So it’s been a while since I’ve actually (intentionally) killed a fish that I caught - is whacking it on the back of the head still the preferred method or is there some newer thoughts on this? What gets the job done quickest and easiest?
Thanks,
Charlie
old age 
Dear Charlie,
I rarely keep fish and when I do I am fishing from my boat.
If I catch a fish I want to keep I just toss it in the cooler with the beer and ice.
Makes the beer a little slimy but does wonders for preserving the flavor of the fish.
If you are keeping trout I think the best thing to do is to put them live into a damp creel. The worse thing to do in my opinion with trout or any fish is to stick them on a stringer and drag them around for hours.
That has nothing to do with feelings I have for fish, I just think it’s a lousy way to preserve your catch.
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Dave, RW here
Old age is the quickest? Could you please rephrase that. lol
RW
“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.” -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-
sorry, rw–i meant the best way to kill a fish…
stick of dynamite… unless you want to eat it, then stick with the ice.
I fillet mine while they are still alive. The blade kills them.
I would say a priest or similar club would be the best way, but putting them on ice right after that is important because you don’t want it to go to waste. Cleaning them right away is a good idea, at least removing the gills, for the best taste.
Tim, I’ll bet that does wonders for the taste of the beer too!
Joe
Hey Folks,
Cut the gills. They will quickly bleed
out and the flesh will be mild. Put them
on ice until you can finish cleaning them.
Warm regards, Jim
Jim Hatch-
Finally----someone got it right (correct); cut the artery to the gills and hold the fish by the tail until the blood is pumped out…smaller fish (say 8-14"), RIP the gills from the fish and discard them while you hold the dinner/breakfast entre’ by the tail-may take 45-90 seconds*. Put it on ice if your’re not ready to cook. You can evicerate the catch any time within 1-2 hours and beat the enzyme action in the gut.
*This if for waters NOT shared with sharks or 'gators…use plan “B” in either circumstance.
Just another “Happy Hooker”.
[This message has been edited by gordo7 (edited 14 June 2005).]
imho, … just like any game meat , … You MUST bleed out the catch (trout 'n Salmon, … other species, … I don’t know). Dress it as soon as possible. Keep it cool.
Note for many places (like in Quebec), … If you fillet a fish before arriving home, … you must dress the animal in such a way that the species and size can still be identified and qualified.
When one decides to actually keep a fish or two, … you do have an obligation to treat it with the greatest respect and to take all the mesures necessary to conserve quality.
btw, … in many jurisdictions (in NAmerica), it is ILLEGAL to let game meat spoil.
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/:23d05]http://pages.videotron.com/fcch/[/url:23d05]
Folks, Pay attention to rules and regs. In some areas it is illegal to clean fish on the water or streamside. kev
I saw this yesterday and didn’t have time to respond, but Hatch has it right in my book. A bunch of us did a catfishing trip on the Minnesota last summer and I used this technique, to my surprise was not used by any of these “river rats.” We cooked up drum, catfish and walleyes, all bled by snipping the gills, and the boys said they’d never had better tasting fish. Of course, I was cooking! Works for LMB, gills and anything else that swims and is edible. JGW
Micus,
You should try eating fish once in a while, it’s very tasty and nutritious.
this is a bit embarrassing, I have been fishing all my life but have never used the technique of bleeding the fish out. When y’all mention cutting the gills, what exactly is that? Is it as simple as it sounds, a cut across the gills? or does it infer more than that?
I appreciate your addressing my point of ignorance.
RRhyne56
[url=http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com:e65cb]http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com[/url:e65cb]
IM = robinrhyne@hotmail.com
I would also be very interested in finding out how to ‘cut the gills’. Details! I need details! One of the main reasons I always practice catch and release is because I don’t know how to humanely dispatch a fish. This cutting of gills may mean fish for dinner!
Hey Gents,
How often have we fought a fish and
brought him to hand only to find he had
taken the fly deeply and it was in the
gill rakers. Before you can release him
you notice he’s bleeding and even though
you try to revive him, he is soon going
belly up. The red gill rakers beneath the
gill flaps are fragile but well protected.
You can however slide a knife or finger
under the gill flaps and cut or rip the
gill rakers and the fish will quickly bleed
out. Warm regards, Jim
Or you can snip them with the scissors in a Swiss Army Knife, which is what I use. Believe me, this really makes a difference in how a fish tastes in the skillet. JGW
Carp, so I am told, can be safely dispatched with a 12-gauge, although it is recommended that you not leave them lying around where folks who actually like carp can see them afterwards.
I always thumped them (trout, that is) on the back of the head with a blunt instrument, usually a rock or the handle of a knife. That’s the way my daddy taught me, and it works.
I recommend the Van Staal titanium retractable fish whacking club. $299.00 in silver, add 50 for gold. You can also have it engraved.