keeping fish cold on boat

[pete_k]

Looking to see what some of you do to keep fish cold on your boat.
I fresh water fish. Like to go out for all day.
Other than a good cooler and lots of ice. What are some of your creative ideas?

[The Dawg]

Whatcha bring me? :)

Cooler and ice is the best bet. Your boat wouldn't work well for stringers.

[pete_k]

hooked up a nice 2lb 1oz rainbow at Stuart last week. Sorry all gone.
Keeping them alive in the water tied to the boat is illegal so I had to shoot it.
I'm holding you to that Takla trip Dawg. With or without wife and kids.

[The Dawg]

hooked up a nice 2lb 1oz rainbow at Stuart last week. Sorry all gone.
Keeping them alive in the water tied to the boat is illegal so I had to shoot it.
I'm holding you to that Takla trip Dawg. With or without wife and kids.


Deal. Text me tomorrow and ill confirm dates.

[BigfishCanada]

I usually hang em over the side,

[paulo]

We fish both salt and fresh. 12ft open and older 17ft run about. We have always used burlap sacks. Just wet them down and cover your fish.

[lilhoss]

Mostly saltwater fishing for us, that requires cooling.I stop at the fish processing plant in the early season and fill my freezer with their chipped ice.I fill some vacuum sealer bags with it and use multiple "ice packs".When it thaws,re-freeze and good to go for re-use.The ice packs fit nicely inside salmon,lings,and for packing all around.You can make 'em any size you want.
I've been eyeing up some new propane freezers for use on the boat,camping,and hunting.These are all in one-12 volt,110 electric,and propane. http://www.propanewest.ca/Freezers.htm
The smaller one goes for about $950 and the larger units will run about $3700. just fyi.The smallest one is about the size of an average "fish cooler",but stands a slight bit taller.

[adriaticum]

Generator and a freezer is even better

[pete_k]

looks like ice or ice packs are the way to go for pricing sakes.
CT sells a 120ac/12dc/propane cooler for $300. But only cools to 20 degrees below ambient.
Good for keep stuff cool, but not making it cool. Thx for the replies.

[Scuba_Dave]

As mentioned above, we just bop them over the head then tie a rope through the gills. If we have to move at a bit of a pace we just pull them out. Get to where we are going then back over the side! Guess another idea would be some sort of mesh type bag over the side as well. Water is always nice and cool :)

[pete_k]

As mentioned above, we just bop them over the head then tie a rope through the gills. If we have to move at a bit of a pace we just pull them out. Get to where we are going then back over the side! Guess another idea would be some sort of mesh type bag over the side as well. Water is always nice and cool :)
What I have found is on hot sunny days the fish will turn colour within the hour. After 2 or 3 hours they actually get mushy.

[freonguy]

We use frozen milk jugs of water in the fish box to keep the temp. down - BTW, and I am amazed this doesn't get brought up more often - gill the fish right after you stun it - so it is still alive - it will pump most of the blood out of the fishes body - also, after it is bled out, gut it, rinse it and gill it - totally, then put it on ice, or, if no ice, burlap wetted down. The blood in the body and gills spoils very quickly, and the enzymes and acid in the guts start to eat away from the inside - quickly - you want a premium product? treat it that way with a little extra care at the right time.

[Sofa King]

i'm pretty much C&R.
maybe partly because of the whole keeping-the-fish-on-a-stringer-all-day, stiff-fish-by-the-end-of-the-day thing.
that, and I enjoy the act of fishing more than the killing of my limit.
much like hunting.
I more enjoy every facet of the hunt than the actual act of cutting my tag.

but if I were to be keeping my fish, i'd wait til near the end of the day, then kill my limit to take home.
rather than have dead fish in/dragging beside the boat all day.

[Sofa King]

or, since you probably like the taste of fish, since you're keeping them, replace each beer out of the beer cooler with a fish.

[Jagermeister]

I use a soft-sided cooler bag loaded with cubed ice when fishing for or drinking kokanee. The cooler bag dimensions are 16"X16"X8"w.

[Amphibious]

Cooler Bags:

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/1239/Native-Fish-Bag-Cooler-Large.html

http://www.neptonicsystems.com/fish%20bags.htm


worth every penny

[skibum]

Catch, gut, wrap in newspaper, put them in a small cooler with a couple frozen water bottles.

Snip any air pockets on guts and throw them overboard in the deep end

[NorthShoreX]

Dry Ice? I worked at dry ice supplier once and we had a bunch of hunters coming in and loading up with it. If it works for Moose it should be fine for fish.