Fish Contaminant Concentration

[Northman]

I came across this in a In-Fisherman cook book and thought it was good information to pass along.

"The table quality of you catch is influenced by where you fish. For example, algae blooms may affect some lakes and ponds during summer, and some algae species produce chemicals that give fish a muddy or "off" taste. Use a appropriate recipe to cover this flavor.

Many waters harbor contaminants that transfer to fish. Most bodies of water are monitored and health advisories are posted. Use cleaning procedures that reduce the levels of some contaminants, help fish keep longer, and allow them to taste better.

Some contaminants are bound into the fatty belly flaps, backstrap fat, and lateral line tissues. These areas also harbor strong tastes and turn rancid faster than leaner surrounding tissue. Remove these when you can. "
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Smack spang on. I do a lot of fish cookery and smoking. I discovered a long time ago that the quality of the water determines the quality of the fish flesh...on the table. You hear folks talking about their fish tasting "mossy"...especially during the warmer months when there is more weed growth and algae blooms. But few of them make the connection between water chemistry and poor taste.

Not many of our Utah fish require a lot of trimming or special care to render them edible. Wipers and catfish are the two species I trim the most. The red flesh on wipers can be plain nasty...especially if the wipers have been chowing down on those stinky shad. And catfish are oily...concentrating strong tastes and potentially harmful pollutants in the innards and oily tissues. So I routinely do a trim job on cats...both for smoking and for frying.

Attaching a PDF file showing the cuts I make for the smoking process. There is some waste but the end result is worth it.
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