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I'm obviously not a fisherman...

If I like the flavors, is there any problem with cooking and eating a fish that hasn't been gutted?

Any particular species?

In other words, what are all the reasons people gut a fish before cooking?

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1 Answer 1

Some small fish species such as the Smelt are eaten whole.

In some fish the appeal is in the flesh of the fish and are therefore gutted and deboned. Gutting can prevent some tainting of the flesh.

Like deer, the guts can deteriorate the flesh faster. One factor can be how fast you will refrigerate/ice your catch?

Another concern with specific types of fish is the content of the stomach (such as worms/parasites).

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