Quick and effective:

Priest

(edited to provide a link that worked)

Last edited by nvm (8/03/2019 10:33 am)

I'll keep them on a stringer until close to consumption time to keep them alive as long as possible - not very practical if you are paddling substantial distances at speed since they will drown.  It does help to thread the stringer through both lips (if only lower lip or through the gills, they will drown quite quickly with their mouth agape during travel).

Once cleaning time arrives, if I am going to filet the fish, I will first stab through the skull from above between the eyes or hit with a sharp, debilitating blow to the skull.

If cooking whole (trout) I will merely cut the head off clean right behind the gills and then gut them.

Would be interested to read of other methods.

Bonkers are the most reliable way. But can make a big mess if you hit them too hard. For Trout its probably quicker and more humane to quickly break the neck or take the head off and just start cleaning them. For Bass/Pike I let them hang for 30 minutes then just start filleting. Sometimes there's some twitching.

Same as MartinG ... Quick snap behind the neck for trout ... might need the help of a branch or tree if its really big.  Very quick.  Bass or thicker fish not so easy ... but I have used my paddle and it worked fine.

I find with stringers the fish can suffer a while before dying ... and turtles love fish on stringers ...