I've been seeing a lot of posts about getting fish processed and the cost and difficulty thereof. And I've been confused by it all, but hesitant to try to ask why people don't do it themselves for fear of sounding condescending or something. I'm asking from inexperience. Let's be clear.
I guess i kinda figured it was some low per-fish fee, and maybe y'all are rich and just don't mind paying. But then I learned its by the pound and more than I thought.
So what stops you guys from doing your own? I dont imagine rolling seas make it easier than dry land but to me cleaning a fish is the easy part, and bigger fish are easier than small fish. I just bring a cutting board, a knife sharpener, and a gallon of water for rinsing.
Again this is one of those moments where I stop and figure that if smart people with decades of experience aren't doing something that i think sounds easy, its often me who is misunderstanding the situation. on dry land i can still turn a snook, snapper, or redfish into skinned filets in 10 minutes or less per fish and if i do a few back to back the time per fish really drops.
I know why people like my brother who let the second cast it out and hand it to him when it's time to reel it in will pay someone else to clean their fish. But....
What am I missing here?
It's more about convenience and processing a few hundred pounds of fish can be a daunting task. Worth the money to many to get a perfect processed product, vacuum packed to take home. Having done it both ways it's nice to not have to deal with it after an extended trip.
Quote from: Swami805 on June 06, 2023, 03:17:07 AMIt's more about convenience and processing a few hundred pounds of fish can be a daunting task. Worth the money to many to get a perfect processed product, vacuum packed to take home. Having done it both ways it's nice to not have to deal with it after an extended trip.
This....
I used to work at a processor in college so it's not for lack of skill that I chose to use a processor after my trips...
It's worth it to me to not have to spend hours cleaning a couple hundred pounds of fish after a 6-7 hour drive home. And then you have to try and figure out what to do with a hundred pounds of heads and guts....
My time is worth more to me than the cost to process!
Jason - Legitimate questions! What Swami said, 4X. On my trips (with reservations) usually after we get off the boat, have breakfast at a small local diner, the fish are processed and ready to go, and easy to keep cold on the 2 hour drive. There are some cool videos here (the last one that shows the process from boat offload to processing and really kind of shows the scope of the challenge). And the level of packaging is unquestionably far superior to anything I could do at home and preserves the catch in great condition.
https://www.fishermansprocessing.com/videos.php
The processing thing is relatively new with the advent of RSW systems on the boats. Used to be they'd drop your fish in the holds and freeze them with spray brine. You get off the boat with a load of popsicles. It would take a few days or more for them to thaw. I'd bring home a truck load and have friends come and help. A total PIA!!
When you have a 800 mile drive home it is nice to have your catch processed professionaly and I have trouble cutting 200-300 pound fish. I do my own when fishing in Oregon.
I had this enthusiastic doubt that the issue at hand was a lack of skill among AT members.
But I see people talking about not targeting the big fish that are biting because catching a 200# fish will add $400 to your trip cost. And i get it, but that sucks.
Mix and match? Have them process all but the biggest ones? Do those yourself?
There's a part of me thinking I'm in the wrong industry. Seems like there's lots of money to be made processing fish.
To me its a cost Vs equation. It is expensive but consider the funds we shell out for gear, trips, boats and everything else that goes with that, paying for processing doesn't seem so bad does it? When I fish or hunt locally I do my own but when I travel Its a great convenience to me to let someone else do it. :d
I guess I'm not as fortunate as some, I don't have the $ for that sort of life style. I've only had a guide once in my life and had fish cleaned by someone else on that one trip, mainly because it was a fly-in to way north Manitoba/Saskatchewan. If I had to pay for guiding and having fish processed I only be able to take one decent sized trip a decade. ::) Freshwater fishing may be a little different, but I've always, with my wife's help, cleaned and packaged our own fish. BTW, she generally catches her fair share. :al
The first thing I did when I bought the place where I now still live 26 years ago, was to build a convenient sink outside with light to clean, and pack fish.
I still today clean and pack my own fish and never would it cross my mind to pay someone to do it for me. However, as I have often said my situation is very different to yours.
I have stood cleaning fish till past midnight at times, after a long day at sea or on the rocks, that's no fun!! Fileting two Yellowtail and packing it away is no problem, even if it's late, but 100 LB Tuna is.
