Keeping catch bright

[Pete]

We've all pitched our catch in the fish box or hung it on a rope or wrapped it in wet burlap. Most of us probably want to have a bright, shiny fish to show off in the driveway when we get home. What do you do to keep your fish bright? Keep it wet? Wrap it up? Hang it in the river? Pack it in ice? Let's share theories and see what really works best.

[brshooter]

I am no expert at this by any means. When we get a fish (usually my wife), I have been cutting the gill plates and tying it to the side of the boat for about 10 minutes to bleed it. Then straight to a cooler on ice. The fish look fresh when we get them home.

[CAGEY]

catch, bleed, wipe off, right into the cooler on ice. They will be just like you caught them when you get home. Keep the water drained off.

[happybrew]

The reason fish don't look so good after a while is because of the enzymes in the cells of the fish breaking down the proteins. The process can be slowed down, but not stopped. The only sure fire way of slowing it down is ice. The chemical reactions that take place occur at a much slower rate at lower temperatures. The faster you get your fish cooled down, the better. Many people are under the impression that ice is the best way to cool fish down, but a slushy ice water bath really is the best way. The rate of heat transfer away from the fish is much faster if it is surrounded by cold liquid. Think of it this way. You probably can stand to be in 40 degree air without too much problem, but if you are in 40 degree water you are in danger of hypothermia, because heat transfer occurs much faster in liquids. Same thing with the fish. Slushy ice water in your cooler, and throw the fish in as soon as it's caught.

happybrew

[SlabQuest]

When you talk about hanging a fish off the side it reminds me of a concern I have always had. In Puget Sound (where I usually fish) I have had seals grab fish I am playing and have had them pop out from under my boat to grab shakers I have released. When I fish the Columbia, I'm in my 15' aluminum boat and hang them off the side to save room. Sometimes the river is full of seals and I worry about the hanging fish getting ripped-off by a seal - although I have never heard of it happening. Has this ever happened images/icons/confused.gif

[rags]

Don't forget to pull them in before you start the big motor up and put the boat on plane. images/icons/shocked.gif

[Trick]

Step 1) Throw back all Tules.

Step 2) I'll buy off on the ice bath, but giving your prize catch the sun bath along the side of the river for 6 hours while you fish is probally a bad idea.

Step 3) Pulling the drain plug (gill) on your fish and giving it a good drain.

Step 4) Avoid rinsing it off in a mud puddle to give the illusion that it's dirty water over a bright fish. It doesn't work. Yes, I had a freind try this one time so we wouldn't rib him on his redside steelhead.

Step 5) Don't leave it sliding around in the bed of your 74' Dodge for the 30 mile drive home.

Step 6) If the above steps are not succesful in keeping your catch "nickle bright", then head down to your local Ace and pickup a can of chrome Krylon and lay on at least two or more thin coats of paint. Remeber that one thick coat will run and will give your fish a unnatural appearance.

step 7) If you can't stand the taste of smoked paint chips in your meal, then toss your catch to the cats and head down to your local Freddies fish market and pick up a fresh copy to sell off to others as your own.

step 8) Or in a last ditch attempt to make yourself feel better about keeping that skanked out, maggot infested, flesh dripping off the bones masterpiece, use the following phrase: "It'll be a good smoker". images/icons/rolleyes.gif

[hoochie]

I've been bleeding them, then putting the fish into my live-well (30 gal.) and keeping the water flowing over them until we ge to the dock. We can get 6 Coho in ther without any problem.

This keeps 'em in the same temp. water they came from and we've not had any problems with fish getting dull-looking.

Of course, not everyone has a livewell, or one big enough to do this. But it works for us.