Kept Fish - Handling and Storage

[OldTimer]

KILLING:

The brain of most fish is located between its eyes and behind them (see pic below).

   

Your method of striking the fish with force in this area will kill the fish, but may take a few whacks to crush the skull on large fish. There is nothing wrong with using this method.

I picked up doing the brain spike thing while ocean surf fishing. (For me – it’s easier, and I don’t need to carry a club/pipe). You can use a spike, or a hefty short bladed knife. I use a knife. I do not recommend using a flexible fillet knife (it might glance/bend/deflect and slip off into you). You can make your own spiking tool by setting a 3.5” or 4” galvanized nail through a 5” length of dowel or old broom handle, then sharpen the nail’s point. A cork works as a good guard on the sharp end.

   

Spiking Procedure - Grab the back or tail of the fish and rest its jaw on a hard surface. Place the point of your tool on top of the fish’s head centered behind its eyes on an angle – then forcefully jab the tool in and through the skull about an inch or so (not all the way through its head- just a bit). Rock the tool back and forth and side to side to destroy the brain - killing the fish. Typically the fish will stiffen, open its mouth, the pectoral fins will lift and shudder, the fish will immediately expire, and then the body and the fins will relax in a few moments. I use a knife so that I can (if needed) – cut back and forth a bit, or turn the blade 90 degrees and re-insert it.

   

**

On smaller fish (bass, panfish, trout, etc) you can alternately break their neck by holding the fish in one hand across its side with the belly facing away from you……………. Grasp its head with your other hand……….. quickly and with force fold the fish’s head backwards until the spine snaps. Instant kill, - some “bleeding” will occur as the gills will tear a bit. This method gets tough to do, or impossible, on big fish.

**

BLEEDING:

I don’t bleed all my kept fish – but I find it does make a big difference on the oiler species - trout, salmon, whitefish, bluefish (an absolute must here), mackerel, sea trout………. And any bass over 3 pounds, or pike over 6 pounds. I’ve never seen much difference with walleye.

You can either totally cut the fish’s throat and gills through to its spine – which I think is over doing it……… or simply lift one of its gill plates and use a knife or snips to cut right through one of the gill arches (blood will spurt & flow immediately). Fish will die very quickly using either method, but it is not instant.

**

STRINGERS:

I own two types of stringers:

– the old fashioned galvanized steel chain deal that works just great, mine is also rubberized. (I once tried one of those plastic snaps on nylon rope assemblies – but found that I definitely prefer the metal one.)

and - the cheap nylon cord type that has the metal needle bar on one end and a metal ring on the other. I’ve gone through more than a few of these over the years and advise that you must carefully check, and regularly inspect the connection to the metal ring – if this connection is loose fix it or get a new one. TIP – get one that has sufficient length, and cord diameter, to suit your purposes. With a bunch of fish on it - a simple improvised handle can be made by winding the cord around a short stick.

On my muskoka bass adventures (in a boat on a lake) I use a floating fish cage basket.


Hope that helps

Cheers,

OldTimer