This morning we got up early and went below the d**n and had a great time with the white bass,  some of which we kept and had a little fish fry tonight.   This was my first time keeping anything I caught and my first time filleting a fish.   2 of them had this green goo.  Anyone seen this before?  I had thought sea weed of some sort,  but idk.  That yellowish tint on the meat is from that green stuff

 

Going to guess something in the digestive tract was punctured. 

Thanks.  I wasn't sure if it was somewhat common, or something to be concerned with or what, but the meat washed right out and looked clean after a rinse, and no one complained.  So that's a good thing.

You need to learn how to clean and fillet fish without cutting through the internal organs.

Tom

9 hours ago, WRB said:

You need to learn how to clean and fillet fish without cutting through the internal organs.

Tom

Yeah,  that was definitely a learning experience.  It looked so straight forward on YouTube.  I was expecting my knife to cut better but it was more dull than expected and the scales took way more effort than anticipated to get through.  I feel better knowing it was my technique and not something wrong with the fish.  I can practice, and I feel better knowing we didn't waste the fish as we almost didn't finish filleting the fish worried about toxins as this body of water has warnings about radiation and contaminant in catfish from all the industry that pumps into the waterway.

 

Thanks.

Mmmmm liver juice..... which dam?

Your knife needs to be a very sharp fish fillet knife. No need to cut the head off or cut deeply into the body cavity when filleting fish. With heavy scaled fish you can use the knife tip to cut through the skin along the center of the back and pass the dorsal fin on birth sides down to the base of the tail to eliminate cutting heavy scales. 

Don't cut through the ribs on heavy scales fish.

Tom

20 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Mmmmm liver juice..... which dam?

 melton hill dam

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

Your knife needs to be a very sharp fish fillet knife. No need to cut the head off or cut deeply into the body cavity when filleting fish. With heavy p scaled fish you can use the knife tip to cut through the skin along the center of the back and pass the dorsal fin on birth sides down to the base of the tail to eliminate cutting heavy scales. 

Don't cut through the ribs on heavy scales fish.

Tom

Thanks for the tip.   I think where I screwed up was the initial cut right behind the head and gill.   I didn't cut the head of,  but I think my actions were the same if I was trying to cut the head off.   Very aggressive.   Do you start with a straight cut being the skull and gills?  That was the most difficult to get through the scales and where I ended up being aggressive,  also the cut the green goo came from.   Next time I will start that incision with just the tip of the knife to get through the scales,  like you described with the back.   

Just make sure you clean the filets and cook the meat thoroughly and it should be fine.

Radioactive isotope.  Enjoy.

2 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Radioactive isotope.  Enjoy.

Silly !

 

With practice, you'll get the hang of staying out of the abdominal cavity. You can really stay away from that belly meat. It's most likely to hold contaminants anyway.

12 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Radioactive isotope.  Enjoy.

I was hoping for some of them spider man kinda isotopes, but it just gave me the runs. 

For small fish "under 12 inch for bass"  I use a sharp knife and cut through the ribs . Larger fish I use an electric knife if there is a plug in available and cut through the ribs on them too . If I cant use an electric knife then I have to cut around the ribs . Thats a pita .

On 10/1/2017 at 12:01 PM, Rollincoal420 said:

 melton hill dam

Thanks for the tip.   I think where I screwed up was the initial cut right behind the head and gill.   I didn't cut the head of,  but I think my actions were the same if I was trying to cut the head off.   Very aggressive.   Do you start with a straight cut being the skull and gills?  That was the most difficult to get through the scales and where I ended up being aggressive,  also the cut the green goo came from.   Next time I will start that incision with just the tip of the knife to get through the scales,  like you described with the back.   

Thanks, we have been getting some nice Striper down there after dark

We considered going back that evening for the sunset bite.   Looks like we might have to this weekend.  Does the bite just turn off in the evenings?  It sure seems to in the mornings.   All of a sudden,  bam.   Their done.   

14 hours ago, Rollincoal420 said:

We considered going back that evening for the sunset bite.   Looks like we might have to this weekend.  Does the bite just turn off in the evenings?  It sure seems to in the mornings.   All of a sudden,  bam.   Their done.   

I've never been there in the morning but the Big Striper seem to bite once it's pitch black dark

Nice fish!  I mentioned to my girlfriend and now it looks like we are going Friday night.   Lol.  

These came out of watts bar.  Can't wait to go back there but I really need a boat to get to the dam at watts bar

 

 

 

 

I say "These" but can only upload one pic.  Lol.  We had 2 - 25lbers that day and 7 or 8 others over 20lbs.  Big fish at wattsbar. 

I believe you sliced into the gall bladder. It is easy to do, they are very fragile.