Bleeding Walleye

[Hodgey1]

So, i'm buying a new/used bought from this guy and there some unusual scratches on on side of the boats gunwales. I asked what happened and he proceds to tell me its from hanging his stringer of walleye over the side while they bleed out? 1- Ive never heard of such thing 2 - don't scratch the Gunwales of the boat I'm going to own in the future Anyone here bleeding out you walleye? He claimed flavor improvement? If walleye gets any better, I may quit work to fill the freezer!

[Jay Thomas]

Hi Chris,

We bled walleye for a couple of years to test out the theory of improved flavour. While the fillets were more aesthetically pleasing to look at after cleaning, we concluded that improved flavour was hardly noticeable. Consequently, we stopped doing it.

However, our bleeding walleye method was to nick the gills and let the walleye bleed out in a pail of water.  We would then store the walleye on ice in a cooler in the boat. Our group never favoured dragging dead walleye around on the stringer.

Jay

[Ozzy30]

I do it for lake trout and salmon but not walleye, i find the fish are better condition on ice on the really hot days

[GregL]

I do it for lake trout and salmon but not walleye, i find the fish are better condition on ice on the really hot days

Where do you cut the lakers Oz?

[Greg]

I agree with you Chris... scratch the boat??? for "maybe a little flavour difference?".... easy choice for me ... protect the boat.  I have had my new boat for 5 full seasons and have maybe 10 scratches and I can tell you how/where/when each one happened (and I wish it didn't happen at all).

[Ozzy30]

I use scissors and cut the gills, put in livewell to bleed out and then into a cooler with 2L bottles frozen with water.  Meat keeps it's colour and is still to clean when home.  If you leave in the livewell then they just get soft and the meat is white.  Feels like they get boiled in the livewell.

[Hodgey1]

We bled walleye for a couple of years to test out the theory of improved flavor. While the fillets were more aesthetically pleasing to look at after cleaning, we concluded that improved flavor was hardly noticeable. Consequently, we stopped doing it.

Hey Jay, your tests proved what I thought when it comes to walleye, how can it get better? I don't think there's a better tasting fresh water fish. If bleeding them out made them taste like bacon wrapped fried walleye, I would do it, but even then, I would protect my gunwales!   

[reelpro]

I find bleeding out helps with the mess of cleaning a lot, especially with some of the larger fish if you have a live well onboard.

I keep fish alive through the day by running the live well often so they are lively, especially in really hot weather, dead fish floating around for a day does not help their flavour.

Just before heading in or for the trip back to the dock , first drain the livewell and leave the plug out, turn livewell on so it rinses them as they bleed out. Cut the gills of the fish, I use side cutters and give em all a good snip - enough to kill them as they bleed out.

For bigger walleye , keeper size Lakers and Pike it makes a noticeable difference , it stops their slime production which often increases as they die, especially Pike and Lakers.

Often half dead fish in a livewell are producing extra slime as they die, making the livewell a slime bucket if it is drained with half dead fish in it.

Clean them immediately on arrival at dock or get them on ice and the cleaning of them is noticeably less messy.

As far as a flavour goes not a lot of difference,  I just find I can do a better job cleaning the fish well, without most of the slime and blood, an easier process , especially with any Pike or Lakers.