07-14-2011, 05:09 PM
So I decided to put my new camera to work making a point. Pat and I sparred, (kinda a strong word) about the necessity of bleeding out catfish and wipers before cleaning them. I contend that the catfish are slimeless when cleaning them if you bleed them first, and that the red line is so diminished that you don't have to remove it. Also I contend that the fillet is better quality and the fish better tasting. You can all be the judge. As I recall Pat implied that I had been smoking something to make my observations. In photo #1, I show the cutting board before I start filleting the 15 catfish I had bled out while on the lake. In photo #2 I show the board after I have cleaned 15 catfish. In photo #3 I show the cutting board after I cleaned the one non-bled catfish. You can all be the judge on that arguement. I know which board I prefer to clean.
The 4th photo shows an image of a catfish that I had just removed from my cooler. No slime. You can actually see how the fishes skin looks dry.
The 5th photo shows 30 filets stacked neatly in a pile. No slime. No fillets sliding all over the place.
Photo 6 shows a side by side comparison of two fillets. Guess which one had been bled first.
Photo 7 shows a side by side of the lateral lines of both fish.
Photo 8 shows a bowl on the cutting board of thirty non-rinsed fillets.
Photo 9 shows 1 non-rinsed bled out fillet, on top of two of Tubedudes preference fillets.
Photo 10 shows two trimmed and rinsed fillets.
Which fillets do you think tastes better? Which one would you most likely want to cut the red meat out of?
And finally Pat tried to make me look stupid implying that the red flesh was sensory organs, and that the blood did not affect it whatsoever. You can all be the judge of that...
These results are the same with wipers.
Although I admit that it would be impractical for people fishing from tubes to bleed their fish before they leave the water, It's not fair to imply that doing so would be a waste of time, and that the fisherman was smoking something if he thought it made the quality of the fillets better and the flavor of the fish superb over the traditional methods.
I rest my case.
Slayerace
[signature]
The 4th photo shows an image of a catfish that I had just removed from my cooler. No slime. You can actually see how the fishes skin looks dry.
The 5th photo shows 30 filets stacked neatly in a pile. No slime. No fillets sliding all over the place.
Photo 6 shows a side by side comparison of two fillets. Guess which one had been bled first.
Photo 7 shows a side by side of the lateral lines of both fish.
Photo 8 shows a bowl on the cutting board of thirty non-rinsed fillets.
Photo 9 shows 1 non-rinsed bled out fillet, on top of two of Tubedudes preference fillets.
Photo 10 shows two trimmed and rinsed fillets.
Which fillets do you think tastes better? Which one would you most likely want to cut the red meat out of?
And finally Pat tried to make me look stupid implying that the red flesh was sensory organs, and that the blood did not affect it whatsoever. You can all be the judge of that...
These results are the same with wipers.
Although I admit that it would be impractical for people fishing from tubes to bleed their fish before they leave the water, It's not fair to imply that doing so would be a waste of time, and that the fisherman was smoking something if he thought it made the quality of the fillets better and the flavor of the fish superb over the traditional methods.
I rest my case.
Slayerace
[signature]