Mushy trout?

[shinbob]

Does anyone know how to prevent trout from getting mushy? I understand that if fish is left in water after they're dead, they can absorb water and become mushy, so I always bleed them and put them on ice as soon as I catch them, but I still occasionally get one or two that end up soggy and with no texture whatsoever.

Could it just be the trout itself? I've caught a couple of trout on the same day, baked them up using the same technique and in the same oven, but sometimes one will be mushy while the others are perfectly fine.

Any ideas of what I can do to prevent this?

[Sparky70]

Before (cooking ??) lay them on a layer of paper towels, let the towels absorve any moister. What type of cooking do you do? Like BBQ, smoked,oven baked or oven broil?

[Granny Fish]

I always throw mine in the cooler once they are caught and I don't have a problem, but if they are on a stringer in the water they should be good as long as they are alive. Oh, and one thing I learned the hard way, don't ever troll with your stringer hanging off the boat. For some reason the fish get flooded and will be nothing but mush when you get back in to clean them.

[Sue]

I always throw mine in the cooler once they are caught and I don't have a problem, but if they are on a stringer in the water they should be good as long as they are alive. Oh, and one thing I learned the hard way, don't ever troll with your stringer hanging off the boat. For some reason the fish get flooded and will be nothing but mush when you get back in to clean them.

Or if you're really unlucky, you'll end up with nothing but chum!

[Sparky70]

Granny,
The last time I went trolling with my fish on a stringer in the water, I LOST ALL MY FISH ALONG WITH MY STRINGER. :Rolls Eyes::Rolls Eyes::Rolls Eyes:

[BLUE WAGON]

I carry a few small trash bags in the truck ,i place them in a bag and tie it up before placing them in the ice ,,seems to help

[Señor.Chilax]

I always throw mine in the cooler once they are caught and I don't have a problem, but if they are on a stringer in the water they should be good as long as they are alive. Oh, and one thing I learned the hard way, don't ever troll with your stringer hanging off the boat. For some reason the fish get flooded and will be nothing but mush when you get back in to clean them.

Especially with a metal stringer. My dumb butt left the stringer in the water when I started up my boat. All of a sudden I hear metal on metal... WHAT!?! Darn stringer hitting the propeller. The prop was fine but I can't say the same for the $2 stringer. At least the one fish I had on there stayed on. HAHAHA! Good times.

[smokehound]

mostly this is a result of the fish taking alot of damage. be careful with your fish, if they get smashed, and flop around on the ground for too long, the flesh gets damaged (mushy). Also, leaving them in the water makes them even easier to damage.

I brain-spike my fish to stop them from thrashing around. I use a small thin knife for this. You can then easily bleed them out, since the brain and heart work independently from one-another.

if you can put them on ice after capture, gut them immediately, as the organs will start to digest the fish from the inside-out.

[Daryl]

Different size fish require different cook times. Is it possible your mushy fish wasn't cooked thoroughly?

I have noticed that wrapping the fish in foil is quite popular. Although that's the my dad cooked them on camping trips when I was a kid, I have learned that the method of "poaching" the fish wrapped in foil is among my least favorite. It often leaves the fish with a mushy texture and a muddy taste.

[shinbob]

Thanks for all the tips -- I've also noticed that it only happens when I gut-and-bake them in foil, and never when I filet-and-fry them, so I'm thinking that it's either due the way I'm handling them during cleaning, or the cooking method itself. This last batch I've tried to handle them gently, put them on ice and keep them dry, hopefully that does the trick.

[Daryl]

Thanks for all the tips -- I've also noticed that it only happens when I gut-and-bake them in foil, and never when I filet-and-fry them, so I'm thinking that it's either due the way I'm handling them during cleaning, or the cooking method itself. This last batch I've tried to handle them gently, put them on ice and keep them dry, hopefully that does the trick.

Try placing them butterflied open on top of the foil with your seasonings on top. Shouldn't take more than 12 -15 minutes on the middle rack with the oven preheated at 350. You could also bake, broil or grill your fillets, just don't wrap them up.

Try it out and let us know how it works out for you.

[SierraPeaks]

For a small $49.00 investment...you can have yourself a portable live well. I keep all my fish alive as the moment I catch them until it's time to clean them and never have mushy trout.
Of course...where you're catching them has a lot to do with the texture too.
I only fish for trout in high alpine lakes and streams with cold water....makes all the difference in the world in the texture and taste.

[sansou]

The dirt funk taste you are experiencing is the result of "geosmin tainting". It's my experience that you get it in practically all Socal trout, cause all you can catch around here are stocked trout that have been bred in relatively crap water (meaning high bioload or silty/muddy), and re-ingest crap water in the lake they get stocked in. Hence the reason high altitude clean water lakes result in a "cleaner" tasting trout, even if they too are initially stocked with hatchery fish.

Mushy trout is simply trout that has been bruised, and/or not kept iced immediately after it is dispatched.

If you plan on poaching gutted trout, try liberally rubbing coarse salt or sea salt in the cavity and letting it rest 20 mins. Wipe it off with a paper towel. The salt cures any bacteria, and absorbs moisture and funk. You will find your poached fish will taste better.

[smokehound]

The dirt funk taste you are experiencing is the result of "geosmin tainting". It's my experience that you get it in practically all Socal trout, cause all you can catch around here are stocked trout that have been bred in relatively crap water (meaning high bioload or silty/muddy), and re-ingest crap water in the lake they get stocked in. Hence the reason high altitude clean water lakes result in a "cleaner" tasting trout, even if they too are initially stocked with hatchery fish.

Mushy trout is simply trout that has been bruised, and/or not kept iced immediately after it is dispatched.

If you plan on poaching gutted trout, try liberally rubbing coarse salt or sea salt in the cavity and letting it rest 20 mins. Wipe it off with a paper towel. The salt cures any bacteria, and absorbs moisture and funk. You will find your poached fish will taste better.I had completely forgotten about this. The main culprit seems to be algae, both in the water, and the trout food.

Though recently, the hatchery trout around here have been of higher quality. Late last year, i didnt catch a single muddy trout at all.

[Daryl]

Good info Sansou.

Thanks!

[SierraPeaks]

The dirt funk taste you are experiencing is the result of "geosmin tainting". It's my experience that you get it in practically all Socal trout, cause all you can catch around here are stocked trout that have been bred in relatively crap water (meaning high bioload or silty/muddy), and re-ingest crap water in the lake they get stocked in. Hence the reason high altitude clean water lakes result in a "cleaner" tasting trout, even if they too are initially stocked with hatchery fish.

Mushy trout is simply trout that has been bruised, and/or not kept iced immediately after it is dispatched.

If you plan on poaching gutted trout, try liberally rubbing coarse salt or sea salt in the cavity and letting it rest 20 mins. Wipe it off with a paper towel. The salt cures any bacteria, and absorbs moisture and funk. You will find your poached fish will taste better.

I'm going to try your sea salt trick Sansou. It makes total sense. Thanks for the tidbit.

[smokehound]

BTW, be careful. Im pretty sure it's illegal to transport live trout like that. Dont want you to get a ticket.

I would be tempted to do that though, sounds like the best way to keep em fresh =P

[SierraPeaks]

BTW, be careful. Im pretty sure it's illegal to transport live trout like that. Dont want you to get a ticket.

I would be tempted to do that though, sounds like the best way to keep em fresh =P

Only from the boat to the cleaning station bro....by the time we get there...they're pretty much done. I mean just keepig them alive while on the boat all day.