cleaning a tuna

[brand-name73]

i'm new to sportfishing and i was wondering if there was a special way to clean a tuna? Do you just filet it like a trout or redfish or do you have to loin it out ? how would i go about bleeding, gutting and cutting up a yellowfin or blackfin?

[Shark Tagger]

just like any other fish, filet each side, however you will want to bleed the fish right after being caught. Gut them and let them bleed in your ice box..

[Incognito]

To keep the Tuna in best condition be careful how you handle it.

**Always gaff in head to avoid puncturing flesh which will ruin the meat around the puncture for a good distance.

At the very minimum tuna must be killed and bled immediately to prevent build up of lactic acid and to prevent the temperature of the blood from rising.



STEP 1: If possible, club the fish sharply on the top of the head between the eyes to stun it and prevent the thrashing which bruises the meat.



STEP 2: By running your thumb along the top of the head of the tuna you will feel a soft spot usually directly above the eyes. Insert a sharp spike or knife into this soft spot at an angle of 45°. This is where the brain is. If you hit the spot correctly, the tuna will shudder and the mouth will drop open. Move the spike around to destroy the brain. Another step called the Tanaguchi Method also sees a large diameter length of monofilament run along the backbone to neutralise the nervous system. This stops blood from pumping deeper into flesh.



STEP 3: Lift the pectoral (side) fins and measure about 4 fingers from the base of the pectoral fin. Cut an incision about 2cm long vertically. Blood should flow freely from the cut. Do both sides. It's a good idea to tail rope your tuna and secure it to a cleat over the side before you do this. There is lots of blood and it makes a hell of a mess. Do not bleed by cutting anywhere else.



STEP 4: After 5 to 10 minutes, the bleeding should have stopped. At this point cut out the gills from the underside of the fish leaving the head intact. From inside the gill cavity you can cut into the gut cavity and remove the entrails. You will need to cut a circle around the anal opening to get all the entrails. Do not gut by slicing down the underside and ruin the belly meat. The fish should now be placed into an ice slurry to preserve the flesh.

Keep in mind that only tuna prepped this way with the Tanaguchi rod left in place will be considered Sushi quality. Do not drop fish on deck at any time during handling. Meat bruises very easily and you can tell the difference between bruised flesh and properly handled flesh. Contrary to popular belief Sushi quality tuna is not "caught that day fresh" it has probably been slurried and then frozen for a good week. If someone offers you tuna they caught today as sushi turn it down. It has not been prepared properly. The cold acts on the flesh to preserve and kill off bacteria.

Cutting it up you should quarter it. The fish will have the same vertical backbone as other fish but also a smaller horizontal one along the lateral line/skin color change to use as reference for cutting. Trim off all the dark meat and DO NOT WASH FLESH WITH WATER....JUST WIPE IT CLEAN.

[Tuna Devil]

Incognito,

I think he was looking for the basics. Bleed it, panel it and steak it. Is that how you take care of ALL your fish?

[quack quack]

What do you know Tuna Devil about cleaning a fish have you ever caught a fish

[Tuna Devil]

I caught a fish............ once, well I saw one, well I didn't really see it but this guy I know....... Forget it. I'll be quiet. :lol:

[Broadbill-Pro]

incognito,

you have either cleaned many a tuna or you found a japanese tuna cleaning book. your description was right on, not many western fisherman bleed from the pec fin. they usually bleed from the tail which works well but if the fish is not spiked correctly it will shake the tail off making it difficult to boom the fish into the hold. after making the cut at the pec fin try making a small incesion under the gill plate (nape), just large enough to insert a deck hose. the pressure entering the body cavity will cause the blood to squirt 5 feet into the air. hold pressure on the outside of the gill plate until the blood runs clear. believe it or not, sometimes it helps to pump the pec fin to get the blood flowing.

tuna caught the same day will be tough, let the tuna rest until the meat is throughly chilled in ice (a brine works well). the loins can be cut and even made into sashimi the first day, after refrigerating overnight the meat will become tender.

