fish moving after dead

[huzzsaba]

So finally caught a pike today,  Made sure it was dead before putting it in the car.  3 hours later I throw it in the sink to get the slime off so that its easy to hold while I make my first ever attempt to fillet a pike and its starts twitching and jumping in the sink.  I can probably handle a perch twitching, but a pike, no way lol.

So......how long before it stops? I just threw it in the freezer to fillet another day, but terrified it may start moving again lol when it defrosts.  

 "flame suit on" 

 

 

[LeXXington]

I would bring home rock solid frozen perch defrost them in a sink full of water and they would start swimming around

[huzzsaba]

6 minutes ago, LeXXington said:

I would bring home rock solid frozen perch defrost them in a sink full of water and they would start swimming around

lol. never had this happen with salmon or trout. those die pretty quick.

[Old Ironmaker]

I have seen Pike moving around on the lawn several hours after they were caught. The drive alone from Quinte to Hamilton is about 3 hours and that Pike was caught a few hours before we left. If you want to see something amazing when you clean a dead Pike take the heart out and put it on your finger. It will still be beating. Kind of freaks people out Ali. I used to do a thing at the cottage for the kids. "Watch Uncle Johnny bring this fish back to life." Worked almost every time.

My father used to tells a story that he found a dead Cat in the garage. He rubbed gasoline on it and it came to life and ran around in circles and then dropped dead again. It ran out of gas.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[Old Ironmaker]

30 minutes ago, LeXXington said:

I would bring home rock solid frozen perch defrost them in a sink full of water and they would start swimming around

Stop it. It is Sunfish that come back to life.

[bigugli]

Obviously you fellas have never watched decapitated chickens doing the bird dance!

[huzzsaba]

17 minutes ago, bigugli said:

Obviously you fellas have never watched decapitated chickens doing the bird dance!

I mayhave a watched a video of something like that on youtube lol

40 minutes ago, Old Ironmaker said:

I have seen Pike moving around on the lawn several hours after they were caught. The drive alone from Quinte to Hamilton is about 3 hours and that Pike was caught a few hours before we left. If you want to see something amazing when you clean a dead Pike take the heart out and put it on your finger. It will still be beating. Kind of freaks people out Ali. I used to do a thing at the cottage for the kids. "Watch Uncle Johnny bring this fish back to life." Worked almost every time.

My father used to tells a story that he found a dead Cat in the garage. He rubbed gasoline on it and it came to life and ran around in circles and then dropped dead again. It ran out of gas.

indeed freaky!  I caught it 30 minutes before we had to leave so that is nowhere close to your 5+ hours.  Hopefully a week in the freezer takes care of that!

 

[Rizzo]

had a buddy keep a crappie once figuring we were on a school of them...never got another one. So at when we were getting ready to leave he thawed it out in the hole, wondering what to do with the one measly fish...dang bugger took off like a shot down the hole! Must've been on ice 4 hours or so

[huzzsaba]

Today was the first time actually targeting pike.  Lessons I learned today:

1) Pike don't care what line you are using.  We had them hit a steel leader, pickeral rig, regular mono, braid.

2) Don't underestimate the sharpness of their teeth.  had 3 pike cut our lines like butter.

3) Most of the hits were on smaller of medium size minnows. approx 4 inch minnows. larger 5 inch ones didn't get an hits.

4) all hits were deadstick. watched the rod tip go down and waited a few seconds before setting the hook. 

 

[misfish]

I bleed out a laker this morning. Left it outside the hut for half hour. Brought it back in the hut, so it was out of sight. It flopped once, twice. I smacked it up side the head and said, ENOUGH. yer dead. LOL

[DanD]

This thread reminds me of a trip about 20+ years ago. Ice fishing Nipissing and we (10 of us) caught a number of pike through out the day. They were all frozen stiff as a board; laying on the ice. Get back to the cottage and through them in the bath tub to thaw; before cleaning them, My son and his buddy who were 6 or 7 then and they couldn't let the fish alone. We're out in the kitchen playing cards and all of a sudden both boys came running and screaming "they're alive they're alive". Sure enough 6 of the 10 or 12 fish in the tube were swimming and quite pissed off. LOL How do you explain that to a 6 year old? "Dad you said they were dead and ready for cleaning" Sorry son they will be shortly!

Dan.

[aws]

I usually cut the spinal cord behind the head.  They filet easy after that

 

[dave524]

If you are freaked out by this , you'll never want to fry frog legs 

[misfish]

17 minutes ago, dave524 said:

If you are freaked out by this , you'll never want to fry frog legs 

Fresh, or frozen ? LOL

[Old Ironmaker]

37 minutes ago, dave524 said:

If you are freaked out by this , you'll never want to fry frog legs 

Man I love a good feed of Frog's legs. Fresh out of the river and for me best done on BBQ coals. I've never seen a frog leg come to life though. Snake has a similar texture and taste. I had snake in Japan, by mistake, I thought it was fish. It was actually very good, deep fried in Tempura.

[huzzsaba]

13 hours ago, DanD said:

This thread reminds me of a trip about 20+ years ago. Ice fishing Nipissing and we (10 of us) caught a number of pike through out the day. They were all frozen stiff as a board; laying on the ice. Get back to the cottage and through them in the bath tub to thaw; before cleaning them, My son and his buddy who were 6 or 7 then and they couldn't let the fish alone. We're out in the kitchen playing cards and all of a sudden both boys came running and screaming "they're alive they're alive". Sure enough 6 of the 10 or 12 fish in the tube were swimming and quite pissed off. LOL How do you explain that to a 6 year old? "Dad you said they were dead and ready for cleaning" Sorry son they will be shortly!

Dan.

Lol great story. Luckily it didnt do its jumping until I went to touch it. It behaved when the kids were around.

7 hours ago, aws said:

I usually cut the spinal cord behind the head.  They filet easy after that

 

I think I will do that from now on.

[maker a laker]

Guys,

I have seen this with pickerel as well. On a stringer out of the water and into the back of a station wagon for a 30 minute ride home, into the sink to soak off the slime while we catch the end of a hockey game with a beer. Sudden splash from the kitchen and the sink is full of live fish. Biologist buddy remarked that fish can absorb oxygen through their skin, so 19% oxygen in the air on their wet skin is almost as good as being submersed in water with ppm levels of O2. Provided their gills stay wet and their skin stays wet, they can revive even after 20-30 mins out of water.

[huzzsaba]

12 minutes ago, maker a laker said:

Guys,

I have seen this with pickerel as well. On a stringer out of the water and into the back of a station wagon for a 30 minute ride home, into the sink to soak off the slime while we catch the end of a hockey game with a beer. Sudden splash from the kitchen and the sink is full of live fish. Biologist buddy remarked that fish can absorb oxygen through their skin, so 19% oxygen in the air on their wet skin is almost as good as being submersed in water with ppm levels of O2. Provided their gills stay wet and their skin stays wet, they can revive even after 20-30 mins out of water.

I think that is what happened. better chop them up first, then wash off the slime lol

[AKRISONER]

once saw a pike filet with the tail on start kicking in the frying pan. lol

 

[Old Ironmaker]

21% o2 here in Ontario.

[Acountdeleted]

On 1/19/2018 at 6:20 PM, Rizzo said:

had a buddy keep a crappie once figuring we were on a school of them...never got another one. So at when we were getting ready to leave he thawed it out in the hole, wondering what to do with the one measly fish...dang bugger took off like a shot down the hole! Must've been on ice 4 hours or so

First crappie I ever caught through the ice was about 3 inches. I was so happy I kept it. 3 hours later I had a nice fill of big crappie, so I put the small over over the hole. It thawed out and swam off.