Fish whackers in a pinch?

[birdhunter]

Okay, you got him in the boat, now what? Got to stop him from flopping around, sliming up the bottom of the boat, tangling the net and bending that perfectly tuned spinner. What do you use to do the deed? That is to say, what do you use to knock that fish out?

For me, over the years, I guess a small wooden bat has taken most of my fish. Old hatchet handles, oars, even ball peen hammers have seen some action. Rebar stakes, gaffs, nearby logs, rocks, pliers, boots, flashlights have all taken fish for me. Heck, I've even punched a halibut into submission. Most interesting I guess would be a few weekends ago, when we found out (after getting a fish in the boat) that we didn't have a fish whacker. Ended up pistol whipping the coho w/ a .22 revolver. Can't really recommend that idea. Better than shooting a hole through the bottom of the boat I guess. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

I'm sure you all have ingenious or inovative stories about claiming your prize. Nothing too sadistic I hope, but how do you stop the salmon dance?

[Slow Roll]

Uhm, well, it wasn't pretty but that 3 gallon gas can for the kicker worked pretty well. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Of course in a real pinch a downrigger ball is mighty handy, just be careful you don't mess up the cabling when you grab it. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I have been tempted to try and slam a seat shut on em', but I think its too padded.

This is gonna be a fun thread. People can get real creative when they have to.

Wonder if Pilar ever tried a bottle of sun block? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[steelhead_fishn]

Slightly morbid, but on more then one occasion I did not have anything handy besides sand when I forgot the fish whacker. I had to beat the fish to death with my hand. Luckily I am able to kill them in one solid blow that pretty much breaks my fingers, but they don't have to sit there getting whacked. I recommend not forgetting the fishwhacker.

Jeff

[Lipripper]

In a pinch a thermos works just fine

[Got Fish?]

One time ahd to use my drift boat anchor, but it beat using a fishing rod holder. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[jet]

The always present Fire extinguisher works when you loose your end of the shovel handle converted to a fish wacker.

Jet~~~

[ 10-16-2001: Message edited by: jet ]

[FEAR NO FISH!]

Judo chop! HAIIIIIIOUCH!

[Ramstrong]

A nice crescent wrench out of the tool pouch works wonders. Being bank bound most of my life branches and rocks have been my best friends.

[smilesforu]

double post..whoops

[ 10-16-2001: Message edited by: smilesforu ]

[wetaline]

the side of a "fishOn" rod holder... not easy on anything.. but it worked.

[smilesforu]

A simple knife cut just behind the eyes stops all twitching....fish labotomy. Today it was rocks....next time it may be a branch end. The best whacker is a pipe filled with lead on one end. A bolt is put through the pipe and lead so it doesn't fly out during the whacking.

[hoochie]

Got a length of 2" dowling with 1/4" holes drilled and filled with pencil lead. That's my usual weapon.

BUT, when it's been left home, I've used the fire extinguisher too, as well as the a screwdriver thru the eyes!

This reminds of my trip to the Oly Pen a couple weeks ago with 'Fly. The first fish in the boat we couldn't find the fish whacker, so he just wholloped the fish right on the head with his fist. First time I've ever seen that. Put the fish out as good as a whacker too. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

RT

[corky23]

since i am only a bank angler, i use the field expediant B.F.R.

[Jennie@ifish]

A nice reminder...
Be careful while whacking that fish with a good persuader while in a nice boat.
Someone, coulda been me, coulda been anyone, (including Bill) chipped a hole in the bottom of his alumaweld. We assume it happened in a moment of adrenalin fish killing.
Oops! Killed the floor, not the fish!
Jen

Another funny (embarrassing to me) is when I was fishing springers off the mouth of the Wind with Gary T. and Garrick G. ,,, These guys were 'green' to fishing Mag Warts so as the fish thrashed in the net I grabbed the whacker and said - be really careful not to whack the Wart because it's one of the proven fish catchers, with lots of notches and all, and I procede to show them how. Yes you're right; the fish jerks it's head just as I was zeroing in on the kill and I whack a huge crack thru the back of the Mag Wart. [img]images/icons/blush.gif[/img]

What better way to teach than by negative example?