[Incognito]

I grew up in Rhode Island and cleaned many a Yellowfin, Bigeye and Bluefin back when they were plentiful. My father fished tunas all summer long. I fished alot off Rhode Island, Nova Scotia and Maine. A former girlfriends father (Japanese girl) showed me how to do it right. The Guidebook for Tuna Fisheries Crewmembers has the same thing with the hose. That is where I got the other language.

Usually I do all but the Tanaguchi (heavy cord down the spine) part.

It is funny that down here in Key West everyone who catches a Blackfin shows it off at the dock like it is the best catch ever. They are fun to catch but compared to YF, Bigeye and BFT they are as bad tasting as Skipjack or Bonito with barely any good meat on them. These guys never even bleed the fish either. These are charter capts who then lug em off to a restaurant or fish house who buys it and resells it after it was treated like a grunt and not even bleed. That I don't understand.

BTW if you have not had Bigeye you will find it is by far the best.

[Incognito]

Recommendations for On Board Handling of Albacore Tuna

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Introduction
Increasingly, fishermen are gearing up for albacore tuna as opportunities decrease in traditional fisheries like salmon. New albacore fishermen, and long time veterans, need to be aware that albacore and other tuna-like fishes have unique characteristics and require special handling. Improperly handled albacore can cause severe illness from scombroid poisoning and greatly limit growing alternative markets for non-cannery tuna. Rapid chilling and proper handling on the vessel reduce the risk of illness and produce reliably high quality product.

This publication provides information on how to deliver high quality albacore, including: 1) some unique characteristics of albacore and other tuna-like fishes, 2) scombroid poisoning and how it can be prevented, 3) proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seafood regulations, 4) metal stain, and 5) step by step handling and chilling recommendations that will reliably produce a wholesome, safe food.


Characteristics of Albacore and Other Tunas
Experienced fishermen know that albacore, and all other tunas, have higher body temperatures than salmon, rockfish and most other fishes. The body temperature of most other fishes when landed is the same as the water temperature. A recent study found that the backbone temperature of troll caught albacore ranged from 75°F to 92°F and averaged 84.5°F. An average albacore was 25°F warmer than the temperature of the surface waters where they were caught. Actual body temperature depends on fish size, the extent to which the fish struggled during capture, and water temperature.

Decomposition or spoilage is caused primarily by the chemical breakdown of the flesh by enzymes produced by naturally occurring bacteria. This spoilage process is faster at higher temperatures and proceeds more rapidly in warm albacore than in cold-blooded fishes.

Albacore store energy in chemical compounds such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). While the albacore is alive, ATP is used for swimming and other cellular needs. It is replenished through a process requiring oxygen. As albacore struggle during capture, they deplete their supply of ATP and oxygen and begin to produce ATP through an alternate pathway that also produces lactic acid. They also generate more heat than their temperature-control mechanism can handle.

After death, albacore can no longer regulate body temperature or flesh pH (acidity/alkalinity). ATP is broken down by enzymes to compounds that are associated with off-flavors in "stale" fish, flesh temperature remains high, and the flesh remains slightly acidic. The harder an albacore struggles during capture and/or thrashing around on deck, the higher the flesh temperature and acidity. Poor handling after capture can easily result in rapid quality loss and decomposition.


Scombroid Poisoning
Albacore and other tunas contain relatively large amounts of the amino acid histidine in their flesh (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins)². After the fish dies, bacterial enzymes break down the histidine to histamine. Humans consuming fish containing histamine, can become ill with scombroid poisoning. Symptoms include a metallic, sharp or peppery taste, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, oral blistering and numbness, facial swelling and flushing, headache and dizziness, palpitations, hives, rapid and weak pulse, thirst and difficulty in swallowing. Most victims of scombroid poisoning recover within 24 hours; antihistamines usually lead to immediate improvement. Fish most often implicated in this illness include: mahi mahi, tuna, bluefish, mackerel, and bonito.

