Fluking on The Leprechaun

way to go capt lep and crew,,,, nice fish there 😎 👍,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ><)))):>
><)))):>

Headed south out of Jones in a heavier than expected sea. The Capt decided it was fishable so, Steve, Pete and yours truly, headed south. It wasn't the simplest fishing with the heave, but it was another great day of fluke fishing. Many different tactics were employed. Salmon gulp was like fish repellent for me. Pete's rig - which he calls the "Brian Rig" AKA Fluker. He has a thread describing it, and I saw first hand when things are not going well with plan a, you need a plan b!

We ended the day a few shy on a limit of fluke, with all nice fish. A few over 24 inches. I can't wait to go again!

View attachment 37139
This baby will fill make some nice tacos tonight.

View attachment 37141\

Here's Lep with one of many nice fish he caught yesterday.

View attachment 37140

You will never find a cleaner fillet when following Capt. Leps preparation. 1. Bleeed the fish right after the catch in the bucket first. Then move it to a cooler with plenty of ice. Then be sure to grab a pail of fresh saltwater while out of the fishing grounds. He then ads ice bottles to that water and as we fillet we put each piece into this ice-cold clean ocean water. The best fillet you will ever eat.

Very nice catch guys. I too can attest to Lep's dedication to producing the best filets possible for consumption. Many times I have been in your spot at the table when he put the "fear of Fran" into me to make sure I didn't miss anything🙂 She might be the only person even more fanatical about serving a perfect piece of fish!

The "Fear of Fran" can be a powerful motivator, believe me! ?

He then adds ice bottles to that water and as we fillet we put each piece into this ice-cold clean ocean water.

I like the ice cold seawater dunk idea........

Then move it to a cooler with plenty of ice

do you use the SLUSH (SALTWATER.ICE) method?

Gene - are you kidding? Ex-Piker Lep PAY for ice? 😀

Nope. The bleed box is filled with just ocean water, no ice. After the bled fish comes out of the bleed box, it goes into the cooler that's lined with frozen 2-liter bottles of ice on the bottom (70-qt Coleman takes about five bottles) and then smaller bottles go on top of the fish. As we add fluke to the box, we slide the fresh ones UNDER the already chilled ones, so that they can rapidly cool down as well. At the dock, three or four of the still partially-frozen 2-liter bottles go into the 5-gal pail of ocean water to rapidly chill that water. The fillets are dropped into that pail as they are removed from the racks, so to get their final de-gurving and a further cool down. They come out of that pail snow-white, icy-cold and ready for bagging for the trip home.

So we take along five 2-liter bottles and about a dozen of the smaller "drinking water" bottles.

Here's my home chest freezer with my "ice bottles" patiently waiting for their next opportunity to serve us (along with last season's tog heads and racks, which will be green crab bait in a couple of months):

@Leprechaun And that's how it's done.

Gene - are you kidding? Ex-Piker Lep PAY for ice? 😀

Nope. The bleed box is filled with just ocean water, no ice. After the bled fish comes out of the bleed box, it goes into the cooler that's lined with frozen 2-liter bottles of ice on the bottom (70-qt Coleman takes about five bottles) and then smaller bottles go on top of the fish. As we add fluke to the box, we slide the fresh ones UNDER the already chilled ones, so that they can rapidly cool down as well. At the dock, three or four of the still frozen 2-liter bottles go into the 5-gal pail of ocean water to rapidly chill that water, and the fillets are dropped into that pail as they are removed from the racks, so to get their final de-gurving and a further cool down. They come out of that pail snow-white, icy-cold and ready for bagging for the trip home.

So we take along five 2-liter bottles and about a dozen of the smaller "drinking water" bottles.

Here's my home chest freezer with my "ice bottles" patiently waiting for their next opportunity to serve us (along with last season's tog heads and racks, which will be green crab bait in a couple of months):

View attachment 37185

sounds good...i also use the frozen bottle technique.....the rinse filets in cold seawater is something I'll do going forward...THANKS!!

I keep my soda bottles filled with a saltwater brine made with Kosher Salt. We have a walk in freezer at the dock so I use the same bottles over and over. the salt water brine freezes at below 32F so they keep things really cold.