Thread: Catfish/muddy Taste

Originally Posted by slimecoat

This is a lot of work but here is how I do it. Take a sharp fillet knife and slit the gills where they connect to the top of the head. Hold the fish in a net until it bleeds out. I then gut them and toss the guts. Pack in ice. When home skin with a knife rather than pliers. Leave a eighth inch of meat on the skin. Next remove the lateral line area. Remove all yellow tissue. Next rinse the fillets in a container until all fat is skimmed off. At this point the fillet should smell like clean pure air. The muddy taste is probably coming from a chemical produced by a type of cyanobacteria The chemical is called methylisoborneol. It’s a big problem on commercial fish farms. They actually have a professional taste tester come in and sample the fish before the lot is sold to a buyer. Muddy flavor in fish is seasonal and will probably lesson later in the year!

or just use the guts as bait.