Snipping Gills?

[web-fisherman]

I do catch some occasion walleye, trout, salmon etc... to eat and I heard that snipping the gills after you boat the fish eliminates almost all the brown meat on the fillets, and the fish taste much fresher. Does anybody practice this?

[glen]

I snip them. I like the look of the fillet but i am not sure it tastes any different.

[jwl]

lots of guys will bleed the fish if they plan on not keeping them alive until they fillet them up.....some guys just grab 2 fingers under the gills and snap thier heads back until they pop other guys will take a knife a stick the fish through the heart to bleed it out

[web-fisherman]

Will give it a try. I had a gent swear by doing this. We will see.

 

Thanks

[Canuck2fan]

I have always bled salmon or trout I am going to keep. After talking with my uncle a few years back about muddy tasting bass he suggested killing them right away if you plan to keep some smallies. I have done it ever since and no more muddy tasting bass either... It kind of makes sense if the fish is stressed on a stringer on in a live well it has to produce some unwanted chemicals which could affect the taste. I wonder if anybody has done any testing in a lab?