Kept My First Fish. Also Think Last.

[Haris122]

Well I went to Suson Park, and caught a catfish near the time of going home. I decided to keep it for my first time instead of release it, but it was still breathing for the full drive back home. While I tried to figure out what to do with it now (it had swallowed the treble hook, and it was already at home), I poured some water into a plastic bin of some kind and put it in there. Finally I decided I need to put it out, and I grabbed it and tried to smack its head on the concrete. Needless to say it was messy. Hard to believe how many times I needed to smack it to put it out. Not to sound like a sissy, but I think this will be my last time I take one back home after this, short of really needing to eat something.

[Tim Smith]

Nobody (that's worth knowing) likes killing. But there are times I'll keep fish and times it's economical to do so.

For catfish especially, it's probably a bit cleaner to cut the gill arches and let them bleed out. You can also scramble the brains but the synapses lower on the spine will still keep firing for a surprisingly long time after that.

If you want be even more humane, 10% clove oil in ethanol will knock them out first as will alka-seltzer.

[Al Agnew]

When I keep fish, I usually whack them on the top of the head with a short, stout stick, and then put them on ice immediately. Even if in the jetboat, I prefer to do this rather than keep them in the live well. The whack should be hard enough that afterwards they don't do anything but quiver for a bit. I'm not sure they are dead at that point, but they are the next thing to it, and the ice will cool them quickly so the meat will be better.

[Gavin]

I wack em first...then gill them to bleed out...put on ice as soon as possible. Catfish are pretty tough to kill...Bass, Trout, Panfish...not so much.

[patfish]

I recommend laying them on the bank and shooting them in the head with a 12ga. Slug. Buckshot works, but its hell on your teef.

[fishinwrench]

I call a preacher before I even set out to catch a mess for the table to make sure he is available to perform the ulegys. Then as soon as I catch one I say a prayer and then have my CCW buddy shoot him in the head point blank and put the corpse on ice. Then after separating the meat I hire my neighbor to dig a 6ft. deep hole with his backhoe and place each individual fish in its own little casket.....and lower it gently into the earth as I play Amazing grace on the bagpipes.

Yeah Fishfrys are a major PIA around here.

[Haris122]

Yeah Fishfrys are a major PIA around here.

Well I didn't quite dig a grave for it or play a bag pipe. I will consider to bring along one of my guns next time. Blowing it's head away in the park beats swinging it by the tail head first into the concrete steps at home. What caliber do you think will suffice?

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I've thrown numerous suckers way, way,way up on the banks of Taneycomo to feed the minks and foxes...

Its always something I know I should do.. because they are not these kinds of fish :

http://en.wikipedia....Amphibious_fish

( one time I fed a fox a fish I caught down by the boat ramp out of my pontoon... the fox had been running up and down the bank.. following us as the fish we caught were splashing... when the fox was at the left of the ramp I threw a trout I had just caught up onto the ramp.. it landed in the middle at the top.. and that little guy snatched it right up! we actually watched in the moonlight as he carried it off.... )

[Haris122]

Have to say the actual fillet tastes really good though.

[Mitch f]

I call a preacher before I even set out to catch a mess for the table to make sure he is available to perform the ulegys. Then as soon as I catch one I say a prayer and then have my CCW buddy shoot him in the head point blank and put the corpse on ice. Then after separating the meat I hire my neighbor to dig a 6ft. deep hole with his backhoe and place each individual fish in its own little casket.....and lower it gently into the earth as I play Amazing grace on the bagpipes.

Yeah Fishfrys are a major PIA around here.

After all that I can't imagine what it takes to get into the MFU.