In 1993, there were several cases of scombroid poisoning reported in Newport, Oregon from unfrozen albacore sold from a fishing vessel to a restaurant. In order for histamine to form in the fish, the albacore had to be mishandled at some point between capture and consumption. The best way to prevent scombroid poisoning is rapid chilling on the vessel and controlling the temperature of the fish throughout storage and distribution. Once histamine forms in a fish, it cannot be eliminated by cooking, freezing or smoking. Histamine production occurs rapidly at high temperatures, but slows dramatically at temperatures below 40°F. Fish held at 90°F can become toxic within six hours and fish held at 70°F can become toxic within 24 hours³.


Proposed FDA Regulations
Proposed new FDA seafood regulations may have a major effect on albacore fishermen. In general, these proposed regulations call for monitoring selected steps in the production of seafood products in accordance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point ) principles. In fisheries for albacore and other scombroid toxin forming fishes, handling on the fishing vessel is a critical control point in the production of a safe and wholesome product.
FDA's proposed regulations for scombroid toxin forming fishes recommend that buyers ensure that the fish were chilled rapidly to 40°F after capture, and that the fish were not held at time/temperature combinations that would allow histamine production. For vessel operators, this may require:


Time and temperature logs for each storage compartment (well, tote or other container) to show that:

the fish were chilled to an internal temperature of 40°F or below as rapidly as possible after landing on the vessel,

the fish were maintained at or below 40°F after landing on the vessel, and

the fish were delivered with a maximum core temperature of 40°F;

Records to show that thermometers agree within ±2°F of standard thermometers; and

Fish inspection for decomposition with no more than 2.5% of the fish in each lot showing sensory decomposition.

If these criteria are not met, each lot of fish may have to be tested for histamine. Histamine testing is expensive and is probably not available in most ports. The current FDA regulatory level is 5 mg histamine/100 g flesh. Fish containing more histamine than this cannot be used as food. How rapidly fish must be chilled to 40°F under this proposed regulation is unclear at this time.

Metal Stain
Metal stain (skin dye) is a blackening of albacore meat that takes place during the canning process. It is caused by a chemical reaction with metals that accumulated at low levels (parts per million) in the fish while on the vessel. Blackening is obvious only after canning, leaving no alternative but to destroy the product after the expense of ex-vessel purchase, shipping and canning. If metal stain is not caught in routine inspections, it could lead to a recall at great expense to the cannery and to the reputation of albacore products.

Fish accumulate corrosive metals (copper, zinc, iron, nickel, cadmium, etc.) through direct contact with metal in the hold or through indirect contact via the refrigeration system (e.g., a copper or copper-nickel chiller brine-freeze system). These metals tend to accumulate most in areas where the skin of a fish is abraded. To avoid metal stain, replace corrosive metals in the refrigeration system (pumps and tubing) and the hold with stainless steel or plastic.


Recommended On Board Handling Procedures
The following handling procedures were developed based on research and industry experience with albacore and other tuna species.

1. Prepare the Deck. Clean and sanitize the landing area and the slush ice tank or brine tank daily using detergent and water followed by a dilute solution of household chlorine bleach (one teaspoon per gallon of water). Have the slush ice tank, brine chilling tank or blast freezer ready to receive fish. With a slush ice tank, drain melt water from the ice and add seawater after the first strike. Chilling/freezing systems should be at the recommended temperatures when the first fish is landed. Have all handling equipment at hand and clean. These include knives, sharpening tools, gaff, and spiking tool or club. Use a landing mat (a piece of carpet) to reduce scale loss and bruising.

2. Landing. Land the fish as quickly as possible after it is hooked. Prolonged struggle will result in higher body temperatures and reduced quality. If you use a gaff, gaff the fish in the head or through the lower jaw, never in the body or you will destroy and contaminate the edible flesh. Keep fish in a single layer on deck rather than stacking them like cord wood.

