Why do catfish bleed

Male catfish will have a more uneven opening with a little knob or papilla surrounding it. Female catfish, on the other hand, have a narrow and flat slit-like urogenital opening that lacks a papilla.

Another feature that can determine the sex of a catfish is its head. Male catfish have heads that are much wider and more muscular than those of females. They will also have thicker and meatier lips than females. If you are fishing for catfish close to the spawning season, females will have a very thick belly that is filled with their eggs. On the contrary, a male catfish that is about to spawn will often excrete its whitish milt when on land or being in your landing net.

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If you don't want to bring your iPad into the bathroom, we can send you a magazine subscription for free! Two whitefish from a recent fishing trip show the difference between a fish that was bled out on bottom and one that wasn't on top.

Popular Stories. July 28, Hunting the Common Crow. Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Method 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.

Lay the fish on its side on a cutting board or flat surface, and hold it in place with your nondominant hand. Push a knife into the brain to stun the fish. Keep the fish in place with your nondominant hand and line up the point of a sharp pocket knife with the soft spot behind its eye. The fish may twitch or jerk as soon as you cut into it, but it will stop moving soon after.

Push the knife completely through the fish to sever the nerves and remove it once the fish stops twitching. Keep your fingers away from the blade of the knife so you don't accidentally cut yourself.

Cut behind the gills of the fish to bleed out the arteries. Lift up the gills with your nondominant hand and guide your knife behind the red fleshy parts.

Slice through the fish around the gills from the bottom to the top of the fish to cut the main arteries. Flip the fish over to the other side and repeat your cut on the other set of gills so the fish bleeds out. Dunk your fish in cold water for about 30 seconds to drain the blood. Fill a large bucket or livewell with cold water and soak your fish in it after you make your cuts.

Move the fish around underwater so the water can get into the veins and rinse out. Keep the fish in the water for at least 30 seconds to drain the blood before removing it. Method 2. Place the fish on its side and hold it in place with your nondominant hand near the middle of its body.

Note: This fish was delivered dead and on ice to Doug Stange. Dead fish can't be bled, thus the quantity of blood in the flesh as this fish is cleaned. Give a Gift Subscriber Services. See All Special Interest Magazines. All In-Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow. Get Digital Access.

Subscribe To The Magazine. More Articles From Catfish. April 09, By Doug Stange. Cleaning a Catfish Step 1. Cleaning a Catfish Step 2. Turn the fish over and make an incision as shown.

Cleaning a Catfish Step 3. Cleaning a Catfish Step 4. Cleaning a Catfish Step 5. Turn the fish back over and remove the major portion of fillet meat on each side of the spine. Get Your Fish On. Plan your next fishing and boating adventure here. Sign Me Up. Ross Robertson. See All Videos.

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