Iki Jime method

[WatrGirl]

This is a method of quickly killing fish (your catch) to keep the meat fresher longer, and prevent the flesh from becoming mushy. Some say it's also the best way to "humanely kill" the fish.
Does anyone on this forum know about this, and if so have you tried it?
It would make sense if you're a commercial fisherman/woman, to keep the fish looking fesh, etc until it gets to market. But, I wonder if any recreational fishermen are doing it?
I came across it while surfing on the net, and it intrigued me.

http://www.fishingkites.co.nz/cleaning-fish/cleaning_fish.html

So far, I'm just icing down the catch, but I may start using a slurry of ice, water and salt. Unless someone can show me this Iki method.

Any thoughts about this?

 

[tnduc]

Re: Iki Jime method

Never heard of that method, but when fishing with my father years ago (I'm just now back near the cost after 9 years away) we'd always have a short club on board and would smack whatever fish we caught across the head. This killed it rather quickly.

 

[skimmer]

Re: Iki Jime method

good topic! it's good to see some one talking about this, I have never heard of the term "Iki jimi" before but I have certainly tried this method before, basically you are trying to pierce the brain with a sharp object, which takes a fair bit of practice to say the least. You can look to the Japanese for the absolute extremes in careful handling of fish, tuna going to the high end sushimi market is to be rendered unconscious with a blow to the head, before being brought on to the boat, the spinal cord is then severed along with all the spinal nerves which also does away with any possibility of reflex nervous action damaging the flesh, this is also by far the most humane way, I don't think we need to go to those extremes but between the Japanese approach and our own there is a lot of useful ground. To start with, if it is snapper or bream, just in reference to the pic posted or "squire" you will find that you need to be pretty accurate for this method to be affective, but the pic you have posted illustrates it well, but bream and snapper are not the most cooperative fish when landed. Two methods I find usefull to kill fish immediately are a sharp blow to the head between or above the eyes which will stun the fish if not kill it, or by cutting the bridge across the throat and turning the head back and breaking their neck. then straight on ice. fish can have a lot of reflex action after their dead, I think it's their spirit trying to get out!!!

 

[WatrGirl]

Re: Iki Jime method

Hey thanks for the ideas! So, you guys feel this helps the quality of the flesh?
Another question I had comes to mind....
A few people have told me that you can't freeze white trout, because the flesh will get mushy. But, speckled trout freezes fine.
???

I think I'll post this on another forum to get some more replies

 

[skimmer]

Re: Iki Jime method

Hey thanks for the ideas! So, you guys feel this helps the quality of the flesh?



For some fish such as salmon or tuna yes other fish that don't bruise easily it's not so important but a lot more humane, as far as getting the best "tasting flesh" It is more important to bleed the fish well, this is done by breaking the bridge across the throat and breaking their neck, if you don't do this with some fish such as tuna they will taste awful. and if you plan to store it for any time you must clean all the blood out of the fish thoughroly. I know people who when cleaning a fish use an old toothbrush to clean the backbone, Most importantly "fresh is best" In the ideal situation you would keep the fish alive for as long as possible in a live well, then kill it right before it goes on to the hot plate, if you cant do that Ice is fine!

 

[iwombat]

Re: Iki Jime method

Chiming in pretty late here, but in my experience the single most important thing to keeping fish fresh longer is to bleed it out immediately. You do that by cutting the main artery to the gills (up about 1/3 from the bottom) right after your rigorous club work keeps it from squirming too much. Put a rope through the gills and mouth and let it bleed out in the water while the heart is still pumping. Then, put it right on the ice.

Breaking the neck as mentioned above is another good method to bleeding it. That can be tough with a 40lb chinook, and just about impossible with a 100lb halibut.