3.Stunning. Stun the fish immediately after it comes on deck to eliminate scale loss and bruising. It is easier to stun the fish when it is still on the gaff or the hook remover. Club the fish with a modified bat, mallet, or lead filled steel pipe on the soft spot right above the eyes.

4. Brain Spiking (optional). Another option is to immobilize the fish immediately after, or instead of stunning, by destroying the brain. (Spiking the brain is a required procedure for production of sashimi grade tuna worldwide.) In addition to immobilizing the fish, brain destruction helps stop the production of heat and acid, and the loss of energy rich compounds.

To spike an albacore, position yourself so that you are balanced with the fish positioned on its belly, and the spiking tool (an ice pick or a sharpened screwdriver) firmly in one hand and the fish's tail in the other. Do not attempt spiking without complete control of your balance, the spiking tool, and the fish. Place the spike at the soft spot above the eyes at a 30 degree angle to the horizontal. Push the spike quickly into the skull maintaining the 30 degree angle while holding the tail with your other hand. Move the instrument from side to side to destroy the brain. The fish will shudder, all the muscles will flex, the mouth will open, and the pectoral fins will flare. After one or two seconds the fish will go limp if done properly.

If not done properly, the fish can shudder violently creating the potential for personal injury, and further scale loss and bruising to the fish. With slippery conditions this procedure can be a challenge, but after several attempts brain destruction is swift and thorough.

5.Bleeding. Bleeding improves the appearance of uncooked tuna loins and may help initially to reduce fish temperature on deck. It is essential for sashimi grade fish. Fish should be bled for 10 to 15 minutes after stunning (brain spiking) and then immediately chilled. Bleeding is most efficient when done immediately after the fish is landed, and when the heart is left intact to take advantage of its pumping action. If possible, orient the fish head down and spray with water to prevent clotting. Bleeding can be accomplished in at least three ways; use the one easiest for you. If one cut does not produce blood, try one of the other methods. Using more than one cut may promote more efficient bleeding.

Pectoral Cut: This cut is the most common in tuna fisheries worldwide. With the fish on its side measure 1.5 to 2 inches (about the width of two fingers) from the base of (under) the pectoral fin along the midline. Make a shallow cut about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide and 1/4 inch deep along the raised ridge near the midline using a clean, sharp knife with a narrow blade. If this cut is made too deep or too wide, usable flesh can be destroyed and reduce the fish's value. Flip the fish over and repeat the cut on the other side. We found this cut to be very effective with albacore.

Gill Cut: The gill arch cut is the one most commonly used now in the U.S. albacore fishery. With the fish on its side, lift the gill cover and sever the gill arch and/or insert the knife behind the gill through the gill membrane, and cut up toward the spine, severing the blood vessels at the top of the gills.

Throat or Nape Cut: This cut involves cutting the blood vessel between the heart and the gills. It can be done in either of two ways, depending on the preference of the buyer. With the fish on its back or side cut the "V" shaped nape between the gill covers and the body of the fish to the artery just below the surface. An alternative that leaves the head firmly attached to the body is to make a shallow cut just inside the point of the "V" of the nape, lift the artery with your finger, and cut. The heart is about three inches behind or inside the point of the "V". Take care not to sever the heart or you will loose the pumping action the heart provides. Experienced albacore fishermen have variations of this cut that they find faster for them. We recommend finding the heart and the artery running between the heart and the gills in your first fish or two, and find what is easiest for you.

The amount of blood lost in the process of bleeding an albacore has not been determined. Albacore 12 pounds and over are between 8 to 12% blood by weight, with larger fish having the least percent blood4. You can generally drain only 20 to 50% of the blood from the fish because most of the blood is held up through surface tension and coagulation in many of the tiny capillaries that supply the muscles and make up the tuna rete system. A 12 pound albacore that loses 40% of its blood would lose about a half pound of its total weight: a nineteen pound albacore would lose between a half and three quarters of a pound in total weight. Bleeding will not significantly reduce the revenue received per fish.


