Throw Fish In Cooler Alive Or Kill It First?

[Coosa]

Some old school fisherman I know don't even think twice about, they just throw it in the cooler and let it die. Not a single care is given.

What do you do?

[Raul]

Well,if I were condemened to death by hanging I would prefer to fall quickly and die of a broken neck rather than to be lifted and slowly die of suffocation.

[slonezp]

Well,if I were condemened to death by hanging I would prefer to fall quickly and die of a broken neck rather than to be lifted and slowly die of suffocation.

If you were condemned to death by cooler would you like to fall asleep in the cold and never wake up,or get bashed in the head?

I throw them in alive

[MultiSpeciesFisherman]

I don't think too much about it when I'm keeping fish honestly. We humans have a tendency to really anthropomorphize everything (assign human attributes to them) and most of the time it's really a faulty way of thinking. Fish don't "want" anything. They don't consider which way to die would be better than any other. All they care about is getting away and surviving, but that's a basic instinct, not a conscious thought. Any considerations we take on how to treat a prey item is based on ideas that have been socially constructed by humans, not something that is uniform across all species.

That said, I'm not going to go out of my way to ensure the fish dies in a miserable way because I do have a general respect for life. I'm also a realist. I realize that in order for anything to live (with the exception of autotrophs such as plants) something else has to die. I don't necessarily think it matters whether you bash a fish with a rock or let them suffocate. Myself, I tend to try and see to it that the fish dies humanely but I realize I'm doing it to make myself feel better about killing something, not for the actual benefit of the fish. So just act ethically for your own sake is about the only advice I could give.

[Bankbeater]

Its probably better to keep them alive as long as possible. I say throw it in alive.

[jeb2]

I don't think too much about it when I'm keeping fish honestly. We humans have a tendency to really anthropomorphize everything (assign human attributes to them) and most of the time it's really a faulty way of thinking. Fish don't "want" anything. They don't consider which way to die would be better than any other. All they care about is getting away and surviving, but that's a basic instinct, not a conscious thought. Any considerations we take on how to treat a prey item is based on ideas that have been socially constructed by humans, not something that is uniform across all species.

That said, I'm not going to go out of my way to ensure the fish dies in a miserable way because I do have a general respect for life. I'm also a realist. I realize that in order for anything to live (with the exception of autotrophs such as plants) something else has to die. I don't necessarily think it matters whether you bash a fish with a rock or let them suffocate. Myself, I tend to try and see to it that the fish dies humanely but I realize I'm doing it to make myself feel better about killing something, not for the actual benefit of the fish. So just act ethically for your own sake is about the only advice I could give.

Outstanding post! I could not agree more.

Have to see how many times I can press the "Like This" button.

[Wayne P.]

Let's see if I can figure out what this is all about.

You intentionally stick them with a mean ole sharp hook, pull them from their environment where they cannot survive and you are concerned about how they die?

Maybe you should quit fishing, take up knitting -synthetic fibers of course.

[tomustang]

There comes a point when you knit pick about killing a fish and looking at it with a humane prospective, you shouldn't be killing it then.

[Tony Monticelli]

best to slit there throats while alive and let the heart shoot all the blood outta em... gut em out right away... then toss em in a cooler full of ice. if i catch em and going to eat em they are treated as food... it does make a difference!!!

bleed em out, best way to kill anything thats food, granted 99% of you probably couldn't stomach your meal screaming and bloods shooting out all over the place... could ya? and were talking about how a fish dies... how bout some lamb for dinner, lets go get some nice farm fresh lamb chops... mmmmmmmmm good...

.how bout if you want to save the blood for cooking also, then you gotta hang em upside down ALIVE over a bucket, sounds fun huh.

any raise rabbits for food, only way i know is is hold by ears over barrel slit throat and let bleed, mmmmmmmmmm huh that's some life education right there....

how bout raising birds for dinner quail and stuff, hold em over a barrel get the big scissors and snip snip while alive off goes there head,, you think its done by walking up to a cage and shooting em up with a bb gun, yea i wish but no its not done that way on a farm..

[Bassn Blvd]

You forgot about the chicken. I like to tie the feet with a rope. Tie the other end of the rope to a flimsy, but strong branch. Grab the chicken by the neck and pull until the rope is tight and the branch gets a nice bend in it. Take ur knife and slice off the head. The headless chicken will sling shot away from you and flap it's wings, spooing blood everywhere. Definately more entertaining then ringing their neck.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

If I'm keeping my fish to eat, they get put I'm the box on ice. Certain species I'll cut and bleed out. No, it's not because I care about the poor little fishes feelings, it's because I want to make sure I get a better quality meat. If I'm not keeping them, take a couple of pictures, revive and vent if necessary, and send them swimming.

[rockchalk06]

To each their own on the preferred method of kill. But how is making the OP feel like crap going to help anything? I seem to think all he or she was asking was what is your opinion on the method of dispatch not wether he should continue to fish

[Lund Explorer]

To each their own on the preferred method of kill. But how is making the OP feel like crap going to help anything? I seem to think all he or she was asking was what is your opinion on the method of dispatch not wether he should continue to fish

X2!

You just gotta love how the subject of keeping a fish brings out the best of some people.

I guess that the best part of Bass Resource is teaching others by ripping some of them apart.

[Nitrofreak]

Some old school fisherman I know don't even think twice about, they just throw it in the cooler and let it die. Not a single care is given.

What do you do?

If not a single care was given the fish would have been thrown in a bucket and laid in the sun for the trip or strung up and left to hang.

Throwing a fish in a cooler is to me being a conciderate act, they are taking care of their catch by doing so, as long as it was packed with ice, which I saw no mention of, but either way it is still their decision to do it.

