handling trout?

[maxing45]

I was wondering how to handle trout after they have been caught. I usually put them in a cooler with ice and they get a blotchy appearance,any info would be helpful.

[TRZ II]

I put them in a cooler with cool stream water and a bit of ice, they are usually alive when i get home. F.Y.I. you don't have to put all of them in a coller you can let a few go! jk

[goblueM]

the blotchy thing happens pretty fast if you dont keep em alive or freeze them completely right away. unless you gotta serve em in a restaraunt, I wouldn't worry about it as long as you get em on ice fast

[lakerunner]

The blotchy appearence is just a fading of colors in the skin once the fish dies--there is no more blood flowing through the skin. It happens with all fish it is just more noticably in trout because the skin is so fine and thin.

[copperjohn]

You might want to bleed them out if you are going to keep them. Slice the gill/throat area and rinse out then ice asap. They will taste better due to the lack of blood in tissue but also less lactic acid build-up as it struggles before death. More humane too.

[andrew chadwick]

well, 2 others and I just cleaned 200 or so browns between 10 and 17 inches on sunday... they will blotch within a half hour or so if un iced. the best way to clean them is to bleed them right away IMHO.

(the trout were the remaining ones from the cabelas kids weekend fishing pond, so no need to call the DNR.)