Chilling and Freezing
Albacore should be placed into a chilling or freezing system within 15 minutes of capture to ensure the delivery of a high quality product without histamine. As a general rule, one day of shelf life is lost for each hour an albacore is left on deck. This rate of decomposition is three times that of other fishes.

Rapid chilling should pose few problems during scratch fishing, however, it can be very difficult when large numbers of warm fish are caught within a matter of minutes. The only way to ensure safe, quality fish in this case is to match your capture rate to your refrigeration capacity. This may involve adding refrigeration capacity for the high scores, or reducing catch to ensure the safety and quality of the fish already on deck.


Fresh Fish
If you are planning to deliver fresh albacore to a cannery buying station, check with them first. Some canneries may not buy iced fish due to uncertainty over how quickly the fish were chilled and the possibility of histamine formation. Make sure you have a buyer.

Chill fish first in slush ice, a mixture of two parts ice and one part seawater before icing. Albacore will cool four to five times faster in slush ice than on ice because the fish are completely surrounded by the chilling medium, and the rate of heat transfer in a liquid is about 25 times faster than in ice. Albacore iced without prechilling will form air pockets around the warm fish resulting in inefficient cooling and poor quality. For example, a recent study found that a 24 pound round albacore held on ice cooled to 61°F in 8 hours. A fish of the same weight held in slush ice cooled to 59°F in only 2.5 hours and to 40°F in 7 hours¹.

The slush ice tank should be insulated, with a tight fitting, insulated lid, and maintained so that ice is always present. This will require that ice be added periodically depending on catch rates, weather conditions, and the extent of insulation. Add fish to the slush ice tank as they are landed - not all at once. In addition to a substantial loss of shelf life and quality that result from fish left sitting on the deck, slow, inefficient cooling will result from overloading the chilling system. Mechanically refrigerated tanks with stainless steel coils might be an option for some operators.

A mixture of 2 parts ice and one part seawater will maintain a temperature of 30° to 32°F. Because fish begin to freeze at temperatures below this, there is no risk of partial freezing and related quality loss.

Ice and freshwater will tend to float on the surface of the slush ice mixture, creating sharp temperature differences, even in a shallow tank. Warm temperature pockets can also become trapped between fish. Agitate the mixture periodically with a pump, by bubbling air in the tank, or manually with a paddle to minimize these potential problems.

Transfer the fish to ice storage when the backbone temperature reaches 50°F and continue to cool the fish to 40°F or below. Holding fish in slush ice for more than 12 hours may lead to excessive water absorption and bleaching. Proper management of the chilling system requires that the internal temperature of the fish be measured periodically throughout the fishing trip. This can be done simply by using a piercing probe meat thermometer, available through most refrigeration equipment suppliers. There are also a number of digital, battery operated, piercing probe thermometers available on the market. When measuring the temperature place the probe close to the backbone on one side of the fish about two inches behind the pectoral fin (the thickest part). After some experimentation, the proper chilling times can be determined for certain slush ice mixtures, fish sizes, loading density, etc.

How you ice your fish after they are removed from the slush tank varies by vessel. If possible, ice fish in single layers in each available bin. Before adding a new layer of fish, gently pack down the ice with a shovel to eliminate any air pockets that may have formed. Cover each bin with an ice blanket. The amount of ice required to chill fresh albacore will vary with a number of factors such as the length of the trip, catch rate, and the extent of insulation in the fish hold and the slush ice tank. In general, proper chilling will require about two pounds of ice per pound of albacore. Each operator must determine the amount of ice they require based on vessel characteristics and fishing pattern.

Do not hold iced albacore on the vessel more than five days. Because the maximum high quality shelf life of albacore is 11 to 14 days under ideal conditions, the consumer must have access to the product within this time frame. Because it often takes seven days to move fish through the distribution process to the customer, trips lasting over five days result in inferior fish reaching the consumer.