[Dogfish]

A full beer can has worked, just rinse it off afterwards. Don't use glass.

BFR, slit the gills, whack the fish head on the butt of an unloaded shotgun, the gunnels or transom of the boat.

My usual tool is a mini-bat made by my nephew. It is 16 inches long, but as thick as a Louisville Slugger on the business end. It is the persuader. Before that I used a tire knocker that I bought at a truck stop.

[Grant Scheele]

I once had my wifes raquetball raquet in my boat. It was used to launch home run after home run while playing bullhead baseball.(a homerun is getting to the shore) Well, as luck would have it, I lost my fish whacker and used that nice fiberglass whacker in it's place. It worked, but only once. As bad luck goes, my wife went looking for it about a week later and found it in it's mangled condition in my boat. You know the rest of the story.

[Johnny Mac]

Funny thread [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I use a Volvo tire checker (mini baseball bat about a foot and a half long) and yes, it really does say that on there.

I guess in a pinch I'd just use a fist....thats kinda burly fishin. lol. Land him, punch him, bleed him, take a bite out of its stomach, beat chest, put in box, bark at moon. Burly. [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Nookie Monster]

I used to use a pair of pliers. Just gave 'em a couple sharp whacks between the eyes. Now I have Sir Rodney... beat 'em like Rodney King, fry 'em like Timothy McVain and eat 'em like Jeffrey Dahmer. Nothing beats a good piece of hickory. The moment that fish hits the deck it's introduced to Sir Rodney administering a wood shampoo.

[ampersat]

a buddy of mine carries a one inch thick piece of cable in his boat for stopping that infernal flopping. on one occasion, he was so overzealous in the application of said tool that he crushed the fish's skull in. later, when he went to fire the boat up, he found one of its eyes stuck to the windshield of his boat.

as a bank maggot, my usual tool of choice is a rock. a buddy of mine makes it a point of jamming his knife straight down through the top of the skull and twisting.

[Pitch Pocket]

Vulcan death grip. Seriously, I don't whack em. I cut their gills and put em in the fish box to bleed. They get quiet pretty fast.

Made an excellent fish whacker at work years ago. I found a 1" threaded cast iron pipe coupler about 4 inches long. Threaded it onto a wood dowel and viola...a nice fish whacker. I now have access to a small metal lathe and am searching for a good piece of heat treated aluminum to turn.
Stew

[Jeffhead]

Best fish wackin' story I have is about my good buddy Fred. Ya gotta understand Fred is part Archie Bunker and part Felix from the odd couple. He claims to be a tough guy...but he really is a neatnik at heart. We were fishing with his son in his boat (19 ft Seaswirl) at Pt. Defiance and just trolling along when my rod goes down hard. I play the fish and get it next to the boat (it looks like about 15 lbs worth of fresh nookie) when I look over and see that the only net in the boat looks like his trout net (He likes to trout fish also). Needless to say he has a sheepish look on his face [img]images/icons/blush.gif[/img] .....luckily we get the fish in the boat. Now the fish is flopping all over the place and I say "hey Fred, where's the fish wacker"??? Well of course as luck would go it's laying on the work bench at home....so I look around and there is a brand new 4 cell Maglight in the side pocket. He sees me eyeing the light and says "No way Jeff"!!! I just looked at him and said gimme the light Fred......come on guy gimme the flashlight, so very reluctantly he hands it to me [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] and the fish goes to sleep. we punch the card and get the gear back down. I then field dress the fish (lot's of eggs!!!) in the splash tray in the back of the boat...slingin' all the remains out the back. Wash everything down well (at least it was clean to me) and Fred don't say a thing. So a few days later he's over and were talking about the day with my wife, so Fred's laughing about the net and the light bat.....Then he proceeds to tell my wife that he didn't know that he had brought OJ along to clean the fish, I never seen so much blood slung around in my life!!!!! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] So since that day every time we fish together we have a good laugh over the whole thing!!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ 10-16-2001: Message edited by: Jeffhead ]

[bait boy]

I've used quite a few of the same methods mentioned but a Corona bottle works really well and the 1" wire strands work well we out pipe caps over the ends to keep from getting speared by the wire. Thermos works well but be careful that its a new stainless model or you hear 2 sound in succession Bonk..Crash... No more thermos.. Eyes really do squirt out especially on a Halibut that just won't quit floppin.