I can quite see that after a day on a large comfortable boat, with some mates to socialise, it is a lot more pleasant to have it done and forego the benefit of some cash in the pocket. :d
Quote from: Midway Tommy on June 06, 2023, 04:46:38 PMI guess I'm not as fortunate as some, I don't have the $ for that sort of life style...........but I've always, with my wife's help cleaned and packaged our own fish
-- yep, that my current situation as well, but no lakes or freshwater here just a big saltwater lagoon called Sea of Cortez ;)
Quote from: Cor on June 06, 2023, 07:29:21 PMI still today clean and pack my own fish and never would it cross my mind to pay someone to do it for me. However, as I have often said my situation is very different to yours.
I can quite see that after a day on a large comfortable boat, with some mates to socialise, it is a lot more pleasant to have it done and forego the benefit of some cash in the pocket. :d
I cannot blame the guys that paid to have their fish processed with the best techniques that will keep the fish to taste as fresh as the day it was caught, its all about the wallet and the amount of fish.
I have had good days where I come home with a good share of YT, leopard groupers, spanish macks, corvinas, triggerfish which made me keep filleting till 1am or later after come home happy but tired, main reason is to fillet the fish and cut the fillets to fit on many small freezer bags, that way you just have to take one or two bags for a dinner or to share with relatives & friends.
this Ice chest means hours of filleting and selecting portions on each small freezing bag
Jason for guys like you and me that catch a couple fish a day, this is not a problem at all!
But lately, I've noticed more and more that a lot of people don't even have a place to go clean their fish, especially after jumping off one of these big boats, I constantly see you guys talking about here!
I couldn't even imagine, being on one of these boats and then trying to clean 30 or 40 fish possibly, no freaking way brother! Will
But honestly, I can tell you this!
You can make a small fortune, if you would like to drive around and offer butchering/processing services!
However, this does have its Achilles' heel!
You'll be getting called out the most grueling hours and requires a seriously strong back, leaning over for hours, cleaning fish, out in the weather!
There are plenty of people that still do this, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart!
I have degenerative neck and back disease, have all kinds of neck and back problems!
I'm literally dying after one fish lol!
And although, I love to catch and eat fish!
I truly hate cleaning them, most likely due to all the pain involved!
Every port in Oregon has at least 1 fish cleaning station, some have 2.
I've gotten (modestly) pretty good at it through vast amounts of practice. I can break down most "table" fish we catch around here in a couple of minutes tops so even a substantial catch of fish only takes me an hour or so.
It also suits me that I'm regarded as the fish processing guy, so everyone else does the rest of the post-trip chores like washing down the boat and gear.
Quote from: boon on June 07, 2023, 05:25:28 AMIt also suits me that I'm regarded as the fish processing guy, so everyone else does the rest of the post-trip chores like washing down the boat and gear.
Me too, I cary a toolbox full of knives and sharpening stones.
Nothing worse than offering to do the filleting and someone hands you a glorified butter knife. I've started taking my good knives with me on trips as well... always slightly worried I'll accidentally try to take one through airport security one day.
Last year not all of us could get same day service, no big deal for me Im 2 hours from San Diego and retired. So i had my wife come pick me up with a couple ice chests in the car. I loaded 150 pounds of whole fish and as we drove home we stopped off at a couple friends houses and filleted a couple fish to order for each. When we got home the real work began as we processed the remaining fish. My processing bill was still $400, but we got fresh fish until we could make it back to SD for pick up. Bill
While we're on the subject!
Is there any good knife sharpening thresds here?
I'm the guy with the glorified butter knife, and cannot sharpen a knife to save my life!
I have some stones here, but have no idea how to use them correctly anyway lol!
I always use one of those pull through sharpeners with those small white ceramic hone bars on the sides or the one that has a handle that you flip upside down with two tiny metal bars!
Think it's made by Smith's?
My buddy always can get his knife sharp as hell, but I cannot, and it's annoying the crap out of me!
There are better ways to get a razor edge but I use a Gatco carbide edgemate to start with and finish up with a good steel to remove the tiny burrs. Only takes about 5 minutes to be able to shave my arm and that's plenty sharp enough to fillet a fish. ;D
Quote from: ExcessiveAngler on June 12, 2023, 10:54:53 PMWhile we're on the subject!
