To Bleed or Not to Bleed?

I know some people say sturgeon should be bled as well, I never knew that before and have never bled any or known anyone who did... so I have only eaten un-bled sturgeon, and thus have no basis for comparison.  But I've always heard sharks have to be bled because the blood has a lot of some chemical in it,  Urea or uric acid or something like that, and if it settles in the meat it ruins it... I don't know if it is true or not.

Shark,skates, and rays are unpalatable if not bled out good, the meat will smell like piss. Unless you like that!

Guess I'm in the minority.  I always bleed my rockfish and lings.  When I get a few on the stringer, I paddle back into a cove or something, then gill them with a pair of clippers.  Then I paddle away.  I think it really improves the taste.  That and removing the blood meat later on when cleaning.  Live fish bleed out pretty quick.

Hey fishshim... piss you say?  so is the problem urea in the blood?

Yes...elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) store urea in their blood so they are isotonic with sea water and avoid issues with osmosis...bleeding is mandatory!

Yes...elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) store urea in their blood so they are isotonic with sea water and avoid issues with osmosis...bleeding is mandatory!

Mmmmmmmmmm! Urine fish.........my favorite!

Huh... I didnt know the reason for the urea but I figured it was the problem.  Interesting.. I thought that jellys were the only creatures that maintained an isotonic balance with sea water... good knowledge!  So, what about sturgeon? 

Good Ol' Wiki:

Osmoregulation
In contrast to bony fish, the blood and other tissue of sharks and Chondrichthyes in general is isotonic to their marine environments because of the high concentration of urea and trimethylamine oxide, allowing them to be in osmotic balance with the seawater. This adaptation prevents most sharks from surviving in fresh water, and they are therefore confined to a marine environment. A few exceptions to this rule exist, such as the bull shark, which has developed a way to change its kidney function to excrete large amounts of urea.[6] When a shark dies the urea is broken down to ammonia by bacteria — because of this, the dead body will gradually start to smell strongly of ammonia. [8][9]

Ive read that toxins are in blood and fat and some organs, so I always bled/gut them in the water, even at Bean Hollow, till Shark Attack Dan got tagged by the Landlord there, now I bleed 'em in a bag, and what a freakin mess it makes. I think I like the sound of GWKCs fish bag, mine is a bass turny bag from walmart, good, with a ruler imbeded on it, but not an ice bag, THAT sounds perfect. Those little mackrls are the bomb when you put them on ice, bled and gutted and their still wigglin.

I think I like the sound of GWKCs fish bag

Suppose he still carries them since he got out of retail?

Michael