Discolored fluke meat

[CHfisher17]

Anyone have any experience with this? The one piece almost looks like bluefish meat and is extra veiny. Fyi, I did not bleed any of the fish out.

Also, for what it's worth, I was on the raritan bay today and at my feet, in the water that comes in through the scuppers, I saw a few tiny worm looking things swimming. They were like an inch long and really thin. Not sure where they came from but I'm wondering if the two occurs few are connected.

[CHfisher17]

Pic

[Taxman]

I've seen discoloration like that when fish bounced around deck and was not bleed
It is bruised

[Jigman13]

Re: the worms. Could be cinders.

[bulletbob]

The fish looks fine to me.. i have seen fluke that were somewhat dark on the top side... eat it and enjoy it... The worms sound to me like cinder worms.... bob

[Jberg]

Do you always bleed your fluke? This is one of the few fish that I see that doesn't get cut.

I've seen discoloration like that when fish bounced around deck and was not bleed
It is bruised

[CHfisher17]

Thanks I'll fry it up then! I googled cinder worms and it's pretty close. Not that familiar with them but the ones on my boat were almost black and swam around like tad poles.

[makosnax]

Sea lice

[Billfish715]

It looks like you peeled the skin off. Did you? That accounts for the darker flesh which is on the brown side of the fluke. Some of the darker area just under the skin comes off when you use a fillet knife to take off the skin. Bleeding and ice whiten up the meet as well as soaking the fillet ( skin on) in a kosher salt brine and ice solution for a short time. My guess is that you peeled off the skin.

[SaltLife1980]

Do you always bleed your fluke? This is one of the few fish that I see that doesn't get cut.

If you bleed them out then stack them white side up you get real nice fillets.

[Jberg]

I usually put them in a bucket with with a block of ice. How long do bleed them?

If you bleed them out then stack them white side up you get real nice fillets.

[SaltLife1980]

I usually put them in a bucket with with a block of ice. How long do bleed them?

I usually cut em and throw them in a bucket and let sit for a drift or two then move them into the cooler white side up on ice

[Arbutis]

Bleeding fish is a myth and is completely unnecessary. The best way to care for your fresh catch is to immerse in saltwater/ice bath while they are still alive. To go one step further, leave your fish whole in the saltwater ice bath for 24 hours before cleaning. This will give you the BEST possible results.

Charter and party boats do not have the means or the time to do this for their customers and most people are too impatient or too lazy to wait 24 hours before cleaning fish.

Try it. You will see for yourself. I learned this method from talking with several sushi chefs. Nobody knows more about preserving the freshness of raw fish - they have studied and educated themselves on the subject for hundreds of years. Use their knowledge - make the time to care for your fish properly and you will be rewarded with great results.

[Uncle Nicky]

Filets look fine, except it looks like someone smeared dog sh*t on the upper corner of them.:eek:

[acabtp]

Bleeding fish is a myth and is completely unnecessary. The best way to care for your fresh catch is to immerse in saltwater/ice bath while they are still alive. To go one step further, leave your fish whole in the saltwater ice bath for 24 hours before cleaning. This will give you the BEST possible results.

Charter and party boats do not have the means or the time to do this for their customers and most people are too impatient or too lazy to wait 24 hours before cleaning fish.

Try it. You will see for yourself. I learned this method from talking with several sushi chefs. Nobody knows more about preserving the freshness of raw fish - they have studied and educated themselves on the subject for hundreds of years. Use their knowledge - make the time to care for your fish properly and you will be rewarded with great results.

this method is also great when you are tired and lazy and really don't feel like doing fillets after a long day out on the water. the fish are perfectly fresh the next morning and the fillets are fine. just make sure there is enough ice.

[Treebeard63]

It looks like you peeled the skin off. Did you? That accounts for the darker flesh which is on the brown side of the fluke. Some of the darker area just under the skin comes off when you use a fillet knife to take off the skin. Bleeding and ice whiten up the meet as well as soaking the fillet ( skin on) in a kosher salt brine and ice solution for a short time. My guess is that you peeled off the skin.

I agree.. looks like just some skin pigment left behind... Mangia!

[courbeco]

Bleeding fish is a myth and is completely unnecessary. The best way to care for your fresh catch is to immerse in saltwater/ice bath while they are still alive. To go one step further, leave your fish whole in the saltwater ice bath for 24 hours before cleaning. This will give you the BEST possible results.

