Properly killing fish

[akammerman]

I've learned to kill the fish by knocking them hard (like you mean it) on the back of their head on a rock. Now, I've not caught a fish yet that I couldn't kill that way; I imagine when you catch bigger fish you may need to kill them in a different way.

I'm asking because when fishing last weekend, I had one buddy that strung the fish on the line, through the gills, and didn't worry about killing it until about an hour later when he finally gutted it and cleaned it.

And then I watch these ice fishing videos where it seems that many anglers just toss the fish on the ice. Do these fish die a slow, cold, suffocating death?

So, what is the proper way to kill a fish, both during ice fishing, or not.

Thanks in advance.
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[Old_Coot]

I use to be concerned about a humane (or should I say "fishmane") way of killing a fish that I am taking home to eat. I invested in one of these bats to help with the thumping of them but I never did use it for that. (I think my wife confiscated it thinking it was a bed snake bat.)



Because I use to thump them on the side of the gunnel. But that seemed just too messy.

I have often wondered if a .22 short to the head would be a good idea. But that, of course, has its many dangers so I won't be doing that.

I think that to slit one or all of the gills and let them bleed out is a very good way to kill them. Apparently, that also helps to reduce the "fishy" taste too.

As far as freezing to death on the ice, that is probably a pretty good way to die.

I am curious to see what others write here.

Now, just where DID that bed snake bat go?
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[Jeremypalms]

There is a debate among scientists that say fish don't feel pain because fish do not have the neuro-physiological capacity for a conscious awareness of pain. I don't know if its true or not but if you believe that fish don't feel pain then that solves your problem but if you are unsure or you think thats a lie then buy yourself a billy club for fishing, they are like 10 bucks and you can hit any fish in the head with it. I bought one for catfish because those suckers never die without hitting them with something.

Hope that helps.
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[dtayboyz]

How long do they live in a bigger fish's tummy?
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[Fowl-Hook]

A slice on the Gill plats of a Catfish renders it Dead quickly, and makes the filets even better.
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[The_Red_Leaker]

So I've been doing a bit of carp research over the past couple weeks and ran across this video. At the :50 second mark he talks about the proper way to kill a carp "humanely" and in a manner that is supposed to help the taste.

Rest of the video is interesting too..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gi0dYjbrJs
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[lovetofish]

If I do keep a fish I will continue to dispatch it ASAP. Whether they feel pain or not I think it's the humane thing to do.

I don't like the idea of throwing fish on the ice or putting them in a cooler while they are still alive.
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[wormandbobber]

Fishing is a blood sport. IF you are worrying about being "humane", you probably shouldn't fish. The whole idea of pulling a fish in by hooking it isn't "humane"....catching a fish via hook, rod, and reel isn't exactly nice treatment.
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[PBH]

[quote akammerman] Do these fish die a slow, cold, suffocating death?

[/quote]

Definition: Suffocate
have or cause to have difficulty in breathing.

Definition: Breathe (verb)
take air into the lungs and then expel it, especially as a regular physiological process.

Fish do not breath. They do not have lungs. They do not inhale and exhale air. They cannot suffocate.

Fish have gills. Water passes over those gills which extracts dissolved oxygen into the blood stream.



I think you're putting too much thought into this.
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[dwayneb]

Environmentalism is really a religion! This is like reading a liberal article discussing immigration amnesty...don’t matter how many HUMANS illegals kill or hurt they are people too.....if you don’t want to harm fish....DONT FISH! The dreadful hook probably shoots agonizing pain throughout their entire body making the fish feel as though ISIS has them being videotaped...what a bunch of nonsense. I string my fish by piercing under the jaw with the stringer so they stay alive they whole day and are still alive and fresh when I get home to slice and dice. I may wack em so they stay still once the fish clean begins...
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[Uintaman]

Point well taken, fishing is not necessarily a humane activity in its entirety. But maybe a little humane ending makes my wife feel better. So I bleed them out in the water. I am sure the club works too, but comes off barbaric, but sometimes we feel like Barbarians. We used to smack their head on a rock, often they would squirt out of hand, wiggling away.

Whatever works for you, the bleeding helps the flavor in larger fish in particular, I have heard. In my case, what ever works for the wife.
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[PBH]

[quote dwayneb]...and are still alive and fresh when I get home to slice and dice. [/quote]


I hope you didn't really mean that. The fish need to be dead prior to transporting...
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[FSHRGLF]

I like to keep a few alive as long as possible and vacuum pack them if they are going to be frozen or given away.
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[albinotrout]

I understand the idea about keeping them alive as long as possible but PBH is correct the fish need to be dead before transporting them home. You don't want to be transporting any LIVE fish from the water where you caught them.
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[TroutBumDave]

[quote dwayneb]Environmentalism is really a religion! This is like reading a liberal article discussing immigration amnesty...don’t matter how many HUMANS illegals kill or hurt they are people too.....if you don’t want to harm fish....DONT FISH! The dreadful hook probably shoots agonizing pain throughout their entire body making the fish feel as though ISIS has them being videotaped...what a bunch of nonsense. I string my fish by piercing under the jaw with the stringer so they stay alive they whole day and are still alive and fresh when I get home to slice and dice. I may wack em so they stay still once the fish clean begins...[/quote]

What a great post[].
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Oh Dave, Dave, Dave...
You'd probably like the vid I saw... a carp, alive, scaled, slitted the side, then pan fried. Served while it's still 'breathing'
Can't complain it's not fresh!

Souvenir mini bats from ballparks? Perfect clubs. Clubbed by the Cubs, gotta love that! A cooler of ice usually takes care of most fish. Though not cats!

Where just it say in the regs fish gotta be dispatched before transport? I don't doubt it just don't recall reading it.

[FishingLunatic]

The point the OP was trying to make is that yeah fishing isn't humane but we don't have to make it more inhumane than it already is. Think about when you're old and feel like crap but technically could use medical technology to make you be "alive" as long as possible. Would you want that? No offense intended and I know you're going to say we're human's, they're fish. That could be your choice I guess but it's not like it takes that much effort and you really should have some perspective of thinking if you'd want that done to you.
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[pookiebar]

Cut the gills down the middle, it will help the meat taste better because it removes the most blood from the meat.

Knocking the fish on the head really doesn't do much to shut the nervous system down. I have knocked salmon really hard on the head then 10 minutes later cut the beating heart out of them. I don't worry much about humane when it comes to fish. I mainly think about what will make them taste best.
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[Fishrmn]

[quote CoyoteSpinner]Where just it say in the regs fish gotta be dispatched before transport? I don't doubt it just don't recall reading it.[/quote]

Page 20;

You may not transport live fish or crayfish away from the water where they were caught.

[quote FishingLunatic]Would you want that? No offense intended and I know you're going to say we're human's, they're fish. That could be your choice I guess but it's not like it takes that much effort and you really should have some perspective of thinking if you'd want that done to you.[/quote]

I wouldn't want to be hooked through the lip, or jaw and dragged into a medium that would not allow me to breathe. But we don't seem to worry about doing that to a fish. It is a fish after all.



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[FishingLunatic]

That's why I explained you don't have to make it more inhumane than it is. It's the same thing with hunting. You're a jerk if you purposely shoot the animal in a non fatal area intentionally rather than a fatal spot liike the head(note how I said if you did it on purpose).
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