If and when the Japs learn to humanely kill wales, then I might believe they have a humane method of killing fish!

 

Penetration or shock huh. I think one can be as effective as the other.

I don't equate death with suffering. To my mind the actual process of death is a secondary consideration after removing suffering. Ideally, it all rolls up into one, but as you asked the question I think the real world as opposed to an ideal world can take further scrutiny.

In short, I think disengaging it from its nervous system is the priority. Whether you do that by overwhelming it with blunt force trauma or by incision is immaterial. Use whichever method you are better skilled at in bringing that about. I'd much rather that than see someone loading up on the quick kill while the fish is still connected up, and may be not getting it right in a timely manner.

 

Must admit I just use the "Whackie Boncey" method....

 

Provided the fish is of an appropriate size, if I'm fishing from a structure, I'll often just grasp it by the tail end and using a whip action drive its head at the floor or wall. Fait accompli.

 

Since moving out here to Aus 17yrs ago Ive found they nearly all kill and bleed the fish here, we also put them into an ice slurry.
Jon

 

Must admit I just use the "Whackie Boncey" method....

same here,apart from conger and mackeral.Conger get a whack on the ahole(vent) followed by a whack on the head,mackeral break there necks with a finger in each gill and pull the head backwards.

 

I can kill a round fish in less than 2 seconds, just cut deep behind the back of it's head with a sharp knife and snap the spine, certain death then and no guess work trying to find brains to stab or beating the head to a pulp, with flatties it's similar but done to the side, watch your fingers

 

same here,apart from conger and mackeral.Conger get a whack on the ahole(vent) followed by a whack on the head,mackeral break there necks with a finger in each gill and pull the head backwards.

I know very little about conger fishing. What's the deal with the buckwheats blow before going for the head?

 

For the whackers/Preachers amongst us, I was wondering whether they had better results with the indicator marked for some fish, rather than the general head area.

I don't pesonally have problems dispatching fish, I'm quite efficient but thought the site was interesting. I've since adjusted my aim slightly with better results.

 

Re the comment about icing fish, I'm led to believe that putting the fish on ice has the same effect as bleeding them. Apparently the body's natural defense mechanism causes the blood to be withdrawn from the tissues to the body core to maintain minimum essential functions.

 

Without the ice slurry the fish would be worthless on the commercial market out here. Lots of research papers on looking after fish out here, some species such as tuna can create such alot of body heat after theyve been hooked that they would be worthless without the ice slurry. A fish chart is available with all the spike positions for the brain on the most common species, do you have these in the UK ? By the way I use a sharpened phillips screwdriver as my spike. This way looks alot more presentable for those who cook fish whole rather than breaking the neck and damaging the tissue around that area.
Jon

 

Thanks JonD... Generally spiking isn't common practice here, but maybe it should be. At least the pics give an "X" Marks the sport for the whackers!

 

Whack, whack and whack again...

(Repeat as necessary!)

lol... Seriously, I dont keep that many fish, but mackie get their necks broken, otherwise, fish being kept to weigh later get the Order of the Whack, while those being kept as fresh as poss for food get the Order of the Whack followed by a swift gutting or filleting.

Those being bled first get the Order of the Whack followed by cuts through the gill rakers for swift bleeding.

It's not much fun being a fish...

 

It seems a bit churlish devising ways of killing a fish with the least stress when you've just dragged it through hell and into the air....

Still for what it's worth I was shown to use this method . It works for most fish save for a conger and that is done by a deep cut across the neck to the spinal nerves about half way through the neck above the front fins to stop the darn thing thrashing about and taking a lump out your leg etc.

If you have a half decent filleting knife that's properly sharpened and a cut down chopping board to do it on , . pop the filleting knife down to the board in the centre of the head about level with the gills between the eyes and slice forward in one quick easy movement down to the lips.
This not only kills the fish almost instantly it also bleeds it and allows you to gut head & tail so you can use the bits left over as bait or chum.


Warning Only do the cutting on a chopping board on a firm surface ... Don't risk it over your unprotected leg or arm as you might bleed to death before you get to help if the knife slips or goes right through into your cold limb & severs an artery or tendons etc

 

I know very little about conger fishing. What's the deal with the buckwheats blow before going for the head?

The center of a congers nervous system is above the vent and whacking the eel there stuns it :bangin:.

 

a shot gun......!
seems way OTT........

[video=youtube_share;NHAlw07eTL4]http://youtu.be/NHAlw07eTL4[/video]

 

I know very little about conger fishing. What's the deal with the buckwheats blow before going for the head?

It stuns them so they dont thrash about so much,definately works.

 

andy1965 & cfish - Thanks gents, that was my hunch. Interesting one. I need to read more on that when I have a mo.