# Best Way to Dispatch A Fish



## JonnyOnTheSpot (Jun 8, 2010)

Gidday Guys,

Just wondering if I could have some advice on what's the best way to kill a fish. I guess it depends on the species. At the moment for bream I've been waiting until I get them back to shore and then sliding a knife down down the side of the eye and push it through the head. I''m hoping it goes through their brain and sends them on their way with a minimum of pain. But I'd really love to know how you guys who've been doing this for years do it. And also for flatties whats the best way.

And also if you leave the fish alive until you get it back to shore will it change the taste of it - like is it better to kill it asap?

cheers
Jonny


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I've been told that the best way to kill any animal you're going to eat is as quickly and with as little stress as possible. Kill the fish as soon as possible after you've caught it and ideally throw it into a slurry of ice and saltwater. Leaving it flap around in a bucket is a no-no.

As for whether you use a donger or a spike, I'm all ears too! I don't use any of the above because I feel I cause more stress by missing than just cutting their gills and bleeding them out. If a knife through the eye does the trick then that's easy for me. When it comes to driving a spike into their forehead I'm sure I'd miss the brain everytime.....or spike myself :shock:


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## JonnyOnTheSpot (Jun 8, 2010)

Barrabundy said:


> As for whether you use a donger or a spike, I'm all ears too! I don't use any of the above because I feel I cause more stress by missing than just cutting their gills and bleeding them out.


Hey Barrabundy, how do you cut their gills? What part do you cut? Do you slide the knife behind the gill plate and up towards the top of the fish?



Barrabundy said:


> When it comes to driving a spike into their forehead I'm sure I'd miss the brain everytime.....or spike myself :shock:


Yeah I'd never try it on the water. I make sure all my own body parts are well outta range when the deed is done


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## Stealthfisha (Jul 21, 2009)

I normally use my donger to Tap It. See attched photo for result.










regards


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## JonnyOnTheSpot (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks guys, looks like the donger is the thing to use. The results look particularly encouraging


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## fongss (Aug 15, 2010)

i'd dong that :lol:

i usually just cut neck, slip the knife in behind the gills and saw away ( it's quick if brutal, fish doesn't suffer a long drawn out death)

on the yak i haven't caught enough to really do anything more than either wrap em in a wet towel or just chuck em straight into a ice slurry

i'm not sure the cut the neck idea is the go offshore, given the blood

cue jaws theme music :shock:


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

The fastest, most humane, and the way to minimise damage to the meat or lactic acid build up is ising an Iky Jime spike to the brain!

It's the Japanese way of doing things, and it's what's used on Bluefin Tuna to prevent the fish flapping around and bruising itself.









Here's what wikipedia have to say about it: 


> Iki Jime (活き締め?) or Ike jime (活け締め?) is a method of paralyzing and bleeding fish to maintain its quality.[1] The technique originated in Japan, but is now in widespread use. It involves the insertion of a spike quickly and directly into the hind brain thereby causing immediate brain death. A fish brain is usually located slightly behind and above the eye. When spiked correctly, the fish fins flare and the fish relaxes, immediately ceasing all motion. The blood contained in the fish flesh retracts to the gut cavity, which produces a better coloured and flavoured fillet. This method seems to minimize the pain.


Google Iky Jime and you'll find a heap of info on it.


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## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

For bream, flatties, tailor etc, grab the fish with both hands, put your thumb deep into the gill socket and with a firm action break its neck, kills the fish immediately and bleeds the fish at the same time. No need to fiddle with a blade that can cut deeper than a gill raker.


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## proangler (Nov 27, 2008)

For offshore the safest and best way to dispatch larger pelagics ect is to use a donger and give it some hard hits right behind the eyes. Once they are calm then we just slit their throat which bleeds them, which makes them better tasting. Especially with tuna you must cut their throat as they are a very bloody fish.

Cheers James


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## fongss (Aug 15, 2010)

ok....i'm going get a donger

look out missus if the fish aren't bitin 8)

really appreciate the bream advice as well. ( the jap method...i kill whiting by the broken neck method) ...will try

i'm not one shy away from the blood side the sport

but i only kill what i'm going eat....and i try and kill it quickly without suffering

not so much do with quality meat

just...u know...karama....how i'd like go and all that hippy shit ;-)


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## ausbass (Feb 15, 2007)

I find the best way is to gut through the throat and break the spine by bending the head upwards quickly.

Tuna, Mackerel and Tailor (pretty much any pelagic species) seem to hold there flesh quality if they receive two sharp cuts to the tail wrist to aid with blood draining.

Iki jimi is a bitch if you dont do it right, end up just stabbing a fish randomly in the head to do it right


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## JonnyOnTheSpot (Jun 8, 2010)

Wicked, thanks for all the good tips. iki jimi sounds good but dunno how I'd go trying that on the yak. The thumb behind the gills and break the neck sounds like the one to try while on the water for the smaller fish. And maybe the donger on the bigger fish. I like to practice good husbandry though judging by Baggsies results not sure if good husbandry is the best word to use in the same sentance as donger ;-)

BTW when you bleed them I'm guessing the blood flows into the water so do you ever have any curious noahs turn up?


