killing fish

[billsy]

i am interested in finding out some of the methods other ausfishers use to kill larger fish after capture. i only kill fish that i intend to eat and i am a big supporter of catch and release
billsy

[Kleyny]

ice slurry or cut under the head before the giils start this will aslo help it bleed out and then put it in a ice slurry.

neil

[Noelm]

I guess it depends on your interpretation of "large" like (say) a Marlin or big Tuna that you might want to keep to eat, will need a completely different approach to a "large" Snapper a quick drop in the ice will see you right for "large" Snapper and so on, but you would be needing a pretty good ice box to toss a kicking 60KG Tuna in it huh!

[Benno1]

i cut their throats then let them bleed out in the kill bin...then straight into the ice slurry
i have'nt used the brain spike method yet...i hear its good tho...

Mrs Benno1

[Cammy]

I beleive there was a similar thread to this somewhere but anyway, i do estuary fishing and i pretty much donk em on the head and bleed em, Quick and easy! Although its been a while.....

Cam

[sleepygreg]

I always used to use a 'priest' to administer the last rights - it consisted of a lump of very dense hardwood in the shape of a mini baseball bat....whack em very hard just behind the eye line on the head - usually only one decent whack needed...sometimes two. if its tuna you want them to stop kicking real quick otherwise it ruins the flesh. and other fish such as kingies, big sambos and wahoo/spaniards can cause havoc in the boat if not pacified quickly - not to mention the flesh quality. Many now prefer the 'Ike Jimi' method of brain spiking - but I havent tried that method yet (havent caught any fish big enough to keep), and i dont fancy trying to get close enough to a thrashing spaniard or wahoo to try it :S.

Greg

[dog tooth]

the ike jimi method works well, i was surprised how easy it is to find the brain
and for thrashing tuna, i also use the fish bat

cheers

[fish-n-dive]

i cut their throats then let them bleed out in the kill bin...then straight into the ice slurry
i have'nt used the brain spike method yet...i hear its good tho...

Mrs Benno1

I have read recently that they bleed out much more thoroughly if you cut the throat and then strait into the slurry. The cold water keeps the blood from coagulating apparently.

[Scott nthQld]

Yeah, I just cut the throat and into a bin of water, once the fish has bled out, it goes into the slurry. Don't be too hasty in tipping the now bloodied water over the side though, I made that mistake once, and couldn't get away from the sharks for the rest of the day.

Larger fish, get a good hard bash with the club, pacifies them almost instanly it you commit to it.

[Lovey80]

I like to cut the throat immediately then as soon as they stop kicking i gut and gill strait away then into the slurry.

Cheers

Chris

[FNQCairns]

I cut the throat then bend their head back to break their neck, I don't believe they feel pain outside of flight stimulus but it cover's a base.

With decent fish it can be too hard to snap their neck so a bash with a bundy works well before or after cutting their throat or a well positioned knife to the brain.

cheers fnq

[blue_mako]

We use sharpened oyster knives to turn the lights out, there not bad for the job offer some slip protection which can happen around bony heads.

Troy