Before one filets a fish

[solbes]

I grab the fishy and give it a swift whack to the head over my fillet table. Maybe some nerves still allow them to twitch, but I believe they are dead by the time the knife goes in. I'm not 100% sold on the fact that fish can't feel pain. The academics still argue about it.

Taught this technique to my Brother in Law (its not hard afterall). He was full of zeal that morning and bashed the living carp out of that walleye. I had blood and guts spattered all over me. Fish was dead. Stay classy Steve...

I tried the gill bleed out trick once and there was quite the stream of blood. Not for me. If I had ice on the boat, I'd probably just bury them in ice and let nature take its course.

 

[GrogNerd]

Don't knock it till you try it. I dry fished my last porter and everyone agreed that there was something unique about that beer. Everyone got so loaded they puked everywhere. I still have 3/4 of a keg left...not sure how that happens

I prefer fish wort hopping, but there is extreme latitude in this hobby for varying techniques

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Last week my father in law caught two large bass, which I fileted and cooked the next day. Before making the fish into "fish" its necessary to do the unpleasant deed of sending him to the great beyond. I am hoping I did this as humanely as is humanly possible.

In the past I have given the fish a sharp blow to the head to kill them, but I found that the fish sometimes continued to move. Whether or not this was evidence of the fish still being alive is unclear. I have also used a sharp knife to cut the fish's spine just behind the head, but this is difficult with a wiggling fish.

F-I-L has been told by his neighbors that the easiest and most humane way to kill a fish is to wrap him in newspaper and put him in the fridge. Instead of a violent death, he "goes to sleep" and never wakes up. This is what we did. I have some misgivings about this, however. Is this truly a humane process? What makes me particularly uneasy is the disconnect between the death of the fish and the person who is causing it. I dont see the fish die, so the whole process is pretty sterile. Sterile killing makes ordinary men into monsters (just ask a history book, it'll tell you all about gas chambers).

Am I overthinking this?

Usually, when you give somebody a fish you caught, it's already dead; with the exception of catfish, they'll live for an hour or more out of the water. So how you got 2 live bass seems a bit odd to me, did they come in a bucket of water? No matter, live fish is FRESH fish.

When I go fishing, I put the fish I catch on the stringer & put 'em back in the water so they'll stay alive & fresh as long as possible, but by the time I get home they've all asphyxiated in the cooler. Catfish just get their heads cut off.
Regards, GF.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

gratus, f-i-l parked his boat on his dock and the fish were in the livewell. The lake is only a few yards from the house.

Actually he had caught 3 fish, but when I wasnt looking my wife conspired with him to release the smallest of the three out of sympathy. I keep going back and forth between being annoyed (we could have ate that fish!) and thinking it was adorable.

 

[TyTanium]

Actually he had caught 3 fish, but when I wasnt looking my wife conspired with him to release the smallest of the three out of sympathy. I keep going back and forth between being annoyed (we could have ate that fish!) and thinking it was adorable.

FYI, I'm pretty sure the smallest fish are the healthiest and most sustainable

 

[DrunkleJon]

I know I am late to the party but...

Fish are friends, not food.

 

[Curtis2010]

I know I am late to the party but...

Fish are friends, not food.

Yes, and I invite my scaly little friends to dinner on a regular basis.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Fish are friends, not food.

Kiss my bass, what a crappie thing to say. Any agenda like that is a floundering cause.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Hey now, I dont want this to start a flap. I'm already having a roughie of a day.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

That kinda carp just gets under my gills. What a puffer! Beta change the tone before I go gila on that small fry.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Aww. You all are making me feel rather Crappie. I guess my comment Flounder-ed.

Dangit Gila, beat me to both of them.

 

[Dolomieu]

I prefer fish wort hopping, but there is extreme latitude in this hobby for varying techniques

I'll have to consider this for a future brew. I have also been pondering doing a fish stand, since hop stands have really become popular. Though i may have to go with some shiners or minnows as there would be more surface area to wort and i'm sure i would have to up the addition size fish utilization is probably pretty low with this technique.

 

[Dolomieu]

i gotta get to work but i wish you all well on your fishing and may none of you snag a boneless brown trout. amen

 

[DrunkleJon]

Maybe I should approach this from a different Angler. I know I can be a bit of a Bass, but you all are a tough Grouper of critics. Holy Mackerel

 

[Bookworm]

I know I am late to the party but...

Fish are friends, not food.

DrunkleJon, Tell Dori I said keep up the program.

 

[GrogNerd]

 

[gratus fermentatio]

gratus, f-i-l parked his boat on his dock and the fish were in the livewell. The lake is only a few yards from the house.

Actually he had caught 3 fish, but when I wasnt looking my wife conspired with him to release the smallest of the three out of sympathy. I keep going back and forth between being annoyed (we could have ate that fish!) and thinking it was adorable.

Ah, live well! Let me just put my dunce cap on & I'll be ready to go.
I don't have a boat, so I tend not to think about them & those handy accesories. I usually fish from shore, midstream or from my friend's canoe.
Our only accesories are our tackleboxes & 2 coolers: 1 for beer & 1 foir fish.
Anyway, if they're twitching when I'm trying to fillet them, it's off with their head...
Unless they're too big to hold down, then I think I'd have to whack 'em on the head & then cut 'em off.
Regards, GF.

 

[Homercidal]

I've never heard of cutting gills. Depending on the fish we used to just grab it by the head, pressing our fingers into the eye sockets for grip, and cut the head off. The one time I've been salmon fishing the guide whacked them bad boys with a pipe. Kind of gruesome, but effective.

We always tried to keep the fish alive and well oxygenated for the table.

 

[Pilgarlic]

If they're too active to handle I'll hit 'em in the head to quiet 'em down. If they're not too active to handle I cut their heads off and clean 'em. Works pretty well.