If you want the cleanest, most delicious fillets possible, then you should bleed your fish. To do that, just cut through the artery between their gills and put them on ice.

What is the point of bleeding fish?

Besides a cleaner fillet, bleeding out the fish also kills the fish more quickly than letting them flop in a bucket or on the ice. This reduced flopping prevents the fish meat from getting bruised and damaged. The process of bleeding out the fish is simple.

When should I bleed my fish?

You can bleed the fish right after you catch it so it stays fresh until you serve it. When you bleed the fish, start by severing the main artery behind its gills. If you want to remove even more blood, pressure-bleeding can help force more out from smaller veins.