South Devon 2013

[mattbarlow]

With mullet, string them through the eyes as their mouths are very soft and can rip free from a stringer without you noticing, especially if your moving through kelp.

I usually just pass the stringer through the gills and out the mouth, never lost one yet....

 

[scallywag]

That's the way I used to stiring them until I lost one :head. I find using my stringer I can dispatch and string in one operation saving on having to fiddle about with a knife. If you want to bleed the fish use your finger to pull out the gills.

 

[foxfish]

I am pretty sure that passing a spike through the eyes will not kill a fish very quickly!
To start with this is a standard way to present a live bait!
In my opinion the best way to kill any fish while in the water is by aggravating the gills in a violent way with your knife!
This not only dispatched the fish but bleeds them ... I don't like blood in my fillets.
For a more instant dispatch.. push the knife into the gills & damage the spine as much as possible = pretty instant!

 

[scallywag]

No I don't go near the eyes. Straight down through the head, top to bottom. Perhaps a wiggle to ensure I've brained it properly, you can instantly tell when you've hit the right spot, then straight on down through. I can assure all that a swift and humane dispatch is top of my list. I firmly believe with all "meat" the less stressed the animal before death, the better all round.

 

[foxfish]

Yep going down through the skull is a good way but not always an easy route.
I guess it depends on the stinger design but passing a 6mm spike through a largish fish skull without gloves can have a reverse effect!

 

[Broseidon]

With mullet, which have thick skulls, I find it quicker / easier to brain them by going up, via the gills, as the interior of the skull is thinner.

 

[mattbarlow]

Yes a quick dispatch is important I have a pretty large and very sharp diving knife, straight down through the head and they are gone. I find mullet heads to be tough and don't think it would be easy with a stringer spike but the knife is fine and is also useful for nets and sharks

 

[foxfish]

Yeah I guess you could cut your own throat rather than being bit in half by the shark.

 

[scallywag]

I suppose after a while we all develop methods that work best for ourselves. It would be pretty boring if we were all the same.

 

[Spiderman]

As Broseidon says with mullet I always push the stringer up through the brain and give it a good wiggle for a quick kill. I then push the stringer on through the top of the head so it's securely strung. Never had one come off. I then take a slice out the gills with my knife to drain some blood out.

 

[Spadeyo]

Thanks for the ideas, not thought of using the stringer to dispatch, will give it a go. Cooked the mullet up as a curry, marinaded in tikka paste, and it was really tasty. Need to work on my filleting skills though, there wasn't a huge amount left after I had filleted, skinned and removed the dark flesh!

 

[speerolee]

Re: fish dispatching.
I use my stringer spike through the eye and angled up and forwards into the brain, then give it a wiggle.

Or often after initially hitting the fish, I dive down and 'chin' the fish by pinching it under the gill plates and pull out the gill rakers during the short journey to my float and stringer. That does the trick.

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[Trelawney]

No I don't go near the eyes. Straight down through the head, top to bottom. Perhaps a wiggle to ensure I've brained it properly, you can instantly tell when you've hit the right spot, then straight on down through. I can assure all that a swift and humane dispatch is top of my list. I firmly believe with all "meat" the less stressed the animal before death, the better all round.

You misunderstand. The fish, while it is still on the spear, is dispatched with a knife to the head. I use a Omer mini-laser sharpened to a stiletto point and it has no problems going through the skull of a mullet. The stringer is then pushed through the eyes and then the spear is removed. With all other fish, it just goes through the gills and out the mouth. This way, the fish is always connected to something and will not get lost (important when night diving!)

 

[scallywag]

Sorry, it was Foxfish I was replying to. I know exactly what you mean.

 

[Dave L]

[QUOTE=Spadeyo

If anyone is happy to share any tips on dispatching quickly and easily I would be grateful. I struggled to hold on to him

Save yourself the agg mate. Eat your neoprene socks instead. A lot less fiddly and far superior tasting to mullet. My TP

carry on....

 

[googlyfloogly]

I often end up with head of fish in one hand and the tail between my legs. that way the fish knows its well and truly held and tends not to wriggle. I'm always use knife up through gills and wiggle. Using lots of force to get the knife through head may risk knife slipping on to hand that your holding fish with. Clearly, different people have different techniques that suit them. The size and shape of your knife is also a factor.

 

[scrumpy]

Couple of dives last two nights after work.
1st - 22:00 Torquay viz 2m dirty, worked the deeper water and boulders but no one home not even mr mullet. Saw 1 bass around 2lb mark happy to leave him. Lots of brown crabs again nothing of size, could of made a meal with a few but left to get bigger. Good to be in but very Q.

2nd - 23:30 Teignmouth viz 2-3m again dirty worse in places, worked the shallows and then moved to the reefs further out, viz very poor at depth so came into the shallows took 2 bass, 1st passing through at speed head shot so pleased with that. 2nd followed for what seemed an age before the chance came to take a shot.
3.5lb & 2.5lb

In for just under 2 hours very Q again, filled both my 3 litre lube bottles with boiling water lovely and warm putting the suit on. Mind you bloody freezing taking it off with the northerly wind biting!!

Fish dispatched knife through centre of head with twist, rip out Gill plate on stringer through gills passing out through mouth.

Need to find some clearer viz before season ends, anyone passing south hams marks please update me,not going now to at least mon night. By then NE winds should be in charge so will need to be far side of the hams.

Cheers

Lee

 

[Adz7770]

I ve seen in a few recent posts, mention of cutting away the dark meat from mullet why is this?

 

[tribs]

I ve seen in a few recent posts, mention of cutting away the dark meat from mullet why is this?

Can be very 'fishy' strong taste.

My mullet all taste fine so other people tell me

Tribs

Beef every time
out

 

[Adz7770]

Cheers for that, wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong. It tastes fine to me so I ll just keep leaving it on.