Best way to humanly kill catfish? But keep them fresh?

[youtube]84zZPUYimWU[/youtube]

whats wrong with just putting them in the ice chest with ice ! they just go to sleep ! no beating on em

BassAddict said:

Instructions on how to humanly euthanize fish at 25s

https://m.liveleak.com/view?i=63d_1401517377&comments=1

Click to expand...

:roflmao: :roflmao:

I've commercially fished, and slaughter animals every year, and have (unfortunately) dispatched more fish and other creatures than I'd like to remember. Far more than most people, I'm certain.

There are two basic ways to kill a fish humanely- slice them with a razor-sharp knife to bleed them out or crush their brain in a single blow.

The knife technique is probably the safest and least traumatic to the fish, if done right, and it is the method I use the most. A quick slice across the throat, and let the fish go into the livewell. It will not struggle or flail about, it will simply continue swimming until it passes out. An easy way to go. One large benefit is that once a fish is bled in this manner, the meat will be whiter and "cleaner" tasting, and it will not spoil as quickly. And the livewell pumps out all the blood, so there is no mess to clean up.

The second technique is to bludgeon the fish. The little baseball bats look nice, but are NOT very efficient, especially on smaller fish. They are too wide. Have seen guys beating and beating on fish with those stupid little baseball bats and the fish keep waking up because all they do is knock them out. A hammer can work, but they are too short, and only effective if the person makes a perfect shot. A terrible tool for this work.

The real fish dispatchers are 18-24" long, but only about 3/4" in diameter and are relatively heavy. Kind of like the "asp" the military uses for security work, they reach a high tip speed, and then all of that speed and weight and force is concentrated into a very narrow point of impact. THAT is what crushes the skull in a smooth, effortless motion. These are MUCH easier to use than a hammer or bat-type instrument.

Mine is a stainless steel commercial model, made specifically for the task, but you can make your own from an 18"-24" piece of 3/8" galvanized water pipe or 1/2" rebar. You can make it with or without caps or tape grips.

And before any of you question what I say, try it. Not only do I think you will be in agreement, it would not surprise me if you weren't somewhat frightened from the devastating damage it inflicts, especially if you swing it like you must with the lesser tools. Do not play around with these things. They are NOT toys, and minors should not be allowed to handle them.

One smooth swing is all that is needed, and the fish will be dead instantly. If you are after 100# cobia, you might want to up it to 1/2" pipe.

That being said, I personally use a stroke of the fillet knife, except for cobia. Super-clean table fare is my goal, as well as killing humanely.

-TH

Who cares how it's killed? Fish eat fish. I'd think it'd be much worse for the fish dissolving in stomach acid than the one being cut open with a fillet knife. Animals get eaten alive, torn to shreds all the time. Catching fish for sport, or killing fish just the throw it in a freezer for 6 months is much more inhumane than how its processed.

I have a 2x12 board about 6' long that leans up against a tree.
Then, take a 3" deck screw and a cordless drill and screw his head to the board, skin it,
then to the filet table.
Less than a minute and it's all over.

I always hang em up and cut the tail off and let em bleed out when I get to the boat dock

You'd be amazed how much it does for the flavor and also how much cleaner it is when you fillet it

Can't do it in the water the blood just colagulates

best way on a channel cat and maybe a blue (never got a blue) is a knife and a piano wire or ice pick to the head, its instant and easy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCirHDjeBUI,,,, wont work on a flat,,,I fillet them alive throw em back in the water and watch them swim away sometimes :shock:

I'm a heavy catfisher that's mainly what I catch I learned a few tricks first I don't keep anything under 5 lbs when I do catch one I put it on the stringer and jeep it alive tied to my boat then once I head back to the dock I have a 2x6 in the back of my truck about 30" long I also have a nice big galvanized nail... About 1\4 inch thick 6" long I put the fish on the board wait till he stops wiggling put the nail right in the center of his head and nail him to the board kills it quick and now its easier to skin\ filet once done pull out the nail dispose of remains CORRECTLY and done

https://www.ikijime.com/

Good answers

Please add your location to your profile

In some states it's illegal to have live fish on board, period. I swear, I am the only person on this entire forum that fishes the great State of Maine.

Anyway, I use my Boga grip and beat 'em a few times real hard square on the head. When I keep them which is not very often.