred.

Alaskan fishermen ensure their fish don't remain at a high temperature before arriving at the dressing station. When Sean Hovik was a kid fishing on a beach he'd grab one salmon and take it directly home for dinner. Now that he runs Ketchikan's premier trolling vessel, The Minnow, he can catch, dress, and freeze the fish within minutes of capture, and all on the same boat. The majority of fishing in Southeast Alaska, however, falls somewhere in between. A common cooling method found on many fishing vessels is a hold filled with a slurry of seawater and ice. This slurry will remain a liquid below freezing at about 30 degrees Farenheit. At this temperature, any kind of spoilage is greatly reduced. This is ideal for any operation where the catch may not be offloaded for a day or more. Other fishermen will dress their fish immediately after they're caught, and pack them inside and out with ice. Charter fishing vessels are usually limited in what they can do by the size of the boat, so each fish is usually packed in ice whole. Fish are not dressed immediately after they're caught unless they're to be packed in ice, as a communal hold may allow contamination of the exposed flesh.

The determining factor in how a salmon is initially handled is whether or not that fish was feeding. Just before heading upriver, a salmon reaches full maturity and begins going through many physical changes. Coinciding with this is the salmon going on a kind of hunger strike. As soon as they stop feeding, their digestive system stops producing enzymes that cause "belly burn." This is a condition where a salmon's digestive enzymes break down the surrounding tissues and cause spoilage, and is apparent in a bruised appearance to the salmon's normally white belly. If the fish is feeding, it needs to be dressed soon after catch. If not, cooling the salmon whole and getting straight back to fishing is the preferred course of action. For sport fisherman, belly burn isn't usually an issue because the fish are dressed the same day they're caught.

The three most common causes of low quality fish are bacterial growth, enzymatic breakdown, and physical contamination or damage. However, with proper handling and care, all three are manageable.

Sitting down for a dinner party of Alaskan seafood, the first stories you tell about the fish your guests are eating won't be of how it was dressed, filleted, and packaged. However, this processing is just as important as catching the fish when it comes to delivering a high quality product. Great care is taken while out on the water to make sure the dock crew is working with the best fish by bleeding, dressing, and icing your catch. That same quality of care is provided once the fish is off the boat until it arrives at your door back home.

Tracking

Tracking

Once back from your day of fishing, you'll quickly fill out a form detailing how you'd like your fish processed. This paperwork will travel with your fish throughout the entire process until it is boxed and stored in a freezer, ready for its trip south.

Dressing

Dressing

"Dressing" is synonymous with "cleaning" and "gutting." Removing the viscera from the fish, along with the head, fins, or any other unwanted parts, leaves you with a fish ready to be pared down to dinner portions or cooked whole. The fish you'll be catching in Alaska will be dressed either during processing, or right on the boat after catch.

Filetting

Filetting

After rinsing your fish to remove any contaminants, your catch will be cut to your specifications. A standard portion in many cases is 1 lb. fillets, but there are a number of options you can choose from. It would be wise to decide beforehand exactly how you plan on preparing your fish. For example, having some of your salmon cut into steaks to prepare as is on the grill, or as a roulade, is an opportunity you don't want to miss out on.

Smoking

Smoking

You need to have some of your salmon smoked. For many Alaskans, smoked salmon is the taste of home. While you typically won't serve smoked salmon as the main course, it's a wonderfully nutritious, satisfying, and delicious snack that just about everybody enjoys. Smoked salmon is great for camping, hiking, or preparing as a spread for breakfast fare and party trays, and makes wonderfully personal holiday gift.

Vacuum Packing

Vacuum Packing

Whether smoked or filleted, when your fish is ready it will be vacuum packed to maintain freshness. Vacuum packing minimizes the amount of large ice crystals that can form before and after freezing, and will keep your catch fresh for months.

Freezing

Freezing

Flash freezing your catch is crucial to the longevity of your stored fish. Freezing your fish rapidly prevents flesh-damaging ice crystals from forming on and in the meat. In conjunction with vacuum packing, you won't find a better way to prepare your catch to last through winter.

Storage

Storage

After processing, your fish will be stored in a freezer box designed to keep it frozen as it makes the trip back home, whether you're FedExing your catch, or checking it as luggage. But make sure you have ample freezer space before heading to Alaska; you don't want to get home and throw away a bunch of perfectly good frozen pizzas to make space for your fish.

Shipping

Shipping

There are several options to send your fish south. The most convenient is FedEx. If your travel plans can accommodate it, however, checking your fish as luggage on your flight home is a bit cheaper. If you have a long drive ahead once you claim your bags, please plan accordingly. You don't want your fish thawing out if you have to leave it in your vehicle overnight. Please refer to this list of rates for FedEx and Alaska Airlines to and get a clear picture of what you should expect. Also, you can email us with any questions at alaskaseafoodinfo@baranof.net.