Do you need to kill a fish before you fillet it?

Question

My dad took me fishing my whole life, but he was always the one to fillet them. Although I did help with the cleaning, I can't remember if he killed them first or left them flopping around as he cut 'em up.

Answer 1

I use a fillet board with a clamp at the "top" that holds the head. If the fish were smallish, one pound or less, I didn't usually kill them prior to filleting them. They really don't flop around much at all and the fillet process kills them pretty quick.

Answer 2

fish dont feel pain so it doesnt really matter...i preffer to clean them live, that ensures the meat is fresh...if your woried if its humain or not then kill it first

Answer 3

Put a knife through the gills, then cut down, through the bottom part of the fish.  The heart will pump a lot of the blood out, and the fish will die quickly.  If you get the blood out while the fish is still alive, you will have great tasting fish.

Answer 4

yeah

Answer 5

You do not want to take a slice out of a knuckle or finger,if it flops around a bit---what I do is wack them between the eyes with the handle of a butter knife--that stuns them if not kills them,then go about filleting the fish.

Fish do not feel pain like mammals so there is no pain.You know you have the freshest fish there is when the filleted fish carcases still are moving there gills.

Edit--it is much easier to fillet a fish head on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShIjCIT4m...

Answer 6

No, if my fish are still alive when i get home, i fillet them either way, dead or alive. And the freaky thing is, is that i can fillet a fish so fast that it's still living after the fillet is off the fish, as long as i don't cut up the organs! cut them up fast and hold them down and, don't stop poking the knife in ever if it flops around. You gotta be heartless about this stuff!!

Answer 7

You're better off cleaning / filleting the fish when it's dead. A fish that jumps around presents more of a danger to you when you are holding that fillet knife and struggling to hold the fish.~good luck catchin'.

Answer 8

It's better to kill them first - like mentioned you normally clean them first - it is much more humane to kill them first - think how you'd feel if someone tried to fillet you ...alive...

Answer 9

Well, you can cut them and I'd kill them. You don't need to kill it right before fillet. As long as it's clean and dead you're okay! :)

Answer 10

CD good answer, it seems that there is someone around here with some sense, why keep it alive to fillet it, firstly you risk the danger of hurting your self with the knife, secondly its in-humane, a quick knock on the fishes head with something heavy and its dead.

Answer 11

Well it makes it easier to kill them first, less flopping that way. chop there heads off then fillet them.