Killing a Fish

[cody909]

I was wondering since i have never killed a fish and am new to spearfishing what is the easiest way to put a fish out of its misery after you spear them, Is there a certain spot i can push a knife in or what,

Nothing like Slamming a rock or poisoning it, I am walking off the beach each time and i dont wanna swim back inshore to just kill a fish,

 

[Padaxes]

Most people say stab it in the brain but I have real trouble with that and end up poking around in its head while the thing thrashes around So I usually just chop its head off as quickly as I can. A friend was showing me a technique where you hoook your fingers in its gills and yank its head back hard, I guess it breaks its spine that seemed to work too but I havn't done it myself.

 

[-NO TANKS-]

^^Agreed. The cleanest and quickest way is to use a knife and stab the fish in its head to brain it. the bad thing about this is you could make a mistake and stab yourself. You could also just cut the fishes gills or sqeeze it so it cant breath...but when cutting the gills you got to watchout for the tax man.

Aloha

 

[Spaniard]

If you use a stilletto type blade, i.e. long and thin, then if you push the point up through the gills towards the brain that should do the trick.

 

[cody909]

Ohh thanks
When you guys catch fish you guys keep them on a (I dunno what there called but a line that goes through the gills or the eyes and stays connected so they dont get away) you guys keep the fish with you if you swim from offshore? or should i swim inshore every kill?

 

[seguyette]

Knife to the brain, then put them on a stringer off your dive float. http://forums.deeperblue.net/spearo-board/78400-killing-bleeding-fish.html
If you are in kelp the stringer idea will get caught up and there are other options. Do a quick search here on DB for stringers, there are plenty of good threads from guys in SoCal that have already asked the same question.

 

[cody909]

Thanks, It was a very helpful thread, Im just gonna stick with Braining,

 

[Erik]

I run a float usually, but sometimes put the stringer on my belt and carry the fish. Of course I don't have to worry about "tax collectors" up here haha!

 

[seguyette]

Cody909 -
I'm sure you are going to ask about the tax collector now, so here is a question that I had last year and got some good input on. Of course it depends on if you are around kelp or not for what your options are. Good luck and have fun

 

[cody909]

When you say the "Tax Collecters" you guys are talking about the Law enforcement right? what will they do wrong, Its there somthing wrong with using a stringer? Anyone in Southern Califorina know of good dive spots?

 

[Erik]

No, we mean sharks... they come and take their piece of the action

 

[cody909]

Ohh haha,
**Note - New Term ~ Taxman: Shark** rofl

What do i do if there chewing off my stringer connected to my belt?
I herd your supposed to punch them in the nose..
They dont get mad? If i were a shark and somone punched me i would take a bite...

Mabe put a knife in them?

 

[feign]

I used to always knife to the brain, but now I usually bleed the fish if possible. The meat ends up much better. I think the easiest is to pull out gill rakes. You don't necessarily need to cut them, (depending on how accessible your knife is when you have the fish subdued). Sometimes you just have to yank really hard though, depending on the type of fish. Pull one or two at a time. The gill artery will bleed for a while, but may clot off fairly quickly. At this point you can pull or cut another couple gill rakes.

 

[-NO TANKS-]

Ohh haha,
**Note - New Term ~ Taxman: Shark** rofl

What do i do if there chewing off my stringer connected to my belt?
I herd your supposed to punch them in the nose..
They dont get mad? If i were a shark and somone punched me i would take a bite...

Mabe put a knife in them?

if you see it coming to you, Use your spear gun..it keeps the the shark away at a safer distance. just remember your in their home so treat them with some respect.

 

[hyeparis]

Brain the fish. I usually stabb it in the head and then twist the knife sideways to make sure I hit the brain

 

[irtrogdor]

It took me a long time to figure out how to "brain" a fish. I think it's because a majority of the spearos on DB are english so their advice is geared towards fish in UK waters. Here in the Baja the more common fish have insanely hard skulls so the "braining" is actually wedging your knife in between two vertebrae near the base of its skull and then twisting it. It is pretty easy and parylizes the fish until it dies from its wounds.

hope that helps.

 

[agbiv]

I have a small folding fish pick made by Diawa. Got one off of ebay, drilled a hole in the handle & put a shock cord wrist hanger on it. Works great (like a marlinspike). Chef Al

 

[DiveDeep3r99]

Most of the time i spear a fish its dead before i surface,if its not dead, i just throw it in the ice box and forget about it.

 

[sciencemike]

I live in Cali just like you do. Here the fish are easy to brain. Not a lot of tropical wierd heads on the fish. Unless you shoot a sheephead. So its easy, when you dive always carry a dive knife on you. In case you get caught up in some kelp or netting or mono fishing line. But when you shoot your fish, hold it by the gills, and then take your free hand with your dive knife and stick it in the head. Where to stick it is easy. Draw an imaginary line between the eyes. Then go back that same distance as that line is long. Stab that same distance back in the center of its head. That will sever the brainstem. Halibut right now are a bit harder to brain. The spine will go up and over the gill plate, so you can stab the halibut directly in the brain even with the top eye just over the gill plate. And dont forget to wiggle the knife a little bit. When the fish quivers or shakes you have done it right.

Also since sharks arent a big conscern out here, you can gut and gill the fish while still in the water. I do that as soon as i get them on the stringer. Then just swim around with them on there. The only things i do sometimes is use the stringer to pin the fish's mouth shut so i dont get that accidental bite, or cut off the dorsal spine so you dont get poked.