Frozen Fish
Most freezer systems used at sea today for albacore are adequate to deliver a high quality product suitable for alternative markets provided that the fish are chilled quickly (within 15 minutes of capture), and that the freezer system maintains a constant temperature (varies no more than 5°F), even at night. Repeated freezing and thawing results in a low quality product unsuited for alternative markets. Precautions are advised to prevent the introduction of heat to the fish hold when adding fish from on deck. This can be accomplished by adding a false hatch that temporarily seals the opening to the deck while working below. High quality fish should be held frozen on board the vessel no longer than 30 days.

Below are specific recommendations for different freezer systems. These recommendations are based on international practices5.

Air Blast Freezing. Air systems must be maintained at 0°F or colder. Because fish freeze slower in air than in water, air systems require colder temperatures. The air blowing over albacore in a blast freezer should not be warmer than -20°F and should move at a velocity greater than 400 feet per minute. Fish should be transferred to a separate storage area at -20°F or below, with no air movement, after the core temperature reaches -5°F. In addition to storage in still air, glazing and or bagging can also minimize dehydration.

Brine Immersion/Dry Storage Freezing. Freeze albacore in a saturated brine at 10°F and transfer the fish to dry storage when the backbone temperature reaches 20°F or less. This takes about 5 to 10 hours depending on the size of the fish. Dry storage should be at -20°F or below.

Spray Brine Freezing. Spray brine systems should maintain a temperature of 10°F or below to prevent excessive salt absorption and produce a high quality product. Although the lowest temperature a brine freezing system can maintain is -6°F using a 23.3% salt solution (88.3 salimeter degrees) under ideal circumstances, 0°F is a practical lower limit. Strict temperature control is essential if spray brine frozen albacore are delivered for alternative markets, because salt absorption is linked directly to increased temperature (18°F and above). This means that refrigeration systems must run 24 hours a day. Depending on the capacity of the freezer system, some vessels may consider a deck brine box to prechill the catch before introducing fish into the hold. This approach could prevent thawing previously caught fish with newly captured, warm fish, and provide a more consistent fish hold temperature.


Summary
Albacore has tremendous potential for a variety of markets. Producing albacore of consistent high quality and free of histamine is the most critical step for maintaining cannery markets and building new ones. Eliminate corrosive metals from your refrigeration system and hold area. Retrieve fish as quickly as possible after they strike and stun or kill the fish immediately to preserve quality and to eliminate bruising and scale loss. Bleed fish to improve the flesh appearance. The most important step in delivering high quality albacore is to chill or freeze the catch quickly to 40°F or below to prevent decomposition and the formation of histamine. If you are planning to deliver iced albacore, be sure you have a buyer. Measure the chill, freezing and holding temperatures of your fish throughout each trip to identify weak points in the system.

[Broadbill-Pro]

i have had hundreds of butchers work for me over the years, very few handled tuna correctly. we always had miles of 3.5mm mono (mainline) laying around in tangles, it works well for separating the vertibre. big eye is by far my favorite fish. fish from water less than 65f contain the color and fat content to bring the good prices in japan. generally north of 36n and south of 36s have the best quality tunas. good big eye fishing is very often close to good swordfishing, the prefered temps are similar. bluefin prefer colder (less than 60f) and yellowfin warmer (more than 70f).

try cutting albacore into chunks, stuff 1 qt. mason jars with fish tighten lid and pressure cook for 1 hour. by far the best tuna salad you will ever taste.can add peppercorn, garlic, etc.

[njoimia]

leaving tues. to fish cat island and rum cay for some yellowfin and hopefully some early marlin fishing... be back on April 20th...will post reports....

[Broadbill-Pro]

good luck njoimia, don't forget to bleed them! LOL

[njoimia]

for sure.....

[RiskTaker]

Njoimia:

Have fun. I wish I was a stoy away. Been dreaming of going to Rum Cay some day. By the time you get back you will be Island stylin.

P.S. - Don't forget to take a bottle of Chef Paul's Blackened Redfish Magic with you. It does magic on Tuna, just the same.

