Caring for halibut

[Macushlah]

Since you are required to leave the skin on when preserving and packing your fish, how do you go about getting the slime off the skin so it dosen't contaminate the meat? On the salmon, I hose the scales off and that pretty much takes care of them but on the halibut and ling cod, I'm not sure. Any suggestions?

Robert Mains

 

[Lipripper]

The slime shouldnt contaminate the meat when transporting, just rinse it when you get home. Remove the skin and as much fat as possible befor freezing or it will taste fishy when thawed.

 

[Macushlah]

The problem is that I will be freezing it on board as I will be running the entire west coast of the QCI and Vancouver Island so I will have to package the fillets whole with the skin on. I can slice my steaks to the skin but I cannot remove the meat from the skin. When I get home, then I can repackage them into serving sizes and remove the skin

Robert Mains

 

[Rum Buddies]

since you say you running so far I'm assuming you have a large boat that could qualify as a liveaboard - in that case I do not believe you need to leave the skin on, maybe look into that angle.

 

[juandesooka]

I have frozen vacuum sealed halibut with the skin on, and it didn't seem all that fishy to me when thawed. Maybe I'm not that picky, but it seemed fine.

Just sayin'...

 

[Kramer]

quote:Originally posted by juandesooka

I have frozen vacuum sealed halibut with the skin on, and it didn't seem all that fishy to me when thawed. Maybe I'm not that picky, but it seemed fine.

Just sayin'...

Same here. Over the years I've vacuum packed lots of fillets and never have removed skin. Just make sure it's clean and dry when bagging and it should hold up fine. But like juan said, maybe I'm not that picky. I guess if it tastes fishy and I didn't notice, it's becuase it's fish!

 

[Macushlah]

Is there some kind of rule for live-aboards as that is what I have. My plans on leaving Alaska is to pull into Prince Rupert to clear customs and then head back out around Langara Island and south. I do not plan on pulling into any ports until I get to Astoria, Oregon. I will be pulling into various bays and inlets to anchor out for the nights and I do plan on fishing on the way.If anyone has any good halibut holes that they are willing to share, I promise not to deplete the stock as I will only be fishing a few hours here and there on the way. I will probably slow down a bit to drag a hootchie to see if I can pick up a chinook or two on the way.

Robert Mains

 

[tubber]

Sounds like a trip of a lifetime. If you run down the east coast of QCI, there are many beautiful places to anchor in the Lyall Island area. Anywhere 5-20 miles east of LI find a hump or a depression in what may seem like too shallow water and you should find a halibut especially if you can hit a slack tide. Don't worry that no one else is fishing there, the fish don't care.

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by Macushlah

The problem is that I will be freezing it on board as I will be running the entire west coast of the QCI and Vancouver Island so I will have to package the fillets whole with the skin on. I can slice my steaks to the skin but I cannot remove the meat from the skin. When I get home, then I can repackage them into serving sizes and remove the skin

Robert Mains

Robert,
I have been there, done that!

I really don’t think you have a problem. If you have a boat big enough to safely navigate the WCVI and QCI you probably have a second “place of ordinary residence”. Meaning you can process your catch at the end of the day! Note, I did say “at the end of the day”, not while your fishing! Section 36 of the Fishery (General) Regulations is very clear in that regard.

I highly suggest if you have any questions you contact DFO directly for clarification just for your own peace of mind. I did, printed the emails and still carry them as clarification of the regulation. This can be done through their website: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pages/contact_e.htm

DFO sent me an email recognizing my boat as my second “place of ordinary residence, in which I receive mail”, this meaning and they did advise me I could “process the catch at the end of the day” and they further reminded me, “annual limits would still apply” and “if fishing from the vessel all regulations and daily limits will still be in effect for all persons on board.”

It’s a great trip!

 

[NewMoon]

After bleeding out, we scrape off most of the slime with fillet knife, then hit it with washdown hose to clean up both blood and slime. Sometimes it takes a couple of iterations of scraping/rinsing on the slime. After this is done the fish is ready to be filleted. Goes much cleaner into freezer bags this way.

Richard Cook
New Moon (Bounty 257)

 

[cuttlefish]

I like to freeze fillets in those little plastic Glad tubs with the blue lids. I fold the fillet (skin on)and fill it full of water then freeze. I think vacuum packing will always suck out more slime no matter how much washing and drying you do.

If the weather is too lumpy in the Hecate off Lyell, try inside off Klunkwoi Rks. or Shuttle Reef in Darwin Sound. Some big soakers in there sometimes. Further down, top of Burnaby off Scudder Pt. is a good bet.

If you're going down the west side, there's lots of good holes too. Makes me want to head back up too, just thinking about it. Have a fun trip.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

NewMoon, how are you bleeding your halis? I've been taught to slice the fish near the tail and let them bleed tied to a line over the side of the boat. Not a good thing to do in Alaska, as two fellows had their small boat swamped by a couple of sea lions grabbing the fish, when I was fishing in Cook Inlet years ago. Anyways, bleed my salmon by cutting the gills, so what do you people do with your halibut? Tight Lines,.........BB

 

[wolf]

Gill it and a small slit in the tail. as for packaging if you have one of them foodsavers a easy trick to do to make sure slime doesnt get sucked up.
prepare your hali take all the slime off and wash good portion it out and put on cookie sheet put it in the frezzer for about an hour to "set" up a bit then vacuum seal it no slime or water and is very easy.

Good luck wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[TenMile]

This site covers the regulations for preparing and transporting the fish:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/KeyPoints/packaging_e.htm

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by wolf

Gill it and a small slit in the tail. as for packaging if you have one of them foodsavers a easy trick to do to make sure slime doesnt get sucked up.
prepare your hali take all the slime off and wash good portion it out and put on cookie sheet put it in the frezzer for about an hour to "set" up a bit then vacuum seal it no slime or water and is very easy.

Good luck wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

aah... starting to show our age again!

I have been using cookie sheets for years. I actually stack them in the freezer separating them with 2x4's. Then vacuum pack! Works great!

quote:
This site covers the regulations for preparing and transporting the fish:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/recfish/KeyPoints/packaging_e.htm

This may not apply in Macushlah's case! When I owned my last boat, it was considered "ordinary residence", by the fact I did live and receive mail there. With my current boat, it is NOT considered "ordinary residence" and the "Packaging and Transporting Your Catch" now apply!

 

[NewMoon]

BBill,

We bonk them enough to slow them down a good bit, bring them over the side, and then cut the gill area - on both sides if I can get them flipped over. If we bonk them totally into oblivion they don't bleed as well. With a somewhat limited amount of bonking, even on big ones, we've never had a serious/dangerous level of flapping around in our 22 and 26-footer's cockpits.

We've brought in lots of 30 to 70lb-ers that way, and a couple of 100's over the years, using a wireman's gaff and a weighted bonker. They do their serious thrashing around while they're still hanging on the wireman's gaff over the side - so far I've not ever lost my grip on it. I let them wear themselves out a bit while I hang on, then use the bonker after they calm down some.

Never tried the tail slit - maybe that's a good idea.

Richard Cook
New Moon (Bounty 257)