[AllThumz]

Let's see....a doubled-over length of anchor chain, the edge of a wooden cutting board, a Starbuck's Frappuccino bottle. That's what comes to mind now [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

John [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Silent Lucidity]

Picture of the MIL and that's it. Not very humane I know.

[CHUMSALMON]

the big stanley half gallon, green thermos, kind of surprised it hasn't broke yet, it's so dented up, you can hardly tell its a thermos anymore! all, this missed fish whacks, have taken it's toll on both the thermos and the boat. seems the fish whacker is never handy when you need it, but the thermos is always within reach!!! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[Phish_on]

I have a buddy who persists in telling the story of an extraordinary day at Buoy...14 featuring "had to whack 'em with the Stanley."

My current whacker is actually a section of galvanized pipe recycled from a water heater installation - the business end features a 45 degree joint connector, all a lovely peach color from my old garage ... with of course the duct tape hand grip. Very effective, actually and the incantation usually is "Colonel Mustard ... with the LEAD PIPE ... in the billiard room!" (or Professor Plum, in the conservatory, etc.)

I've used beer bottles on large trout. Pliers with limited effectiveness. River rocks for steelhead.

[Got Fish?]

I use an end of a pool que filled with lead. But when I forget that which is a lot, I grab the rope on the anchor and, ready, aim, drop! Just hope you hit the fish and not the bottom of the boat. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Pilar]

Old hickory. 5 lb. ball peen hammer handle, it floats. Or in a pinch the 4 cell maglite, good night you bad salmon, go to your room!

[Jennie@ifish]

It was freezing cold one day when I got into some jacks, some 20 some years ago.
I didn't have anything to whack um, so I grabbed a stick with one hand, and the fish with the other.
I started whacking. I WAS SO EXCITED, that it wasn't until my hands thawed out that I realized... It took me so long to kill those fish because I had been whacking my hand instead of the fish.
OUCH!
Now that is stupid!!!
[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Jen

[SlapStick]

When on the bank I have found a good punch to the head is very effective. In the boat I have used most of the tools described above but have killed more fish with my stainless thermos then I care to admit. The very first fish whacker I ever owned was givin to me by my best fishing buddy after he wittnessed the thermos kill. We went fishing that day and I boated a nice salmon...."hand we that fancy gizzmo" I said. Holding the fish up in the net I took aim and swung a mighty blow....at the same time I hit the fish my buddy cries out with a yelp and a half. I looked up and he is holding his forhead (almost exactly between his eyes) with one hand and a pretty good sized piece of lead in the other! He looked at me and said "they just don't make 'em liked they used to!".......I gave the whacker back to him.....

[lippee]

This past august i drove over from central oregon and forgot the fish whacker, Landed a 31 pounder, Had to use something 12.oz coors beer bottle three wacks on the head bottle breaks fish is dead.

[Hoosier Daddy]

BFR, coo stick, or Danner Special (step on em)

[fishbait]

I have a buddie that "piths" the fish, believe that "jcaroufo" does this also. Its a good method.... Take you knife and stab the fish at top of the head, at what would be the "back of the head" with the knife blade perpendicular to the spine. In essence, you are severing the spinal column. You know you got it right when the eyes roll and the fish relaxes. the heart still beats, so you can still cut the gills to blead the fish.

[Meridian]

No club no problem. Just put the fish directly into the gunny sack. Do not pass go, do not collect $2oo. In the bottom of the boat a fish seems to kick forever but turn the lights out and they behave nicely.