harvesting tuna 101

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Jan 12th, '08, 09:13

First, this is how I kill my fish to make the most $. tuna are brought to the side of the boat asap( longer fight results in hot fish= less $ and lactic acid = less$). gaff or harpoon in head. Tuna should be lifted carefully into boat or through tuna door if you have one. If over the rail the fish should be lifted clear of rail as not to damage the side of the fish. Then it should be placed on its back on cushions, foam. cover eyes with towel and place washdown hoses in mouth. Keep fish calm and do not let it flap on deck. Color will come back on the side of the fish. Now cut behind left fin and cut right side above tail 4th finlet up. This will let the fish pump the blood out of both sides by itself. Now collor fish and cut off its fins so they do not bruise the meat when packed out. The belly should be cleaned out with a brush and all the blood removed. Now cut tail so it folds back and insert 200# test mono though spine till it comes out were the head was. Place two overhand knots in line and pull back and forth though the fish to kill its nervous system. FAILING TO DO THIS WILL RUIN THE FISH because the meat will still react to the cold and the meat will cook itself and produce heat damage along the spine, along with lactic acid. Do not hose the slime off the fish. Now with great care place the fish into a brine tank with flake ice, saltwater and salt added. This will bring the temp of the fish down asap. Take internal temp of fish till it is around 36 or lower. Pull fish from brine and place sheets of newspaper over skin to preserve slime and pack out in flake ice that is draining so the fish does not sit in puddle of fresh water. I do this with all my money fish and it workes well for me. I will be happy to answer any questions on why each of these steps is important.

jspiezio · Post by **jspiezio** » Jan 12th, '08, 15:32

Brewster you have got a nice routine, you must have very good mates that you can count on and trust. I have never seen the 200 mono trick, nice idea.

When I have fished on commercial boats for Giants the routine generally went as follows with fish on-
Rod is left in holder;
boat backs down HARD (my friend almost sank his 32 Holland doing this in this fishery);
1st mate reels;
2nd mate manually hauls line between reel and 1st guide (with gloves on)
fish is horsed to the boat and Gaffed/Harpooned ASAP;
fish is slid through the transom and onto the brine bag, this is like a stretcher and allows large fish to be moved (slid or lifted) with out damaging the meat;
Brine bag gets folded over the fish for protection and to cover the eyes, at the same time a2" diameter high pressure hose goes in the mouth;
fish is gut cut and the high pressure hose does the rest;
quick inspection for clean out of organ cavity;
Brine bag and fish are slipped gently into the brine tank;
Boat high tails it back to port;
Once cooled the fish is removed from tank, and iced as Brewster directed;
Core the meat to test fat content- If it is really good (and the fish's body is perfect) then the fish will be jetted un-frozen to Osaka and auctioned for the Captain (most risk, but the most reward as well). If it is not top quality then the it gets sold at the docks to a fish dealer.

Always was a lot of fun fishing with those guys. I miss that fishery off New England. Damn Herring trawlers haven't helped.

thuddddddd · Post by **thuddddddd** » Jan 13th, '08, 09:24

Brewster, I'm a really SLOW learner, so I'll need to see this stuf in person, but not on one of your 3 day "bertram"weather trips. day trip in 2-3's(thats inhes) and I'll be happy to watch you use your above mentioned method.........(my old fishing buddy, that kept his baot near your store, no longer fishes, or bird hunts, and the tubb will never float, so I got to find someone to take me)

neil · Post by **neil** » Jan 13th, '08, 09:28

timmyyyyyyyyyyy brewster does not allow booze on his boat, you might want to reconsider

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 13th, '08, 11:08

brewster i have to see this in person we have to take a trip to canyon together.i can`t see how you can get that 200 pound line from tail to mouth.can you feel or see the nerve??.

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Jan 13th, '08, 15:47

Bob,with the head removed and the tail cut off t line is pushed though the spine till it comes out the other end.

thuddddddd · Post by **thuddddddd** » Jan 13th, '08, 19:19

timmyyyyyyyyyyy brewster does not allow booze on his boat, you might want to reconsider

huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh??????

