Mushy Halibut in Alaska

[Sushihunter]

Just came across this fishing report out of Alaska. Has anyone on here ever come across "Mushy" Halibut?


http://homernews.com/stories/062911/outdoors_kfsgct.shtml

Salt Water: Halibut

Halibut fishing is good out of Homer, Anchor Point and Deep Creek. Many anglers have been limiting with an average of 20 pounds if they include the weight of the gear used to get them to the bottom.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is still receiving several reports of "mushy" halibut, where the flesh is very soft or flabby, sometimes with pockets of goopy tissue. The cause may be nutritional myopathy (if you want to know what this means, please feel free to gross yourself out in a Google search).

You might consider moving to a different zip code when you run into these fish.

 

[sammyslabber]

I've heard of chalky halibut?

 

[Fish-Hunter]

Hmmmmn, is there any chance that these Hali have been near Japan lately??? LOL

 

[Lipripper]

I've seen lots..... cysts and all. I have explored some nasty ones.
It happens... remember that next time you order fish and chips at a restaurant.

Weird to be concentrated in and area and reported by sporties

 

[Peahead]

Jim, call me ...... can't get ahold of you bud....

 

[Lipripper]

nuclear tenderization?..and to think i a couple that went over to japan for a month recently and took their two young kids for vacation....real smart...holmes*

I just had to quote that so it never goes away..............actually that's a good sig

 

[Last Chance]

Maybe the are confusing halibut with arrowtooth flounder..

 

[Lipripper]

And they wonder why their halibut aren't as pretty as ours

 

[Bushbear]

What Last Chance said. Supposed to be lots of arrowtooth flounder around and their meat is soft/mushy, but it sounds like the commercials might have figured out a way to make it palatable.....

http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/species/Arrowtooth_flounder.php


Little effort has been directed to catching arrowtooth flounder due to the poor quality of their flesh. Upon landing, a proteolytic enzyme released from a myxosporean parasite causes softening of the flesh that further limits their marketability. Recently, several food grade additives have been successfully used that inhibit enzymatic breakdown. These discoveries have recently enabled a targeted fishery in the Kodiak Island area for marketable products including surimi and frozen fillets.

 

[Bait tricks]

Thats pretty interesting to know Bushbear. Thanks