Handling Your Fish

Maintaining the Quality of your Catch 

The tropical waters of the Northern Territory offer a smorgasbord of exotic seafoods.

Because seafood products deteriorate rapidly at high temperatures, proper care and preparation will enhance the eating quality of your catch. Remember, once fish die they begin to spoil.

For release

If practical and safe, remove the hooks while the fish is still in the water. Alternatively, the use of landing nets is recommended as a safe option for the angler and the fish. The fish should be released as soon as possible after capture. Most fish can be fatally damaged if they are suspended by the gills so a cradle hold is recommended, especially for larger fish. To reduce such damage, many anglers weigh larger fish while they are in a landing net and then subtract the weight of the net to gain an accurate weight of their released catch. Smaller fish without teeth can be held by gripping the lower jaw firmly.

Don’t lay a fish which is to be released on a hot surface or allow it to thrash around on a boat’s deck or the ground. If it is safe to do so, revive a tired fish by holding it gently in the water with its head facing into any current to allow water to pass over its gills. Pelagic fish such as tuna and mackerel are fragile and tolerate minimal handling. It is often best to spear them head first back into the water to force a rush of water through their gills.

Internal organs of many fish caught from deep water often distend resulting in fatality after release. It therefore makes sense to move or target different species if your catch is nearing a possession limit or the amount of fish required.

The use of barbless hooks is also worth considering as they can usually be removed quickly and easily from fish or a hapless angler. You can catch just as well with barbless hooks, provided you keep tension on the line.

The following points will assist in maximising the quality of your catch:

Mud Crabs 

• Once a crab is removed from a trap or net, tying the claws to the body will avoid personal injury and damage to the crab.
   
• Crabs may be kept alive for a number of days if kept in a cool, dark, fly-proof and moist environment. Place them in a well-ventilated plastic basket, cover them with a wet bag and ensure it is kept wet. Your catch may then be utilised over a number of days.
   
• Mud crabs should be killed prior to cooking. This may be achieved by either placing them on ice or by inserting a sharp instrument into the middle area of the underside of the body.
  Never place a live mud crab into boiling water because it will drop its claws and legs and water will be absorbed into the flesh.

Fish 

• When a fish is landed, treating it gently will assist in keeping it calm.
   
• Never drop or throw the catch about - it may lead to violent thrashing and stress, especially on a hot deck.
   
• Fish should be killed and bled immediately. Rapid killing may be achieved by stunning the fish on the head area only, spiking the brain or by bleeding alone. To bleed a fish, cut the gills or throat area. Ideally, bleeding should take place in a large bin of ice and water, which reduces blood clotting, assists in bleeding and reduces the temperature of the catch.
   
• Rapid gilling and gutting are recommended if a fish is to be kept whole. Thorough removal of all intestines and blood will reduce spoilage. Avoid breaking and spilling gut contents, or cutting into the flesh in the abdominal cavity, which will enable micro-organisms to enter the cut flesh.
   
• Fillets should be placed in a waterproof plastic bag and immediately put in ice. Liberal amounts of ice should be used to cover fish completely. The use of plastic reduces the contact of flesh with ice water and ensures the natural juices and flavours are not leached from the fillets. Do not simply throw fillets in the esky with bait and assorted contaminants.
   
• At high temperatures, fish will pass through rigor mortis rapidly. The muscle contractions will be violent and cause the muscle blocks to "gape" or fall apart when filleted, and loss of natural juices will result. This will be evident by severe drip loss when frozen fillets are thawed. If fish are well iced, rigor mortis will be gradual, resulting in better quality.
  Never straighten a fish that has been bent during rigor mortis because this will simply tear the flesh apart. Allow the fish to relax, and always under chilled conditions.