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## proangler (Nov 27, 2008)

JonnyOnTheSpot said:


> BTW when you bleed them I'm guessing the blood flows into the water so do you ever have any curious noahs turn up?


I dont really worry bout sharks when I bleed em as im usually out of the area pretty quickly as this is one of the last things I do before I tie/put the fish into the yak. Have seen one curious shark that came up behind my mate. It had smelled the blood from a tuna he had that was dripping blood through the scuppers in the hold. It wasn't very aggressive though and it swam off as he started paddling.

Cheers James


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## ausbass (Feb 15, 2007)

JonnyOnTheSpot said:


> BTW when you bleed them I'm guessing the blood flows into the water so do you ever have any curious noahs turn up?


You could get an old drybag or something you can get dirty and chuck the fish straight in after dispatching, then into your hull.


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## fongss (Aug 15, 2010)

JonnyOnTheSpot said:


> BTW when you bleed them I'm guessing the blood flows into the water so do you ever have any curious noahs turn up?


no...because i won't do it

i see enough men in grey suits up here fishin wiothout going out the way encourage em

given where i fish...i won't blood any them

unless i've got luxery a centre console between us

a big great white make mince meat me on a kayak :shock:


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Have an esky or one of those cheap esky bags with you, couple of ice blocks in then you bleed the fish in the bag. (remember to wash the bag out well ) 
If you have a kayak with a holding area bleeding them in there is good too. 
Personally gave up on the ishy spike after a couple of near misses to the hand that holds it ;-) use a bazonker and cut the throats now. But of course I carry my live well with me an the fish stay alive I take what I want for a feed and let the other go. Means no worrying about bleeding fish on the water much easier to manage the knifes safely than on a cutting board between my legs :shock:

Dont worry about the sharks they dont have thumbs to open the tupperware lunch box 8) :lol:

Cheers Dave


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## Ralphy (May 10, 2010)

A fisheries officer mate of mine swears by using a rifle to dispatch sharks he's going to keep for the table. Trying to aim the .22 might be a little awkward on the kayak, I'd end up with a hole in the yak/my leg. For me it depends on the fish, trout fishing you just stick two fingers in the gills pointing towards their head and snap. Kills them instantly cause you're also breaking their neck. I've never tried it on bream and flatties, I usually just use a knife. Not sure I'd want to bleed fish offshore in a kayak though, maybe a tap on the head would be a safer option with sharks about.


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## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

Using a donger only with bigger fish often never kills it, so the fish is flapping around the hull sending out positive vibrations to sharks. The safest way is to dong the fish to enable handling then bleed in an enclosed space ie hull or bag. I find it a hassle to bleed into my hull so I usually bleed over the side then paddle away. I have been harassed a few times by sharks but getting covered in blood is part of the sport and difficult to avoid.


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

proangler said:


> I dont really worry bout sharks when I bleed em as im usually out of the area pretty quickly as this is one of the last things I do before I tie/put the fish into the yak.


I have the opposite! It takes me all my time to find the fish, so when I'm finally onto a school, there's no way I'm gonna just take one and then move away from the area where I'm catching them!


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## proangler (Nov 27, 2008)

Ranger said:


> proangler said:
> 
> 
> > I dont really worry bout sharks when I bleed em as im usually out of the area pretty quickly as this is one of the last things I do before I tie/put the fish into the yak.
> ...


I see what you mean but usually the fish that we target can be pretty wide spread but really most of the time I have to catch up to dad who likes to keep moving ;-)

Cheers James


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I think I need to do an autopsy on a bara to see where their brain is, it's definitely not just above and behind the eye, tried it this afternoon and just resorted to the usual cutting of gills.....do they have a brain? it must be bloody small!


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## JonnyOnTheSpot (Jun 8, 2010)

Barrabundy said:


> I think I need to do an autopsy on a bara to see where their brain is, it's definitely not just above and behind the eye, tried it this afternoon and just resorted to the usual cutting of gills.....do they have a brain? it must be bloody small!


Tried it today on a tuskfish and had a similar experience where I ended up trying a few different spots and then when it still didnt seem to be dead resorted to the fingers in behind the gills and breaking its neck method.

Thanks again for all the replies guys.


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## gcfisho (Oct 31, 2009)

Tried the same last night on a tailor and also had to snap its neck as it was moving in the bucket . I find a dong on the top of a flatties head does the trick though .


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## actionsurf (Jul 8, 2010)

I wouldn't be too keen on the fingers in the gills technique with a flapping flattie. They got nasty gill rakers 

But seriously a double barrel shotgun normally does the trick. Just try to hold the flattie away from you a bit because of the blood spatter..


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## fongss (Aug 15, 2010)

clearly if you must dispatch a fish send it over night

don't trust aust post

i'd go with a good courier company

maybe air mail :?


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## garyp (May 30, 2008)

Baggs71 said:


> I normally use my donger to Tap It. See attched photo for result.


Almost snorted red wine through my nose when I read that.

FYI In fresh water fly-fishing your "donger" is referred to as a "priest". :?


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