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Started By
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Yall ever try the “Ikejime” Japanese way of killing fish?
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:43 am
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:43 am
Ran across this over coffee this morning: LINK
Short version is that in Japan fisherman will kill the fish immediately after catching them by stabbing them in their brain and immediately draining most their blood out in cold water. It is said to dramatically improve the taste and preserve freshness due to less stress hormones being pumped through the fish’s body.
Yall think it’s worth it or a bunch of BS? Kinda want to try next time I’m out.
Short version is that in Japan fisherman will kill the fish immediately after catching them by stabbing them in their brain and immediately draining most their blood out in cold water. It is said to dramatically improve the taste and preserve freshness due to less stress hormones being pumped through the fish’s body.
Yall think it’s worth it or a bunch of BS? Kinda want to try next time I’m out.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:46 am to FutureCorridor49
I just throw mine in the ice chest and clean em when I get home. Works pretty well.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:47 am to FutureCorridor49
If the Japanese are doing it. Then we should all be doing it. The Japanese know better than anyone how to handle seafood.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:47 am to LSU Neil
quote:
I just throw mine in the ice chest and clean em when I get home. Works pretty well.
Well yeah, that’s what I and probably everyone else here have always done. Hence the reason I asked the question.
This post was edited on 3/15/25 at 8:48 am
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:52 am to FutureCorridor49
Well u guess if you are offshore catching YFT it could be some kind of benefit. But I’m not going to to stab 100 crappie when they biting. It’s interesting but not very practical.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:54 am to FutureCorridor49
Saw a new one on a survival show the other day. Every time the guy caught a fish, he'd immediately wring it's neck and break the spine. I guess it kills the fish instantly.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 8:56 am to LSU Neil
I’m not sure I’d bother with a bunch of sac-a-lait either, but it doesn’t really seem like much more work. Just gank them real quick when tossing them in the ice chest.
But I mostly do redfish and specs; I’m not catching - and sure as shite ain’t cleaning
- 100 redfish
But I mostly do redfish and specs; I’m not catching - and sure as shite ain’t cleaning
This post was edited on 3/15/25 at 8:56 am
Posted on 3/15/25 at 9:36 am to LSU Neil
quote:
Well u guess if you are offshore catching YFT it could be some kind of benefit. But I’m not going to to stab 100 crappie when they biting. It’s interesting but not very practical.
Yeah this only seems to make sense for huge saltwater fish. I've never had a problem with blood in my filets.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 9:43 am to Tr33fiddy
When I went ocean Salmon fishing in Ketchikan Alaska,the guide would whack them in head with a fish billy and then slash the gills with a filet knife to bleed them.He said they tasted better to drain the blood before icing them down.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 9:50 am to Shexter
quote:
he'd immediately wring it's neck and break the spine.
How do you wring a fish's neck?
Posted on 3/15/25 at 9:51 am to FutureCorridor49
quote:
Short version is that in Japan fisherman will kill the fish immediately after catching them by stabbing them in their brain and immediately draining most their blood out in cold water. It is said to dramatically improve the taste and preserve freshness due to less stress hormones being pumped through the fish’s body.
I used to fish a lot offshore with a buddy that insisted we do it. Logically it didn’t make sense to me since we had just got finished fighting the fish in the fight of his life for 30-90mins what was one or two more mins after a clubbing gonna hurt.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 10:04 am to FutureCorridor49
This is a bit of marketing technique in Japan. If it takes any amount of time to land the fish, then “stress hormones” have been pumped everywhere. Bleeding fish has been common practice for decades, when I tuna fished a lot we would cut the gills immediately, then bury them in ice.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 10:11 am to Ol boy
Allowing the blood to drain is more for closing off pathways that bacteria can migrate from the gut to the meat through, and removing a decent amount of lactic acid that will continue to diffuse. It’s not a night and day difference, and is a drop in the bucket compared to getting the fish iced down quick, but bled fish keep better and taste fresher after freezing. Ideally you’d gut them too but it’s just not practical.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 10:28 am to FutureCorridor49
I usually throw small fish I plan to eat into an icey slush immediately. As far as bleeding out large fish I was once told the best way is to cut one gill so the fish stays alive and pumps all it's blood out instead of suffocating from no gills, not sure if true.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 10:57 am to 007mag
I’ve seen guys cut the gills on walleyes for same reasons. We always kill fish offshore, not sure it makes a big difference. It’s usually just to control the fish and not get blood everywhere.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 11:30 am to FutureCorridor49
Our guide on the trip we went on last Fall out of San Diego keeps a big metal spike handy, and when we boated a tuna, he’d immediately drive it into the top of its head to kill it. He swears it makes a huge difference
Posted on 3/15/25 at 12:27 pm to AaronDeTiger
quote:
How do you wring a fish's neck?

Posted on 3/15/25 at 12:40 pm to FutureCorridor49
My old man swears by it. Couple of ways to “bleed” the fish. One is cutting the throat before you throw on ice. Another way is to use stringer spike or finger to punch the soft spot behind pectoral fin.
Filets will not have blood and be white as can be.
Filets will not have blood and be white as can be.
Posted on 3/15/25 at 12:41 pm to AaronDeTiger
quote:
How do you wring a fish's neck
Finger down the bass throat and then whip motion. After that toss on the floor board of the truck and repeat
Posted on 3/15/25 at 1:13 pm to FutureCorridor49
Yep
Brain and bleed. It works.
Brain and bleed. It works.
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