Northwest Fishing Reports

I have a question about the benefits of chilling saltwater fish when caught. I've often heard getting fish like lingcod and rockcod on ice right after you catch them makes them taste much better on the dinner table. Is this true? I probably catch and eat fish out of saltwater three or four times a year and have never chilled my fish, and I always think they taste great. Am I missing out? Is there a big taste difference if I got those puppies on ice? If so I need to start carrying a cooler full of ice with me saltwater fishing! Thanks in advance.

I think it's more important with freshwater fish like walleye and trout and certainly much more important when you're fishing a lake that's measuring 70F than in saltwater that's running 45F.......

However, it's not just the "cooling" that's important... also important to "bleed" the fish to get the blood out
of the meaty areas... blood tends to spoil faster than other parts of the fish...

Take a sharp fillet knife and make an incision just behind the gills.. When you get it right you will see blood pumping
out.. it will be irregular and follow the heart beat of the fish.... What I like to do is to put the fish on a stringer just before I make the incision and then plop it back in the water for a few minutes... this way the blood is pumped out into the lake or saltchuck and not all over my boat.......... once that is done you plop the carcass on the ice......... the "bleeding" thing also make for an easier time filleting the fish at home using the kitchen sink..... When you cut the fillets there isn't any blood in the carcass and this makes cleanup much easier....

I think you will taste the difference... especially during the warm summer months...

Yes, keeping your fish chilled is very important. Not only for taste but for keeping bacteria from forming.

It's not like you HAVE to chill your fish. But if I'm out bottom fishing I don't want a ling to just sit in a warm cooler for 3 hours while I'm doing the rest of my fishing. I'd rather keep it cool just to be safe...

It's like if you went bbq'ing or something. You wouldn't take your steaks out for a few hours and leave them in a warm or even possibly hot cooler before you grilled them up on the barbeque...

Like Littleriver said - Its more important to bleed the fish than to ice it. However icing the fish does reduce the chance of bacteria affecting the meat of the fish. Texture and consistancy of the meat is better preserved when put on ice right away than if not put on ice at all.