fish preservation and cleaning
Quick killing, bleeding, the right amount of ice, a well-used cooler, filleting and transport within the law. Fish handled well on the boat is worth twice as much at the table.
quick and humane killing
A fish that dies struggling in the bottom of the boat suffers, and stress spoils the meat faster. Kill it soon after deciding to keep it.
- Decide on the spot whether to keep it. Check size, bag limit and the species' rules.
- Hold the fish firmly on a stable surface, with a wet cloth.
- Give a hard, sharp blow to the head with a club, just above and behind the eyes, where the brain is. If it doesn't become still, repeat right away.
- Alternative: a thin spike inserted into the brain at the same point (ikejime) kills instantly. It takes practice.
- Check: eyes fixed and gills motionless.
common mistakes
- Letting the fish suffocate in a bucket, on the deck or in a box without ice.
bleeding and gutting
Bled fish has lighter meat, a cleaner flavor and keeps longer.
- Right after killing, cut the gills on both sides or make a cut in the throat between them.
- Put the fish head-down in a bucket of clean water for 5 to 10 minutes to bleed out.
- Gut it as soon as possible: slit the belly from the vent to the throat, remove the guts and gills, and scrape the blood along the spine.
- Rinse the cavity with clean water and put it on ice.
tips
- Tuna, bonito, mackerel and dolphinfish (dourado-do-mar) go on ice immediately. If they warm up, they form histamine, which causes poisoning and isn't destroyed by cooking.
ice and cooler
The goal is to bring the fish close to 0 °C as quickly as possible and keep it there until the kitchen.
tips
- Ratio: at least 1 kg of ice per 1 kg of fish. In strong heat or a long trip, 2 kg of ice for 1 kg of fish.
- Crushed or flake ice touches the fish and chills faster than block ice.
- At sea, ice mixed with seawater makes a slush that chills faster than ice alone. In freshwater, use ice made from drinkable water.
- Layer it: ice on the bottom, fish, ice on top and inside the belly.
- Drain the meltwater. Fish soaking in melted ice water loses flavor and texture.
- Chill the cooler first with ice, keep it in the shade, covered with a wet cloth, and open it as little as possible.
- Use one cooler for fish and another for drinks: every opening warms everything up.
common mistakes
- Leaving the fish in the sun waiting for the time to clean it.
filleting
Sharp knife, firm board and long cuts. Always cut away from the hand holding the fish.
- Use a sharp, flexible fillet knife, a firm board and, if you have one, a cut-resistant glove.
- If you'll eat it with the skin on, scale it first.
- Make a cut behind the head and the pectoral fin down to the backbone.
- Turn the blade toward the tail and run it along the backbone, the knife nearly flat, in long strokes.
- Free the fillet by running the blade over the ribs or around them; then remove the rib bones with a shallow cut.
- To skin it, lay the fillet skin side down, hold the tail end and slide the knife between skin and flesh at a low angle, pulling the skin.
- Repeat on the other side. Rinse quickly, dry, pack well and keep on ice.
tips
- In tuna and dolphinfish, remove the dark bloodline from the fillet for a milder flavor.
transport within the law
Taking fish home is subject to rules on quantity, size, season and how it's transported. Rules vary by state and by basin: check the app before you go.
tips
- Respect the minimum and maximum size, the per-angler bag limit and the closed season.
- Carry your recreational fishing license (federal and, where required, state) and a photo ID.
- In several states, species with a minimum size may not be transported as fillets, steaks or without head and skin, because that prevents enforcement. Check before filleting on the river.
- A protected species or one with a zero bag limit can't be transported, not even as fillets.
- Fish bought at a pay lake or fish shop: keep the receipt.
- To fly with it, freeze it well, pack it in a sealed cooler and check the airline's rules.
checklist
Check off what's ready. Saved on this device.
sources and references
- scientific Huss, H. H. (1995). Quality and quality changes in fresh fish. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 348. FAO, Roma.
- official Ministério da Agricultura/SAP — Portaria SAP/MAPA nº 616, de 8 de março de 2022 (pesca amadora ou esportiva)National recreational fishing rules, such as the transport bag limit (art. 7 and 8) and the ban on sales.
keep reading
catch and release done right
Releasing only counts if the fish survives. Right gear, little time out of water, proper handling, the right hook, care with barotrauma and revival against the current.
boating and travelplanning a fishing trip
How to choose the season and destination, get licenses, choose between a live-aboard boat and a lodge, bring your rods, pack, and use the app's 14 to 28-day forecast to pick your dates.