You just arrived back at the dock after a wide open "wfo" two day tuna trip. Everyone aboard who caught fish meets at the top of the dock where the fish are handed out generally by the fisheman's manifest number (te sign in sheet filled out by law before the boat departs). Some fish are already filleted while during the trip, a decision made by the angler. You are now thinking "what the heck am I going to do with all this fish I just caught and get it back home to Texas" (or wherever you are from)

There are "dockside" services for handling all your processing needs. There are many options available, some pricier than others. From shipping your catch home that was filleted on the boat to same day filet and ship services, just about anything can be done for a price. Here's just a few of the services available to you:

• Trade whole Tuna for pre-packaged smoked Tuna (or other fish like Dorado or Wahoo when available)


• Trade whole Tuna for canned Albacore


• Ship your fish filleted on the boat home to any place in the world (some restrictions may apply)


• Fillet and ship your whole fish
• Trading is done by "x" amount of pounds of fish caught to "x" amount of pounds canned. Your best bet is listen to the deckhands or captain on your trip for advice on how to best handle and process your catch. On shorter trips where your catch is filleted nightly after a day of fishing, let the pros deal with the mess and time of filleting. Most deckhands have years of experience in fish handling and rely on customer satisfaction and fish cleaning to make a living. So everyone benefits by having the boat care for your fish. They filet fish everyday and most are very good at it. If you do want the crew to clean your fish, be sure to tell them any special requests like skin on, having the fish "rocked", save the bellies and cheeks, etc...
  
  By the way, Tuna bellies have a very high trade value for smoked wahoo and other excellent tasting fish. Cheeks are full of meat and heads can be used for soup. Or you may just want the fillets to give to friends and family with some saved for yourself of course.
  
  Whatever you choose, proper handling is essential for health reasons. You will not regret these services when you get in from your trip. Just plan on working it in on the cost of your trip.
  
  Here's the links to two popular dockside services:
  Fisherman's Processing
  Sportsmen's Seafood