By Paul Lebowitz

If you take your long-range catch to a cut-rate processor, keep your eyes open. You may not get a good value

The fish on the table was supposedly cut from a prime 25-lb grouper. It didn’t look it. The two limp and grayish filets were 6 in long and only as thick as a finger. Dull brown skin marks spanned the entire length of each skinny piece.

Suspecting he’d been taken advantage of by an unscrupulous discount sportfish processor, an angler fresh off a San Diego long-range boat had brought it to Catalina Offshore Products for an expert opinion.

The guy was worried. Instead of using one of the companies affiliated with San Diego's Fisherman’s Landing, Five Star or Sportsmans Seafood, he’d followed a friend to another business, one that promised to process his 280 lbs of yellowtail, yellowfin, and grouper for one third the price of the competition.

Catalina was a good choice to examine the questionable grouper. The company doesn’t cut sportfish, so the fish handlers who looked it over had no axe to grind. Catalina is also well qualified to judge fish.

One of San Diego’s largest fish wholesalers, it supplies high quality seafood to gourmet rooms such as La Jolla’s George’s at the Cove and local favorites such as Bay Park Fish Co, and also sells directly to the public from a warehouse near the intersection of Interstates 5 and 8.

Long Range Bounty Can Go Bust – Be careful where you take the fruits of your long range trip. Using a cut-rate processor can result in a cut-rate or even unusable product.

Scrunching his face in disapproval of the fishy smell wafting from the supposedly fresh-packed fish, the floor manager spoke. “That’s no grouper. That’s a small rockcod. See the cut line?” he said, pointing at a diagonal slash that marked where the fish’s head had been removed. He shook his head and added, “It’s old too.”

Sportfish switcheroo – the substitution of a different species or lesser grade of fish such as tail pieces for the prime collar sections – is a concern for some anglers who use processors to clean and vacuum pack their often considerable catches. The practice is illegal, as is its motivation – selling the prime cuts on the side.

Sportfish captains and landings take great pains to direct their customers to reputable, top-notch processors. It’s in their best interest.

“We can have the greatest trip, with flat water and good fishing. A guy can still get a hard feeling about long-range fishing if his fish, the end product, are ruined,” explained John Grabowski of the Red Rooster III.

A Fisherman’s Landing representative said they receive very few complaints about Five Star and Sportsman’s Seafood.

“If a customer has a problem, he can come to us and we’ll make sure the problem is solved. With an independent company, you’re on your own,” said the representative who preferred not to be named.

At an average of 75 cents per lb at Five Star and Sportsman’s Seafood, fish processing doesn’t exactly come cheap, but it’s worth it to protect and preserve the considerable investment that goes into a long-range trip. Properly vacuum-packed fish maintain their quality for a year or more.  

The additional expense of processing - 400 lbs of fish, not at all an excessive quantity for a week-long prime-time trip, costs $300 – encourages some people to look for less expensive alternatives. Hence the allure of the cut-rate offer that tempted the unfortunate angler who ultimately ended up with counterfeit grouper.

“You only get what you pay for,” said Mario Ghio of Sportsman’s Seafood. Ghio, a naturally cheerful man, opened his cold storage room to reveal plastic trays stacked nearly to the ceiling. Each was prominently marked with the name of an angler; the tags originally affixed to the fish on the boat were right there.

“Everyone gets their own fish back,” said Ghio, who claims four generations of fishermen in his family. Ghio said his long history, personable and timely service, and happy repeat customers establish Sportsman’s solid reputation.

At Five Star, anglers can relax in a nicely furnished lounge and watch through a window as their fish are processed. “We want our customers to feel comfortable,” said Sarah Saraspe, one of the owners. “From cutting table to vacuum machine to storage tray, we keep the tag numbers with the fish.”

Even with the best processors, it’s important to double-check an order when it’s picked up. Saraspe said anglers should expect a yield of 27 to 33 percent for most fish. Some larger tunas can yield much more.

Tommy Gomes of Catalina Offshore Products offered a few more tips. Fresh fish should have no ‘fishy’ smell. The flesh should have nice color, not be flat white or mottled; the bloodline will be red or burgundy. A brown bloodline is a sign of a fish past its prime.

The number of tail sections should match the number of collar sections. The collar – the thickest part of the filet, where the bloodline is thinnest – is the curved section just behind the head. There should be two tails and two collars for each fish. But don’t forget there will be missing sections. Ghio said they discard any meat ruined when the fish is gaffed.