Charter and party boats do not have the means or the time to do this for their customers and most people are too impatient or too lazy to wait 24 hours before cleaning fish.

Try it. You will see for yourself. I learned this method from talking with several sushi chefs. Nobody knows more about preserving the freshness of raw fish - they have studied and educated themselves on the subject for hundreds of years. Use their knowledge - make the time to care for your fish properly and you will be rewarded with great results.

I completely agree with you Doug. The procedure you've described is exactly what I do. I've fished for fluke for well over 50 years and have never bled or have known anyone to have bled them. Tuna?...Yes, Bluefish? yes, but fluke? you have to be kidding.:confused:

[Capt Sal]

Bleeding fish is a myth and is completely unnecessary. The best way to care for your fresh catch is to immerse in saltwater/ice bath while they are still alive. To go one step further, leave your fish whole in the saltwater ice bath for 24 hours before cleaning. This will give you the BEST possible results.

Charter and party boats do not have the means or the time to do this for their customers and most people are too impatient or too lazy to wait 24 hours before cleaning fish.

Try it. You will see for yourself. I learned this method from talking with several sushi chefs. Nobody knows more about preserving the freshness of raw fish - they have studied and educated themselves on the subject for hundreds of years. Use their knowledge - make the time to care for your fish properly and you will be rewarded with great results.
I guess bleeding stripers and tuna all these years was a waste of time.:eek:

[courbeco]

Capt. Sal, I believe Doug was referring to the bleeding of fluke, at least for the most part.:)

[tombanjo]

Shut up and eat your fish. That's what I used to hear when complaining about something.

[Arbutis]

I guess bleeding stripers and tuna all these years was a waste of time.:eek:

Yes. It was. I can personally attest to this method for stripers, bluefish, seabass, blackfish, triggers, fluke, etc. Bluefish can be great when it is cared for properly.
Tuna? I don't know. I haven't had enough experience with it unfortunately. If one were to do a scientific experiment and compare a bled tuna to one that has been whole and in a saltwater ice bath for 24 hours, my money would be on the fish in the ice - based on experience with the other fish.

[teddysclaw]

Not sure what you mean by myth. Bleeding fish does increase quality of fillets. Ive compared fillets of fluke i bled and fluke i didnt bleed. The difference is fairly noticeable in color and taste. Now, Ive never held a fish in a saltwater ice bath for 24 hours so I dont know how that compares. But to say bleeding a fish is a myth is wrong. Saltwater ice bath for 24 hours may work better than bleeding. However,for those who dont want to wait 24 hrs to eat the fish, bleeding it is a better option than not.

[teddysclaw]

Also, for the average fisherman, im not sure how easy it is to dunk a whole striper in a saltwater ice bath.

[Capt Sal]

Yes. It was. I can personally attest to this method for stripers, bluefish, seabass, blackfish, triggers, fluke, etc. Bluefish can be great when it is cared for properly.
Tuna? I don't know. I haven't had enough experience with it unfortunately. If one were to do a scientific experiment and compare a bled tuna to one that has been whole and in a saltwater ice bath for 24 hours, my money would be on the fish in the ice - based on experience with the other fish.

Listen Doc-I have been doing this for nearly sixty years and i can tell you that all fish can be bled.The scientific experiment is eat one that was bled and one that was not.Simple! Look at the flesh and and it is a nice color. Why do you think they bleed the giants on the show Wicked Tuna? Slam a fluke on the deck and the meat will be red.

[2na]

Listen Doc-I have been doing this for nearly sixty years and i can tell you that all fish can be bled.The scientific experiment is eat one that was bled and one that was not.Simple! Look at the flesh and and it is a nice color. Why do you think they bleed the giants on the show Wicked Tuna? Slam a fluke on the deck and the meat will be red.

If you saw it on Wicked Tuna it must be true...gospel...:confused:

[SaltLife1980]

On my last trip i bled both my first 2 fish and when i got my 3rd i just threw it in the cooler and was going to cut it when we moved since the action good. Forgot about it and then Joe cut my fish and you could pick out the one that wasnt bled. It makes a difference. The ones we bled and stacked white side up were better looking fillets.

[Capt Sal]

If you saw it on Wicked Tuna it must be true...gospel...:confused:

So what does that mean/ They have to be in top shape for a high market price:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: