Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

I'm a newby here, but I've been catching and eating bluegill for years. The way I have been killing them, is to whack them in the head several times with a club or the back of my Camillus four-blade knife.
I came across this in F. Philip Rice's book, "Panfishing."
"Bleed the fish by cutting their throats. This gives them a cleaner flavor. The fish, of course, will bleed more easily if still alive. (This is usually a more humane method of killing them than hitting them over the head several times.) The easiest way is to cut just behind the gills across the inverted V section. Cut deeply enough to sever the main arter behind the hear, or the heart itself, which is located just behind the gills."
Anyone care to comment?

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Tnx for the reply. Anyone else?
What kind of knife do you use?
I use a Forschner filet knife. Very stiff, but very effective. I feel like I've got much more control with the stiff blade.
I just throw the ones I plan on keeping in a cooler with a bag of ice in it, Rapala 4 inch fillet knive.
Soon as they come off the hook they go into the icechest ,they flop just a bit then they settle down when their friends join them. By the time I get home all the fish are chilled and firm and waiting to be filet by the electric knife at a rate of one and half bream /minute. after removing both sides I trim the ribs off each slab. Solid meat is the only thing left,ready for the grease or the freezer.
Okay, some of you kill them, and some of you just throw them on ice. I do put mine in a plastic bag. Or the ice. Ice water can throw the flavor off. Very few BG in Colorado (At least the ones I've caught) are big enough to filet.
But cool info.
I SPIT MY BEER ALL OVER THE SCREEN WHEN I READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! good one Mr. Walt!
Well, I'm glad he really doesn't! Can you imagine having to spit all that gravel out? Not to mention the broken teeth!
Im sure Bruce would rather you do that with the new office and all! If he didnt love gills so much he could feature this to help get the bussiness flowin! LMAO!
I just filleted 48 yesterday. I keep mine alive and use a 5 gal bucket with water to transport the short distance home. They were all filleted alive at the rate of 1 or 2 per min. I use a Rapalla 12v fillet knife. Quick and easy with clean fillets. ole Mike
What kinda beer would that be ??? Cold is my favorite, free is also great ! steve b
Surfin' the web with one hand, beer in other. Multi-tasking at its best. Burp, steve b
Now this is an interesting thread ! We routinely kill trout caught, that we're gonna keep, soon as in hand. But seldom other species, no good reason. Sometimes the steelhead though. Don't have an opinion on if useful for other fish, will read replies and learn here myself. Thanks. steve b

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