The posting above from Incognito was some good stuff. See that attached link: http://www.swordfishingcentral.com/f...ghlight=#14845

It is basically the same information; however, it provides links to some original written documents. They have pictures and illustrations that make it a little more interesting read.

[31CAT]

"To spike an albacore, position yourself so that you are balanced with the fish positioned on its belly, and the spiking tool (an ice pick or a sharpened screwdriver) firmly in one hand and the fish's tail in the other. Do not attempt spiking without complete control of your balance, the spiking tool, and the fish. Place the spike at the soft spot above the eyes at a 30 degree angle to the horizontal. Push the spike quickly into the skull maintaining the 30 degree angle while holding the tail with your other hand. Move the instrument from side to side to destroy the brain. The fish will shudder, all the muscles will flex, the mouth will open, and the pectoral fins will flare. After one or two seconds the fish will go limp if done properly"


That may be good for small longfin, but you try doing that (grabbing a green fish buy the tail) and a 40 to 60 lber may just hurt or break your fingers.

Gill Cut: The gill arch cut is the one most commonly used now in the U.S. albacore fishery. With the fish on its side, lift the gill cover and sever the gill arch and/or insert the knife behind the gill through the gill membrane, and cut up toward the spine, severing the blood vessels at the top of the gills









I find this the quickest and easiest, with the note that the side of the fish that hits the boat stays on the boat! (works with all tuna) the key for a non-expert tuna fisherman is to get the fish in the boat! the blood all over is good stuff, and of course you want to galf in the head, but you learn these things with experance. good luck!

[panic]

There is a lot of good tips here, but here is my take on the basics.

1. Bleed the fish - Important thing to do.
2. Chill the fish - Hell freeze that sucker quick...
3. Clean the fish - The tuna are easiest to cut up. They have most of the cutting lines already on the fish. Make a small cut at the tail, then cut from the top of the head to the bottom just behind the peck fin. Cut along the back bone on both sides of the top fin from head to tail. Make a V cut around the belly to the butt. Then Pull the skin off from the head cut to the tail. Once the skin is off you will see a blood line running down the center of the meat. Cut on either side of that and you will end up with two of the best filets. The bellies are best left with the skin on and just smoke them. One key point is Do Not rinse with fresh water. This will have a reaction with the meat. If you must rinse, use a salt water bath made with sea salt.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
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[marlintuna]

Here in San Diego bellies are of high value in trading for smoked. Heads for soup and the cheek meat is some of the best imho. If you take a party boat trip save the bellies and take them to the table where somked fish is sold and traded. One more point is take all the air out of the bag the meat is packed in by taking a bucket of water and bag the filets while half submerged. It forces nearly all the air out so it's like having vacuum packed if you have a lot of fish to cut on the water but little time to mess with packing. Once decked and bled keep it constantly chilled and on ice or depending on your boat in a chilled brine and seawater. Some great tips and techniques here by everyone. Good luck.

[5-Salt]

Here in Oregon we like our Sashimi Albacore.

-Spike them
-Bleed them
-Make a 2in long shallow incision from poop chute forward
-Reach in and pull/pop the shute cord.
-Lift gill plates and make shallow cuts behind gills from top to bottom
-Turn fish on back and slide finger undergills and gently lift gills away from skull
-Same for gill attach point at bottom
-Slide fingers into gut cavity gentle release/loosen guts/gills from carcass.
-Twist gills and gently pull them out
-Heart, guts, gills and all should come out completely intact.
-Place fish head down in chill bucket for 10-15mins to lower core temp immediately (Chill bucket typically is a 33gal plastic garbage can fill 2/3 full with saltwater and 3-4 10lbs block ice large cooler or is even better if you have deck space, insulated fish boxes are good but some can be tough to drain as new block ice is added)
-Remove fish fish from chill bucket and pack cavity with cube/crushed ice then pack entire fish in rock-salted ice.

See http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat....&page=2#601283 for pics of above description.


-Repete.

This will net you best quality tuna you have ever dipped in soy/wasabi. We do it at the cleaning table almost every weekend.