JP Dalik · Post by **JP Dalik** » Jan 13th, '08, 20:09

Come on Timmy I thought you fished.
Killing the nervous system by running mono thorugh the spinal cord stops the muscle twitches therefore it stops the fishes muscles from producing lactic acid (which makes good fish taste bad).
It may work for alcholoic twitches as well. But the fish for sure.
Neat post brings back good memories.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Jan 13th, '08, 20:29

Come on Timmy, you've seen me do this. Or perhaps you were already passed out........

Bob, you don't want to use Jinkai for this job. You need a good, stiff 200 to 300 pound mono. Works very nicely.

thuddddddd · Post by **thuddddddd** » Jan 13th, '08, 20:39

Yea, I know how to do it, in fact done it a time or 2, just looking for a invite, as my former hunting and fishing buddy no longer participates. He's all in to concerts and "shows"

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 13th, '08, 20:50

Well, if you would get off your ass and work, maybe you could make it back to Panama or PE....those goats still go "bahhhhhh, bahhhhh, Timmmy, he never calls he never writes"... Might have room for you at the UVI 8 & 1/2 late summer if you behave.

I don't work no mo'....ya'll need to try it, sleep till 8:30 and wake up without worrying about your employees screwing up or the deadbeats not paying their bills. Free at last, thank God I'm free at last from worrying about other people's problems.

Uv....the most senior?

CHolgerson · Post by **CHolgerson** » Jan 13th, '08, 20:53

To get the full effect of fishing with Brew you need to do a double overnighter and one of the days has to be rough enough to cause the bell to ring every other wave. I also recommend using the very experienced tuna club to adjust the attitude of a rambunctious albacore. I am counting the days to the start of next season :)
Brew, can I whack the first tuna of the 2008 season?

Chris

thuddddddd · Post by **thuddddddd** » Jan 13th, '08, 21:23

UV, that sorta sounds like a provisional invite, to PE.. I can swing that.

CH, my stomach don't do well on those trips

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jan 13th, '08, 22:44

Uv....the most senior?

Hey if the shoe fits... Not so much that you're the oldest, (just close), but you do pretty much qualify as the oldest member of the Faithful. Can't remember who posted first, you, Carlos, or Art.

Br,

Patrick

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Jan 14th, '08, 09:37

Ill take you guys anytime. Chris you can whack the first fish, he is all yours. Timmy Ill run a trip for you too when its glass but you have to show up.

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Jan 14th, '08, 09:57

brewster
you might think about taking me along just to keep timmy in line

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Jan 14th, '08, 09:59

CWJ anytime buddy. I would be happy to carry you.

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Jan 14th, '08, 10:19

thanks brewster, but one question whos going to carry timmy off the boat. oh never mind by the end of the trip well just pour him over the side

thuddddddd · Post by **thuddddddd** » Jan 14th, '08, 11:32

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Jan 14th, '08, 12:36

Brewster,
You have a commercial permit ?
Pretty sure with my recreational permit I'm not supposed to "clean" a tuna till back at the dock ? We bleed them and ice them but thought thats as far as we could go offshore. Where's the fine line here? Seem's like removing the head would cross that line and get me in trouble ?

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Jan 14th, '08, 13:02

You can cut off the head and fold back the tail.

Chris Frank L.D.S. · Post by **Chris Frank L.D.S.** » Jan 14th, '08, 14:49

For whatever reason, I'm not sure, but no one heads the tuna till back at the dock in NC. On bluefin the belly meat is prized. We cut off a big section of the gill plate and romove the insides from there. Then fill the cavity with ice, along with the behind the fin puncture and the tail slashing. Down here we don't take the tail off, it proves instumental in taking the fish off with a fork truck. People cut down from the top of the head through the spinal cord and take out a triangle shaped chunk out of the head. Then they feed the mono back from the head to the tail. Also, if the fish cooperates enough, we put a lip rope in and a tail rope on and swim the fish next to the boat until the color comes back. Then we bleed em out in the water. Fish house told me once, "if you cut the belly of the tuna your fish is almost not worth sending to japan".

Anyone see 60 minutes last night? Big expose on tuna in the mediteranian and japan.

bertram31.com

harvesting tuna 101

harvesting tuna 101

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