Is there any good knife sharpening thresds here?
I'm the guy with the glorified butter knife, and cannot sharpen a knife to save my life!
I have some stones here, but have no idea how to use them correctly anyway lol!
I always use one of those pull through sharpeners with those small white ceramic hone bars on the sides or the one that has a handle that you flip upside down with two tiny metal bars!
Think it's made by Smith's?
My buddy always can get his knife sharp as hell, but I cannot, and it's annoying the crap out of me!
This was a topic a few months ago on the weekend Zoom, and at the advice of a couple participants I purchased a Lanski system. And saw a big improvement in my edges. Reasons being: A good succession of sequential grit stones, and B: more importantly a jig to insure even, consistent angles for the edges.
Sure, I had all the stones before, but truthfully unless you are somebody that does it everyday, holding a consistent even angle over an entire sharpening session while "freehanding" is a skill that I was just "OK" at, but being dead accurate lends a whole new level of edge. I was surprised the first time to see how far out of true my blades were - I ended up spending as much as 45 minutes on each knife. Now that the edges are trued up again, a quick "touch up" goes quickly. And - don't forget using a steel. A quick proper hit prior to use helps to extend and prolong edge sharpness. Emphasis on "quick" and "proper". - john
Im with John. For many years I worked in the produce business and knives were parts of my daily tool package. I was able to use the meat departments 3 stone sharpener and could shave with my knives. 33 years later my skills have regressed to the point that I can make any sharp knife into a butter knife. In comes the Lanski and now I can shave again. Also get a good quality steel or hone. Bill
I pay to have the crew on the boat loin out the tuna, save the belly's, and save the collars.
For Yellowtail I have them slab it and save the collars.
About $100 for a good trip.
My boat normally gets in between 5-6pm and I have a seven-nine hour drive after that. Depends on LA traffic which always sucks.
I take the bags, throw them in another plastic bag, buy ice at the landing for ridiculous prices (but it saves time so I pay it), and throw everything in the ice chests for the ride home.
Normally get home around 3-4am. Shower, kiss the dog, pat the wife, and hit the rack. I normally get up around 1pm and my kitchen turns into a processing plant.
Four Tylenol, many beers, and 2-3 hours later I'm done and don't want to see fish let alone catch any for a few weeks.
Had a buddy last year pay $900+ for processing, $150 for a hotel, and he swears he'll never do that again. But he always does!
All I can say is if you do your own don't go cheap on the vacuum sealer. (see my signature)
Years ago, I fileted and packaged 5 albacore in the shade of central valley summer sun. It took a 2-3 hours and I swore I would never do that again. I also learned that I don't like albacore that much (as opposed to YT,YFT, or BFT).
The fish processing companies have experienced cutters, vacuum packing systems, and ice, so that I don't have to bring fish back and do the processing myself, outside in the central valley heat (no way my wife would allow me to process any large fish inside the kitchen).
Safe way to sharpen a knife with a steel, if you use your right hand to do the stroking, place the steel in your left hand, have the steel, on a right angle from you left hand, now lock that arm dont move it, now with the knife in your right hand, do not move your elbow, just pivot your wrist, just short stokes, with the knife if you elbows & arms are locked, you have no other choice but short strokes, that way there is know chance, of cutting the back of your thumb or wrist on your left hand, just take your time, it will become natural after a while, cheers Don.
Don I find it safest to push the end of the steel into a cutting board and hone the blade downward toward the cutting board. Bill
Thanks Bill, your idea is possibly the safest, but i believe, the steel starts of with a point, & gets wider towards the handle, so it is designed to be stroked towards the handle, as long as you lock your left hand & wrist, & only move your wrist on the right hand, it is very safe, keep both elbows still, cheers Don.
Quote from: ExcessiveAngler on June 12, 2023, 10:54:53 PMIs there any good knife sharpening thresds here?
I use the Wicked Edge system and have been really happy with it. There are so many of these type of sharpeners, which hold your stone at a specific angle. Lanski is good too. Wicked Edge is having a sale right now but, they will always give you a discount for
Current & former U.S. military
First responders including law enforcement, fire, and EMS
Check them out at https://wickededgeusa.com/