Pack cleaned loins immediately on ice and rock salt ice for transport home.

[Venice Tunaman]

Very nice. That is exactly the way I do it.

Step 1:
Make a 2" cut up from the Anus


Step 2:
Reach in and hook the hmmm....what ever you call it? The "poop chute"? And break it.




Step 3:
Now seperate the Gills from the Gill Plate. Make sure to cut the gills free on the top and bottom as well. But don't cut too deep into the "Guts".





Step 4:
Grab as much of the Gills as you can and give them a 3/4 twist one direction then 3/4 in the other.


Step 5:
Simply pull the gills slowly out....if done right the "Guts" will follow the gills right out of the fish!

[Capt. Art]

Hey Incognito:

Excellent description. Once people handle their tuna properly, they will be enjoying one of the finest tasting and healthy fish available.

I'll keep an eye out for you this winter.

Capt. Art
Two-Can

[twofinbluna]

the pec fin cut is to empty the air bladder not to bleed it. i only catch bluefin but i assume that the same thing happens with any tuna. dont plan on seeing any blood come out of the cut, but you will literally hear the air hiss out.

and you can wash them with as much water as needed. it doesnt hurt them at all. we only sell fish to the sushi market, know it well.

like others said, bleed it by cutting under the throat (heart is right there) and then cut the tail. then put on ice and treat properly.

[twofinbluna]

also, dont filet the tuna, quarter it. use the sharpest knife you can find and you will have a much easier time.

i dont see why anyone needs to rod the backbone if they are going to cut off the meat shortly after. we only do it because the fish needs to fly to japan and like someone said will be sitting around for a few days. if you are only eating it, you dont need to do anything other than bleed, then ice or even bleed than cut it up. only do all the steps if you plan on selling it as sushi. we have to go through all those steps but you would be nuts to unless you needed to.

also, if you do plan on dressing the fish completely, make sure you get all the guts out and there are a lot in there that dont come out easy. look especially for the air bladder which is a slimy, webbed sac that will be deflated if you poked the hole behnd the pec fin.

just take care of the fish and you will be ok. if you are sending to auction get first hand insturctions because we are talking about major price difference and in teh case of bluefin that can mean thousands of dollars between what a well hanlded fish and a porrly handled one.

[dtorbert]

You just filet them!

[Swordfisherman]

http://www.thefishingline.com/videos...eaningTuna.wmv

[Capt. Art]

Washing fish that has been skinned with fresh water insstantly changes the look and texture of the meat. It looks and feels less apetizing and does not taste nearly as good as meat that is only washed with clean salt water.

[Auguste]

Great thread guys . . . many thanks

[jcmcinni]

so ive done a considerable amount of research regarding the preparation of tuna to ensure sashimi grade (sushi) quality meat. now i am looking to find out the best place to buy a corer, spiker, and either 3.5 mm monofilament or the taniguchi wire that is inserted down the backbone....any help would be awesome!!

-Jake

[bndfishing]

Here is a great video out of Oregon on TUNA! carking
YouTube - Tuna Cleaning 102

[B767]

Originally Posted by bndfishing

Here is a great video out of Oregon on TUNA! carking
YouTube - Tuna Cleaning 102

Good one. Thx.

[bndfishing]

Originally Posted by jcmcinni

so ive done a considerable amount of research regarding the preparation of tuna to ensure sashimi grade (sushi) quality meat. now i am looking to find out the best place to buy a corer, spiker, and either 3.5 mm monofilament or the taniguchi wire that is inserted down the backbone....any help would be awesome!!

-Jake

On a pitching boat brain spiking can be a dangerous thing. We are now using a Phillips head screwdriver so you don't run the risk of stabbing yourself. From there it's cut the gills and pull the guts out and put them in a tank (2 garbage cans) of sea water and ice so you have a very cold slush. Cool the tuna for a while or until you have so many fish on deck you need the room, then pack with ice in the kill bags. If you can get shaved salted ice for your coolers that is the best ever.