If only it were that easy, but it's not. The eyes on the fish caught that day will not vary enough for you to know what's going on under the skin.
Load up say 350 nice size snoek in a morning, then rush back to the wall to make market. All those fish were caught a few hours ago, all been properly broken and bled by experienced crew.
Some will be pap and some will not.
Now here's the odd part. It has nothing to do with breaking the neck. The die hards will argue this with me to their graves and the scientist may well support me on this.
By breaking the neck, you bleed the fish. Bleed one and don't another. You will see that the meat is richer (red) and you can see the blood from a mile away on the unbled fish BUT A snoek that's not been bled will still have firm flesh, so that blows the neck breaking theory out the water.
A properly bled snoek will not be red and the flesh will be a nice colour.
I will explain a Pap snoek the best I can. Take a piece of fresh fish and put it under fresh water then leave it for a few minutes. The flesh changes colour and goes "mushy". A pap snoek when cut open is like that, it feels too soft and mushy. Of coarse don't go near fresh water with any fish, that was just my explanation.
So why, how.
Depending on how the fish are stacked in the laatjies or your hatch and depending on how long your day is, will determine your pap rate.
The mushy flesh starts with the fish that swims a bit too much on the end of the line. It allows the acids etc to build. I never eat the ones we catch on rod and reel for myself. The quick 45sec handline fish is mine. It has not had time to build up acid or get the juices flowing. He is dead before he knows it.
Luckily for me on Vixen the hatches are ice cold inside, so it keeps fish better. We, if on a long day often turn the fish ie move them around in the hatch so they don't settle. Of coarse on a commercial boat with 400 fish that's easier said than done. But we not commercials are we. So turn the fish, they will keep better. Ice never does any harm and neither will a damp (water wrung out) towel placed on top of the fish.
So how will you know.
Hah, you won't, not always. Recently Earl Fenwick who for those of you who know is the Meneer of the bay felt around the back of our bakkie for two snoek. "No this ones pap, this ones too stiff, agh these two." Cut them open and guess what. PAP.
Now Earls got salt water in his veins and watching Earl fleck any fish is an artistic experience.
But my advice is this.
Squash the fish gently. You can feel the flesh is "mushy", it feels softer, almost detached from the skin. If you pick the snoek up and it has rigger and is stiff, it is not going to be an A grade fish either. Take your thumb and index finger, squash you forearm gently, you can feel the spring in the muscle. The ideal snoek feels like that, but as I say you will get one that proves you wrong.
What you will notice is the first cut of the flesh on a Pappy smells different. I flecked around 60 the other night at my mates who own a fish export comapny. They needed a hand and free beer was on offer. There were about 20 of us flecking, including ladies who do this for a living and we all agree that the paps smell different. I also think you can see a lighter blue tinge in the silver of the belly on the papper fish but some people think I am nuts. I also say you can smell snoek in the water when you hunt them. Fortunately a few experienced skippers do agree with me on that one.
Remedy:
90% of the time an extra heavy dose of coarse salt will draw the water out. BUT you must not lie the snoek flat. Hang them on a clothes line or like I have here at home, a long rope between two trees. Salt them, let the salt begin to draw for a few minutes and then hang them for about 40. You will see what looks like stalactites hanging from the edges.
The fish will firm up. Then shake off excess salt.
Best fish care-
Fleck the fish you want out at sea or as soon as you hit the wall. Salt it asap and then bag it. Shake excess salt off before you cook and I have even wiped off extra salt with a quick hand and sea water. Take some sea water home with you, I often go down to the beach if I forget, especially when it comes to tuna.
But tuna prep is a whole different ball game - Hey Miles!
