Help! Catfish prep.

[DKSRenegade]

I can bring home catfish that are still alive several hours after catching them. What it a humane way to kill them before skinning them?
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[fuzzyfisher]

hit them in the head with a bat real hard!! works for me!!
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[ocean]

There is no humane way to kill them ![shocked] Just fillet them and throw their moving carcass away!
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[whit210]

DKS,

My Grandfather caught thousands of Cats on trotlines in Arkansas. I learned that the best way to clean a cat is to hang them by the lower lip from a tree, post or something like that. Usually a coat hanger doubled through works well. Then cut the tail off, the cat will bleed quickly and die. This also removes the blood from the meat making it much more tastier.
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[hashbaz]

Throwing them in an icy cooler will "temperature-shock" them to death. I "put down" sick fish from my aquarium this way.

I've read another source recommending "bleeding" the fish to improve their flavor.

Is there a reasonably easy way to cut the head off?
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[Kent]

[black][size 3]Fishindaddy gave me the following information:[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[size 1][black][size 3]"Right at the base of the gill opening where it meets their body. I put my knife clear through until it's coming out the opening on the opposite gill under the throat and bring it up cutting the throat and the back side of the gills."[/size][/black] [/size]
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[RiverRat77]

There was thread on this a little while back too where people recommended a ball peen hammer to give them a good whack. But I've used the ice chest method too and they "chill" right out. [] I've also whacked them on my bumper too but then it looks like a scene from "The Patriot", or "Braveheart" or something when you get all done. Anyway, I've never filleted them alive but then, I don't have an electric fillet knife either..... Nice, stone cold dead works just fine for me and I get them there with ice. About the removing the head thing... I spose you could just use an axe or a slitting maul to do the trick.
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[Carp_Punisher]

[#505000]I opened a smiliar post a few months back. The hammer to the head, and the cooler seem to be the best two options. Being the lazy guy I am I quit trying and just zap off the fillets really fast with the electric fillet knife.[/#505000]
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[guppyslayer]

as others have already stated, the ice method works pretty well. I drive to Willard off and on, which takes about 40 minutes to get where i usually fish at. I take home a few of those 1-2# channels and i always take my ice chest (standard size) half full of my 'fishing ice'.
I keep a few bags of ice in the freezer that i only use for fishing...as the bag gets smaller and smaller i throw it away and get another one.
anyway...i throw the fish on top of the ice...sometimes i cover them a bit....and normally they are in a 'filleting state of mind' heh A couple of them have still had some flop in them and then i use the small ball-peen hammer trick and that usually finishes them off.

cyas
rc

[DKStroutfitter]

Thanks guys.
I will try the ice trick next time.
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