Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have been harvesting my mature jade perch one or two at a time with a single hook from a herring jig like the one in this photo. The plus is that it seems to be easier and less disruptive than netting. On the down side,it means that i'm getting the greedier fish first, rather than the bigger ones.



I'm wondering though, what do others do? Do you harvest all at once or as needed? Do you net them or use a line like I do? Are there other alternatives?

Cheers
N

This is a good question I haven't the pleasure of
experiencing yet. I'm sorta stuck with all these
goldfish until I learn how to farm and run my system indoors.

My fish are so use to seeing me I can actually pet
some but not all. I have six fish in 4 different tanks. (24 in all)

What do you do when you're at the lake, or
in the river? You have to keep fishing til you catch a legal size
or you have to sneak em home.

On serious note, I was thinking of a couple partitions
to where you could corner the 1 you want.

I was also wondering the most humane method of
termination if anyone if anyone cares to add to this.

Thanks for the reply A2Z
I have 3 chop and flip IBC systems (with crossflow of water). In the centre I have my mature Jade perch and on either side, fingerlings. The fingerlings on the left are really skittish when I go to feed them, but the ones on the right get excited and swim to the surface when they see me. Got them at the same time from the same guy. Haven't figured out why they're that way yet.

The humane killing one is an interesting one. I think with most animals, if you cut their throat, the rapid loss of blood and therefore blood pressure causes a very quick lack of consciousness. But these days I think we've become squeamish about throat cutting. I suspect it's the best method, but I have to confess it's my least favourite part of the hobby. Added challenge is doing it when my wife and daughters aren't around to see it. They think fish are friends, not food

Cheers
N

I ussually net them in batches. Slit their throats and cut the tail. Toss in ice water and grab the next. I harvest them all in a day. I will grade them as i go based on size. I raise Blue gill so after 2 years you have some lunkers and smaller ones. Half will be filetable and the other half just get descaled and gutted to be grilled whole.

Normally the fingerlings are in my 40 gallon tank awaiting their new home. So once the old are out the new can go in.

Just finneshed moving and havent set up system. But hopefully i will get it up and running in a few months.

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I raise catfish and tilapia. I net them out. In my IBC with tilapia I can see the fish well and it's not too much trouble to net the ones I want. However, I do use two coolers filled with water. One for the keepers, and one for the smalls that go back in.

In my 900 gallon pond its hard to see the dark catfish against the shaded moss background. So I use large nets and catch many at a time. Again I set aside the smaller ones to be returned, and keep the big ones out to fillet.

I have a wood stick about 1-1/2" square and a foot long. One good whack to the head with the flat side of the stick knocks them out. But I've also read about the Ikejime method. I think I will try that in the future.

While on the lake/river I'd normally wait until I catch a good size. Very few exceptions when, because many factor, I try to sneak a not so good one back home. The most humane method, well I normally follow this as a guideline, I'm not 100% sure this is the best/fastest/more humane but is the one I've found in many sources and easy to replicate.