# Bleeding catfish



## 53363 (Jun 30, 2014)

Do any of you bleed channel catfish before cleaning them? Is using scissors on the throat like done on wallyes/saugeyes a good way?


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## FlashGordon (Mar 19, 2014)

I tried bleeding them a couple times and couldn't notice any difference in the taste of the meat. So I don't bother.


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## 53363 (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks, FlashGordon. Nice cat in your picture!


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## Sciotodarby (Jul 27, 2013)

I skin them, fillet them, rinse in cold water and then soak in salt water for at least a couple hours.


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## Shaun69007 (Sep 2, 2009)

I soak the filets in Ice water. I keep rinsing and repeating until the ice water gets clear. then i cut out all yellow and brown meat and only keep the white.


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## 53363 (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks Sciotodarby, that's what I've been doing up til now also. I think the soaking in brine might be accomplishing the same thing as bleeding, just maybe more mess at the cleaning table without bleeding.


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## Sciotodarby (Jul 27, 2013)

I keep a garden hose running on them when I'm filleting them. That takes care of the blood for the most part. Rinse them with cold water a couple times in the sink.


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## 53363 (Jun 30, 2014)

I appreciate the info Shaun69007. Everyone so far seems to prefer soaking in ice water to bleeding.


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## D-Bak (Jul 8, 2014)

Soak in cold salt water for me. Gently massage the filet after an hour or so and any blood still in it will come out. 


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## Dana.Birrell (Apr 23, 2012)

No animal activist, but instead of slitting their throat, take a filet knife and scramble their brains. Here's a post I made on a fishing thread on SomethingAwful that helped quite a few people in cleaning their catfish quicker and more humanely. This will also help stop bloodflow faster, more blood goes to the head, less on the meat.

It's also faster than skinning the catfish before fileting



> When you clean a catfish there are two things you do FIRST. EVERY TIME.
> 
> Right in between the eyes, the skull angles inward. Make a slit from just above the eyes about 1.5-2 inches down. If you have a traditional filet knife, take the tip and run it downwards along the slit until the knife enters the skull. Once you've found this open area in their skull slide the knife INTO the catfish's skull until the catfish appears the have a quick seizure, and just stops moving. Congratulations! You've hit the brain! Now, proceed to obliterate the brain, turning it into soup.
> 
> ...



Here's a video demonstrating with a more boning-like knife making the slit and using a clothes hanger for scrambled brains!


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## Sciotodarby (Jul 27, 2013)

I drive a pole barn spike through their head and into a 5' long 2x12 oak board covered in aluminum flashing. I lean that against my shed. Makes it easy to skin and fillet them that way. Belly meat from channel cats and flatheads is also delicious.


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## Dana.Birrell (Apr 23, 2012)

Sciotodarby said:


> I drive a pole barn spike through their head and into a 5' long 2x12 oak board covered in aluminum flashing. I lean that against my shed. Makes it easy to skin and fillet them that way. Belly meat from channel cats and flatheads is also delicious.


It's also the primary source of mercury


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## chopper (May 15, 2004)

I learned this from an old boy from alabama. He netted cats and sold them. He brought a half of a 22 lber to a fish fry. I thought it would taste like crap. It did not. He said he always bleeds them. He takes a knife and cuts their tail off just up into the meat while they are alive. He hangs them over the boat and they completely bleed out. There is a vein you have to hit and it will pee a stream. When you clean them you have perfect white meat. I have done this for years now. It works great for me, try it.


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