Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I like the whacking method when dispatching 10 at a time

Line em up, whack x 10

Spot on. Iki jimi should not be promoted imo, it's a flawed method.

I'm still yet to see a method faster than a sharp wack to the top of the head, though I like this idea as it can be applied anywhere if you dont have a wacking implement - even if it does look a bit brutal

Thanks EB - I'll have to try it. It looks much better then all the methods I have tried so far which always results in a fish not quite dead.

Whacking seems to result in rather not moving fish.....dead or not, they not moving

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I reckon a combo of whack then snap is the best. cause then at least they don't jump out of your hands and cause dramas while you are trying to do the snap

Put them in an ice slurry first, this has the added bonus of the fish tasting better because the cold causes the fish to direct blood out of the flesh and in to the vital organs to survive. The ice slurry will kill the fish by its self if left long enough, although a bit of mucking around if only doing one fish.

That might work for barramundi or fish that do well in warm water, but trout however probably wouldn't be fazed by an ice slurry.

Great video . You can also bubble in CO2 if doing large batches.

Trout die the quickest on ice. Trout can be sensitive fish. If I go fishing they die first in the bucket of ice. If I do catch and release many of them just float up to the surface and down the river, dead from exertion and stress.

Just my opinion but I find on ice or an ice slurry kills most fish quick and humanely. They just fall unconscious. Not that there really is a "humane" way to die...

I don't like to touch the gills if I can avoid it. Smelliest part of the fish. Touch the gills and your fingers will stink for the whole day.

Thats half the fun of fishing...

I dropped silver perch into a sink full of ice and water and the little buggers kept flipping around for ages..... Remember that Monya? Might be a bit determined by the species I think.

i like the whak on the head, then cut if off with a bloody sharp knife metho. tries spiking, toooooo tricky.
nice vid joel

G'day all,

A mate of mine who grew up snorkelling amongst reef sharks, showed me a method that he said was vital to kill fish instantly otherwise the sharks could sense the vibrations from a "not quite dead" fish in his dilly bag and he had to literally run on water otherwise!!

The "head snap" is what he called it. Grab fish firmly with non preferred hand just around the front belly to take all the weight in palm of hand. Then quick as you like, shove thumb in the mouth, and curl hand stiffly against top of head above eyes, and "head snap" backward in one solid sharp movement past 90 degrees until the tail flickers and you here the "snap" of the vertebrae. Alive to dead in about 2 seconds.

Then, unless filleting within a minute or 2, best to nick, with filleting knife the break point as it is filling with blood.

Freaks you out a bit the first time you do it, but you appreciate the ability to dispatch cleanly.

Cheers
Mark E. in Oz

Can you show me the whack method?