Thread: Red meat on crappie fillets

Originally Posted by fishingpox

Is this fat? I have seen catfish fillets look like this but not crappie.

I've seen red meat on Bass and Catfish ... but, never on Crappie or other "sunfish" ?? And no, it wouldn't be "fat" .... that's the yellowish white stuff that's usually in the belly cavity. The only time I've seen Crappie meat, that was any color other than the usual "off white to white", with any tinge of "red" .... is when they've bled onto the fillet, during cleaning.
Gotta picture of this anomaly ?? ..... cp

No pappy, I will take one though. I filleted them and put them in the freezer. I started to throw them away. It's a long shot here; I did keep some fish that swallowed the hook and I kept because they were badly injured, my water was pretty bloody. Maybe blood? I'll take one when I thaw them out.

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

I've seen red meat on Bass and Catfish ... but, never on Crappie or other "sunfish" ?? And no, it wouldn't be "fat" .... that's the yellowish white stuff that's usually in the belly cavity. The only time I've seen Crappie meat, that was any color other than the usual "off white to white", with any tinge of "red" .... is when they've bled onto the fillet, during cleaning.
Gotta picture of this anomaly ?? ..... cp

I've never seen a streak of red meat on crappie (or bream) but with certain bass and catfish you wont want to eat that. I believe it's a blood line in the side of the fillet and it's a very strong taste that isnt good to eat. To me, it's easier to roll that out of the fillet with the fork instead of trying to cut it out of the raw meat. All bass and catfish doesnt have it but alot do...maybe something to do with the size of the fish.

Every once in a while i have a red streak on one side of a crappie if the live well isn't hit square when 'pitching' a fish from the front seat of my Tracker, could this be it? its like a bruise about the size of my thumbnail???--shu

I think what fishingpox is talking about is this red meat that runs along the "seam" from about the center of the gill plate to the tail, on the outside of the fillet. On a crappie or bluegill, it's barely there until they start to fatten up in the Fall, then we've noticed that it gets more pronounced. On a trout or salmon, it's in the same place and after cooking, turns a brown color. Here it's pointed out by the knife tip...

I have read that the fatty part and skin of fish will collect PCB's and blue-green algea toxins, but mercury is mostly in the meat of the fish. We have some bad mercury lakes here close by, and we don't eat the fish from them anymore. But our favorite lake gets algea blooms every summer and they post warnings. I haven't gotten sick from it yet.

This page from our fishing regs shows pretty much what I was trying to remember. Plus Oregon lakes you don't fish for food! (too much anyways)...

I have eaten fish from some of these high mercury lakes, mostly crappie and bluegill, and other than more than average hair loss and antisocial behaviour coupled with gum bleeding and memory loss, I've been just fine. :D :D :D
WHAT!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Glowgood Jigster

I think what fishingpox is talking about is this red meat that runs along the "seam" from about the center of the gill plate to the tail, on the outside of the fillet. Here it's pointed out by the knife tip...

I think you nailed it, Glowgood !!

Is that what you were talking about, Pox ?? If so, yes ... I have seen that, but never paid much attention to it. It's not fat, so if it doesn't taste bad ... I wouldn't worry about it. ..... cp

If that's the line that runs down the middle of the fillet i cut that out making the fillet 2 parts 'meaty' and 'crispy'. Thats the 'fishy' tasting part of the fish and part of getting ready to fry fish to me. Wife likes fish taste so sometimes we cook the fillet as it falls.--shu

PS we have the blue green algae in the Harris chain so we didn't eat many fish for a couple years but the fishermen are still here so we went back to eating them.