We are not here to judge one another on the acts of what each of us do, we are here however to offer assistance to those who would like our opinions on other subjects that will help all of us grow and become better fishermen.

I don't think too much about it when I'm keeping fish honestly. We humans have a tendency to really anthropomorphize everything (assign human attributes to them) and most of the time it's really a faulty way of thinking. Fish don't "want" anything. They don't consider which way to die would be better than any other. All they care about is getting away and surviving, but that's a basic instinct, not a conscious thought. Any considerations we take on how to treat a prey item is based on ideas that have been socially constructed by humans, not something that is uniform across all species.

That said, I'm not going to go out of my way to ensure the fish dies in a miserable way because I do have a general respect for life. I'm also a realist. I realize that in order for anything to live (with the exception of autotrophs such as plants) something else has to die. I don't necessarily think it matters whether you bash a fish with a rock or let them suffocate. Myself, I tend to try and see to it that the fish dies humanely but I realize I'm doing it to make myself feel better about killing something, not for the actual benefit of the fish. So just act ethically for your own sake is about the only advice I could give.

Very well put !!!

[Gatorbassman]

For me it all about the meat. I want to keep it as fresh and good tasting as possible. So I think of it just like the deer that I shoot. I dispatch them quickly and bleed them out. I feel that a stressed fish that dies slowly in a cool doesn't taste nearly as good as one that I simply bleed out by cutting their gills.

[A-Jay]

You had to know where this thread was going.

A-Jay

[Bob C]

I keep them happy in my live well. They're still kicking when they get prepared for the deep fryer.

[out_doors_guy]

Any fish I keep to eat gets bled and killed then kept on ice until I get home to filet them. To bleed 'em, simply stick a fillet knife in each gill and into the meat right between them on the bottom, then toss 'em in the cooler. Makes a mess but I keep a cooler just for this purpous and just hose it out real well afterwards then leave it open to dry. I find they taste 100% better than either kept in the livewell or just tossed on ice and left to flop around in the cooler until they die.

[Busy]

I keep them healthy as long as possible while I'm still fishing. When I am done fishing, cleaning the fish is priority over everything else. I want the fish healthy when I clean it. Get off the lake, hit the fish in the head, fillet them, then put them in a ziplock bag, and go home. Put it in the freezer. Call some friends for a fish fry.

[Busy]

best to slit there throats while alive and let the heart shoot all the blood outta em... gut em out right away... then toss em in a cooler full of ice. if i catch em and going to eat em they are treated as food... it does make a difference!!!

bleed em out, best way to kill anything thats food, granted 99% of you probably couldn't stomach your meal screaming and bloods shooting out all over the place... could ya? and were talking about how a fish dies... how bout some lamb for dinner, lets go get some nice farm fresh lamb chops... mmmmmmmmm good...

.how bout if you want to save the blood for cooking also, then you gotta hang em upside down ALIVE over a bucket, sounds fun huh.

any raise rabbits for food, only way i know is is hold by ears over barrel slit throat and let bleed, mmmmmmmmmm huh that's some life education right there....

how bout raising birds for dinner quail and stuff, hold em over a barrel get the big scissors and snip snip while alive off goes there head,, you think its done by walking up to a cage and shooting em up with a bb gun, yea i wish but no its not done that way on a farm..

Also I never slit a Quails throat. The gun usually kills it and I just rip the head off before I clean it. Didn't know that people raised Quail to eat; there's got to be a better way to get meat lol.

I'm guessing you were traumatized by one or more of the things you mentioned?

[JoePhish]

I would think that getting bit in half or digested alive would be more 'traumatic' than suffocation or a club to the head.

[Coosa]

To each their own on the preferred method of kill. But how is making the OP feel like crap going to help anything? I seem to think all he or she was asking was what is your opinion on the method of dispatch not wether he should continue to fish

Hey man, yeah, I wasn't really thinking anything about, just trying to start a conversation see what people do. I throw in the cooler to be honest. Don't think much about it.

[Coosa]

Throwing a fish in a cooler is to me being a conciderate act, they are taking care of their catch by doing so, as long as it was packed with ice, which I saw no mention of, but either way it is still their decision to do it.

I wasn't saying that they don't care about preserving the fish, I was saying that they don't think twice about the method of killing the fish. Again, I don't care what you do, I was just starting a thread.

[Tony Monticelli]

Also I never slit a Quails throat. The gun usually kills it and I just rip the head off before I clean it. Didn't know that people raised Quail to eat; there's got to be a better way to get meat lol.

I'm guessing you were traumatized by one or more of the things you mentioned?

most aren't to bad especially birds. get used to it all after a while

outa of everything its hands down the bunny's, i don't think it is possible to get used to fixing them by hand.. kinda wish they would bite you or something to make it a little easier but there whole game plan is to make you feel bad... they always make it worse than it has to be.

[Crestliner2008]

Here's my two cents. And I'm assuming you are keeping the fish for food. (Nothing wrong with that as long as it's within the legal limits.)

Fact: fish, as a food group, is more perishable than milk! Think about that.

You must/should pay particular attention as to how you handle the meat when considering it for human consumption. I believe stress, as well, plays an important part in the quality of your dining experience when it comes to fish.

Some folks throw their fish in a live well and forget about them - cleaning the belly up fish when they get home after a day's fishing. I hope I never have the pleasure of dining with those folks! Best way is to kill and gut them right away, then put them on ice immediately there after. I always REMOVE the gills quickly after killing the fish as well. This prevents the blood engorged gills from draining back into the flesh. Quickly gutting prevents any unwanted body fluids from doing the same thing.

Gutted fish, cleaned and cooled properly, on ice makes for some delicious fare! JMO.