Humanely Dispatch Flathead/Bream

[foolforjesus]

Hi Everyone,

Looking to target some Flathead/bream for a feed over the coming months.

What would be the most humane way to dispatch them?

I 99.9% catch and release, so never had to dispatch either a Flathead or Bream before.

For a Flathead, I've read that a sharp pick behind the eyes kills them quickly, then cut the neck to bleed.

I've also read that a cold ice slurry is better, prevents adrenaline entering the flesh.

Not sure what is best for Bream.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Chris

[savit]

I just use a cheap spike from Bunnings + cut the neck.

Below are links for spike spots for the mentioned fish.

http://www.ikijime.com/fish/bream-pikey/

http://www.ikijime.com/fish/flathead-dusky/

 

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

27 minutes ago, savit said:

I just use a cheap spike from Bunnings + cut the neck.

Below are links for spike spots for the mentioned fish.

http://www.ikijime.com/fish/bream-pikey/

http://www.ikijime.com/fish/flathead-dusky/

 

 

Very good link this - I might add to our list

if anyone has useful links please pm me

[foolforjesus]

49 minutes ago, savit said:

I just use a cheap spike from Bunnings + cut the neck.

Below are links for spike spots for the mentioned fish.

http://www.ikijime.com/fish/bream-pikey/

http://www.ikijime.com/fish/flathead-dusky/

 

 

Ok great, Thank's for the info.

[Croydon]

I personally don't think fish like Bream, Flathead & Snapper benefit much from bleeding.  Fish like salmon, tailor, kingfish, mahi etc, I immediately cut their necks and place them in the kill tank before putting them in an ice slurry.  I have read that spiking fish can allow bacteria to enter the fish after death.  But I don't know if this is true or not.  I have half a dozen frozen bottles of water in my esky and add around 10 litres of sea water.  I place the fish straight into the icy slurry and this very quickly kills the fish and keeps them in excellent condition.  Each to their own I guess.  Cheers...........

 

Dave

[foolforjesus]

2 hours ago, Croydon said:

I personally don't think fish like Bream, Flathead & Snapper benefit much from bleeding.  Fish like salmon, tailor, kingfish, mahi etc, I immediately cut their necks and place them in the kill tank before putting them in an ice slurry.  I have read that spiking fish can allow bacteria to enter the fish after death.  But I don't know if this is true or not.  I have half a dozen frozen bottles of water in my esky and add around 10 litres of sea water.  I place the fish straight into the icy slurry and this very quickly kills the fish and keeps them in excellent condition.  Each to their own I guess.  Cheers...........

 

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the info.

How long would you say an ice slurry would take to kill a Flathead or Bream?

[foolforjesus]

Would a priest (what I would use to dispatch a Trout) be effective on Flathead or Bream, if used in the same area you would use a spike?

[Guest Guest123456789]

Hi Fool For Jesus,

ive tried brain spiking flathead and bream. Flathead I can do now but there were a few failures and unfortunately the fish would have suffered.

brain spiking bream and luderick I really can't do consistently. It seems like there are thick bones around the brain which can deflect your blade and consequently I've not dispatched anything the fish quickly. If on the boat I prefer the ice slurry like Croydon(unless bonito or tailor which need to be bled) or failing that I cut the gills and bleed the fish. 

 

I reckon there would be a market for a fish stunner that could be rigged to a boat battery. You could shock the fish much like farmers do with pigs and chickens before the fish is bled.

[foolforjesus]

16 hours ago, flatheadluke said:

Hi Fool For Jesus,

ive tried brain spiking flathead and bream. Flathead I can do now but there were a few failures and unfortunately the fish would have suffered.

brain spiking bream and luderick I really can't do consistently. It seems like there are thick bones around the brain which can deflect your blade and consequently I've not dispatched anything the fish quickly. If on the boat I prefer the ice slurry like Croydon(unless bonito or tailor which need to be bled) or failing that I cut the gills and bleed the fish. 

 

I reckon there would be a market for a fish stunner that could be rigged to a boat battery. You could shock the fish much like farmers do with pigs and chickens before the fish is bled.

Hi FlatheadLuke,

Its a tough call either way I guess.

Do you think a priest would be effective?

[PaddyT]

All fish taste better when killed properly. Brain spiking is quick and "humane". What I do is I have 4-5 old soft drink bottles that I filled with salt water and keep in the freezer at home. I keep those in my ice box on the boat with a bag of ice- when the first fish comes over i break open the ice bag and tip in a few litres of salt water to form a slurry. With "bloody" fish like kings, dollies I keep a 20 lt bucket on deck with about 5 lts of water in it. I kill the fish as they come on board and bleed them out in the bucket . After 10-15 minutes of bleeding I pop the gills and guts out via the gill cover and drop them flat in the slurry. The slurry is so cold that you can barely stand putting your hand in! With smaller fish like flatties/snapper I will gut them on the way home and I fillet at home not at the cleaning tables (yet to see a clean enough one of them)

[Guest Guest123456789]

31 minutes ago, foolforjesus said:

Hi FlatheadLuke,

Its a tough call either way I guess.

Do you think a priest would be effective?

Hi Fool for Jesus,

You mean to read the last rights to the fish? Sorry, dads joke I couldn't resist

ive seen a baseball bat used on YouTube to stun/kill a really big fish before its bled. Two guys held it near the gunwhales while a third woman clubbed the fish 5 or so times.

