[Richard Rawlings]

How many of you keep them alive until you clean them? Does anybody kill prior to cleaning them? If so, how do you dispatch them?

I think we put them on ice one time before cleaning them and they were slimy as all get out. Couldn’t hardly hold onto the little bastards.

 

[NoLuck]

We always keep them on a cooler of water or a live well. Toss in some ice for both to keep them cold and firm. Carry them in a bucket of water to the fish cleaning station.

They still get slimey though. Just not as bad as when you toss them in ice.

 

[Danimal]

Livewell in the spring cooler in the summer. They are slime balls regardless.

 

[hoythunter03]

I usually let the water out of my live well when I leave the ramp then stop and grab a bag of ice about 5 minutes down the road and ice them down for the ride home. I never noticed the extra slime from the ice until you just brought it up, but I would have to agree. I end up pulling them outta my live well and hosing them off real quick to deal with the slime before putting them in a separate bucket to take to my cleaning table

 

[Clucker]

Lot of times Ill pack them in ice and clean them the next day

 

[EZRA]

Mine are never slimy but I always make my dad clean them

 

[BarryG]

Ezra, you sound like my son!

 

[rangerdvr]

Lot of times Ill pack them in ice and clean them the next day

I do the same, meat is firmer and blood free. I think it makes a nicer filet

 

[bulletman]

Ice either kills or makes them lethargic enough to not have them flipping around. I usually rinse them to get rid of the slime when iced. If they are alive and flipping I knock them out with the back of fillet knife right behind the eyes.

 

[manitou1]

Ice here too. Just rinse them down before cleaning them. Cold fish fillet nicer IMO.

 

[seth_turner_04]

I keep mine alive. That way if I don’t feel like cleaning them, I can just throw them in dads pond.

 

[Meller]

Keep alive, put in a bucket of clean water while cleaning them. The water helps the slime a bunch, if they are just in a dry bucket they are really slimy. If you've got a big bunch and they start getting slimy halfway through, just dump off slime water and add fresh to the bucket.

 

[bocomo]

Crappie aren’t so bad, but with cats and even walleye I cut the tail off when I’m loading the boat and throw them back in the full livewell. When I get home they’re bled out. Makes the filets nice and white and solves your flopping problem.

 

[RHenshaw]

I usually shoot then in the Head with A Shotgun, Solves All My Problems LOL.

 

[jehrbo]

If you get one that's wildly unruly, slit their throat between the gills, seems to settle them down a bit, usually by the time you peel one fillet off it has the same effect

 

[Gutpile]

Kept live in a wire basket. Good firm squeeze to the head between thumb and forefinger, puts them out.

 

[hillbilly]

Like others have said I keep mine in the livewell and drain livewell when I leave ramp and stop and ice them down