Does a misplaced shot mean I have to throw away the fish?

[coadavid]

Hey All,

Diving in the murky waters of Laguna (So Cal) I've had to take a few admittedly sloppy shots at the Calico Bass and Sheepshead, many of which result in the intestines/digestive tract falling out of the fish and/or piercing the tract.

I've always eaten the fish anyway, and been fine. However, I was recently told that if you pierce this part of the fish the entire meat is instantly tainted and can make you sick (no matter what). I am NOT the type to kill something and not eat it, but I also don't want to be in digestive agony for 2 weeks due to eating fish crap.

What's the official rule of thumb? Tell me about your experience with this situation, and whether you've gotten sick as a result. I never have...

thanks!

- Dave

[Argoanaut Diver]

Dear Coadavid,
To the best of my knowledge, a "gut shot" fish is no less edible than any other shot with the following caveats: One - if fecal contamination of the meat is an issue, time and temperature are important. A fish speared in the Caribbean is more likely to spoil than one shot in colder,more northern climes. If the fish is rinsed quickly: (within an hour), cooled properly on ice
and any discolored meat trimmed, I see no reason why the fish cannot be eaten after proper cooking. If water temperatures are in the 40s (F) and if the outside temperature is below 50 degrees, you may wait an hour longer to thoroughly rinse the body cavity of the fish after cleaning. If you are eating raw fish, then this is more of an issue and personal knowledge or even better, local knowledge of what is acceptable should be your guide. This has been my experience over the years.
Hope this helps,
Argo - (Craig)

[irtrogdor]

No way man, eat that fish! Here in mexico we eat parrot fish all the time, and let me tell you, that fish poops A LOT. When you fillet them their is poop everywhere. On the fillets, in the guts, everywhere poop shouldn't be. All you gotta do is rinse it off.

[TekYelken]

I quite agree with irtrogdor... Please don't behave like you belong to another planet.. If you think that the insides of a fish (its favourite diet) is toxic than perhaps you should not go near that fish, because it is the product of its diet... Humanity has survived quite ok without all that worry, and man has only recently learned to clean and cook what it has been eating all along...

Well, in this part of the world too, parrot fish is a specialty and if you throw away the intestines etc. the locals will laugh at you because its the tastier part provided that you milk out and clean the juicy inside properly while rubbing off the scales... The experienced fisherman will put many freshly caught fish right into the pan as it is, without bothering to clean the inside, because he knows that if the fish cooks with its own juices it will taste better... (They throw away the inedible parts only during eating..) And believe me many of them has never been to a hospital in their life... They also know that certain fish should be cleaned properly not because the inside is toxic but because it tastes bad (or maybe that comes to the same thing, I don't know..)

Eat and enjoy your freshly caught fish, because that is the whole point, isn't it ?

Best regards,
Max.

[Huw]

Yeah, no worries about that kinda stuff man, If in any doubt, then just gut the fish right there in the water after you have stoned it. Over here in the Uk we have a fish called the mullet... they are gill feeders so will suck up a load of sand and sive it through the gills and take out what they want... basically means that the result is a fish potentially full of rubbish.

So what soem guys do over here, is gut them and remove the head as soon as they have been shot. This ensures that the meat isnt tainted in any way... not that it would really make you ill... just that it can ruin the taste.


Anyways, to be honest as a rule of thumb there is nothign really to worry about.

Cheers man,

Huw.

[Bill McIntyre]

I wouldn't worry about it. But it is best to gut the fish as soon as possible and get it on ice.

[agbiv]

You can definitely eat your fish. All the previous advice is right on regarding trimming any discoloreed flesh away, clean cavity well including swim bladder, rinse in salt water and ice fish. Pack ice into body cavity to cool quickly, especially in warmer water like here in Texas. I would also tend to fillet & skin so nothing is intruded under skiin or down into meat...don't use it for sushi either cook properly (450' F for 10 minutes per 1" of thickness). Ran a fish market here for 3 1/2 years so's I didn't just fall off the cabage truck. Cheers & enjoy. Chef Al

[Bill McIntyre]

Here is a wound on a 38 pound fish I shot Friday. It looks to me like someone must have put a shaft down its side and then it tore off.

I gave it away, but I'm anxious to hear what the meat looked like under the wound.

[Pastor]

Blimey! It's amazing it could swim with that

[Ron Bakker]

Yeah I have seen some fish that have healed amazingly for some pretty bad wounds. Like this boary which was perfectly healthy(until I shot it).

[Mr. X]

I guess fish are mainly muscle, especially at the back end.

[agbiv]

Actually caught a Speckled Trout last year with over half the tail bitten off! It had completly healed and fish still gave a moderate fight. Wieghed 3 lbs. so with the healling and wieght it had still been able to feed. Cooked up right nice.

[sciencemike]

I hunt those same coves as you do for the same fish as you do. Do your best not to gut shot them, because they have soft flesh and will tear off easily. Its best to hunt responsibly.

As for the meat, eat it. I always gut mine in the water anyways, and sometimes the knife slices into the intestines. No worries the meat will be fine. With calicos and sheephead i almost always eat them raw in ceviche and i have never had any problems. But just as Bill has said, try to ice and gut them.