most humane way to kill a fish?

[Matt S]

I fish for salmon and when we catch them an keep them I use a big ratchet handle that you would use on heavy equipment or a car and hit them real hard over the top of the head once and they instantly go stiff and never move again


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[GlennDalton]

The best way to euthanize a fish is to expose it to water mixed well with clove oil. The most painful way was to put it in the freezer. I remember reading an actual scientific study where they measured the galvanic skin response to measure the amount of pain the fish was experiencing. The one where the bonk it on the head was between 1 and 10 so that way was hit or miss.

Glenn

 

[davenmandy]

Haven't read this thread, but i was always taught that you grab them in between the gills with the thumb and forefinger, hook your fingers around the piece of flesh that essentially separates both sides of the gills, and break that flesh which I know for a fact makes them bleed out real quick, but i was told that it also breaks their central nervous system and kills em instantly. I have been doing this for years and years and I'll tell you after I snap their "neck" in that way they never move again.

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[Mihajlo525]

What I don't get is why you fish if you're iffy about using live bait even? I don't mean to offend but you're severely hurting the fish whether you release it or not, I've seen large smallmouth bass dead in the dozens on shore because catch and release damages their jaw and they starve. But to answer your question put it on ice, less messy but slow, but still painless. You could still give it a good bonk after taking it off ice to make sure. but I'm pretty sure that kills them. Personally I use a live well on my 24' 1980 sea ray and put them on ice afterwards.

 

[Mihajlo525]

Seems like an efficient way, since most of their blood vessels are in thier gills and you're basically blocking all connections to the brain. Just a little messy XD

 

[cnel124]

As long as it's fast, I fish for salmon in Alaska too, sometimes I shoot them if they'll be for bait.

 

[MilitantPotato]

This guy covers every way to euthanize a fish considered humane, how to do it correctly, and which ones are practical for hobbyists. Worth a watch.

https://youtu.be/36bYvijvUIk

Tldr: clove oil

 

[Maritimer]

Most people here will just club them over the head if they are big fish. If you cut the gills open after they will bleed and make cleaning a lot less messy.

 

[Mihajlo525]

As long as it's fast, I fish for salmon in Alaska too, sometimes I shoot them if they'll be for bait.

Why would you use salmon for bait? and what for? Even if it's for bears, bears don't eat the meat anyways, just the head and skin.

 

[jworth]

I dont worry too much about the fish's feelings if I am eating it anyways. Ill whack it until it goes stiff and fillet it up.