 I've not tried it myself. The only problem I could see is a wet slippery fish flying all over the place before, during and after the clubbing of a bream or flathead.

 

[PaddyT]

I have a rule on my boat- the only mackeral or wahoo that come on board are dead ones. A couple of hard whacks on the head calm them down very quickly. Dollies just get madder when you whack them so i usually swing them on board and jam their heads in bucket and hold onto their tail until they calm down. Sharks dont come on board at all. 

[foolforjesus]

http://www.fishingtacklelures.com.au/fishing-priests-best-method-of-killing-fish.php

The RSPCA favour using a priest or spike.

http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-the-most-humane-way-to-kill-a-fish-intended-for-eating_451.html

Whilst I'm sure the spike works well, I can see there could be issues such as, not hitting the right spot, getting spiked by gill rakers/fins if the fish is thrashing about...With practice, I'm sure you'd get more accurate.

Rarely when I've taken a Trout for the plate, I've always used a priest, which has been very effective.

I guess for larger fish, maybe not so effective.

I think I'll try the priest and see how that goes.

Cheers for the info.

 

Edited November 11, 2016 by foolforjesus

[foolforjesus]

2 hours ago, PaddyT said:

All fish taste better when killed properly. Brain spiking is quick and "humane". What I do is I have 4-5 old soft drink bottles that I filled with salt water and keep in the freezer at home. I keep those in my ice box on the boat with a bag of ice- when the first fish comes over i break open the ice bag and tip in a few litres of salt water to form a slurry. With "bloody" fish like kings, dollies I keep a 20 lt bucket on deck with about 5 lts of water in it. I kill the fish as they come on board and bleed them out in the bucket . After 10-15 minutes of bleeding I pop the gills and guts out via the gill cover and drop them flat in the slurry. The slurry is so cold that you can barely stand putting your hand in! With smaller fish like flatties/snapper I will gut them on the way home and I fillet at home not at the cleaning tables (yet to see a clean enough one of them)

Cheers PaddyT.

[savit]

Thanks, foolforjesus.

Here is an interesting extract from the above AU RSPCA link:

' The following methods are not suitable for killing fish as they do not result in a rapid or humane death: chilling with ice in holding water, carbon dioxide in holding water; chilling with ice and carbon dioxide in holding water; salt or ammonia baths; asphyxiation by removal from water; bleeding out without stunning. '

[Mike89]

Great links in this thread and very informative.

Normally with most fish I intend on eating I will stun them with a hard whack of a closed fist and then bleed them out.

I have seen the fish spikes before and have thought about getting one as it does seem much more humane.

Where can I get one?

[Fab1]

1 hour ago, Mike89 said:

Great links in this thread and very informative.

Normally with most fish I intend on eating I will stun them with a hard whack of a closed fist and then bleed them out.

I have seen the fish spikes before and have thought about getting one as it does seem much more humane.

Where can I get one?

You can buy them at tackle stores or use anything sharp you have lying around.

I use a sharpened screwdriver,a meat skewer and a priest(not pictured) to reasonable effect and the chicken shears to bleed.I think that if you can hit the brain on the fish first go every time without missing and having another go your missing out on a highly paid career as a brain surgeon.

99% of the time I use frozen seawater bottles and water  in the esky and place my fish in there live and they quickly expire then I'll fillet them at my leisure when I get home.

I also think that if you had a bream,flatyy etc that has been killed by the frozen water bottle method,brain spiked or by priest and you dressed and prepared the fish exactly the same way then served them up to son someone they would not be able to tell you which fish died by which method.

I've used all these methods on table fish when I've been fortunate enough to catch them and can honestly say they all taste the same to me and my family.

But there will be guys out there that swear they taste different killing them different ways.

cheers.

[foolforjesus]

18 minutes ago, Fab1 said:

You can buy them at tackle stores or use anything sharp you have lying around.

I use a sharpened screwdriver,a meat skewer and a priest(not pictured) to reasonable effect and the chicken shears to bleed.I think that if you can hit the brain on the fish first go every time without missing and having another go your missing out on a highly paid career as a brain surgeon.

99% of the time I use frozen seawater bottles and water  in the esky and place my fish in there live and they quickly expire then I'll fillet them at my leisure when I get home.

I also think that if you had a bream,flatyy etc that has been killed by the frozen water bottle method,brain spiked or by priest and you dressed and prepared the fish exactly the same way then served them up to son someone they would not be able to tell you which fish died by which method.

I've used all these methods on table fish when I've been fortunate enough to catch them and can honestly say they all taste the same to me and my family.

But there will be guys out there that swear they taste different killing them different ways.

cheers.

Cheers Fab1. I'll give it a go when I hopefully catch some fish for the plate.

[Guest Guest123456789]

2 hours ago, Mike89 said:

Great links in this thread and very informative.

Normally with most fish I intend on eating I will stun them with a hard whack of a closed fist and then bleed them out.

I have seen the fish spikes before and have thought about getting one as it does seem much more humane.

Where can I get one?

Make a shank. Easiest way is a flathead screwdriver scratched hard over flat sealed concrete.

[Croydon]

A bat is great for fish with lots of teeth and play up in the boat, but has it's obvious dramas.  But for the majority of what I catch it's straight into an ice slurry and the fish are dead within a couple of minutes.  

 

On another note, have a look at a site called Fillet Fish Australia, www.filletfish.com.au it's a tutorial site created by some professional fish cleaners in WA, very informative and touches on this topic. Cheers..........

 

Dave