Fishboxes and cooling

Sliderite · 07-09-2001, 09:00 PM

I would like to hear how those without a fishbox keep the catch cold. My DB is without one and so a burlap bag has been my choice rather than fit a marine cooler into the boat.
Does everyone carry ice for their fishbox if they do have one? What are my options?
I know about the bleeding etc.
Just been wondering and another stupid question!

Sliderite · 07-10-2001, 12:32 AM

Somebody please post a reply since I would to know what the concensus is on this subject. I have wanted to know this for some time now!

Capin' Dan · 07-10-2001, 03:49 AM

My .02 is to take care of your catch immediately. Bleed it and ice it. You will like the finished product better. I think this is very important for sturgeon and bleed it by making a small cut just below the bottom fin before the tail and bleed it in the water then ice it.

Smily · 07-10-2001, 05:32 AM

My Drift boat doesn't have a Fish box either. I have a big Rubbermaid tub with a top and keep my life jackets in there till I get a fish(sometimes I don't catch em') Then I put the Life jackets under the bow and stick the fish in the Fish Box. I seen you can get some sleek under the bed boxes for under $20.00. I seen some other models that look pretty nice and will fit under the seat for $13.00 easlily. They come with lids too. I have been looking at Walmart and Lowes and home depot. I forget which one at this time, But they all carry Rubbermaid Products Or was it Sterilite. They'll all have something that should work.
Let's see, Keeping the fish cold. I also carry a Little ice chest about an 8 qt'er. I keep my cold beverages in there and Sandshrimp so they stay fresh in there. I fill that up with ice from home and If I'm lucky enough to catch one I dump the ice in there, Voila, Cold catch, At least till I get Home. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Bleeding the fish, If I'm close to home I wait till I get there or if I'm away I'll do it someplace that looks safe and out of the way. I have used burlap bags but they seem to stink after a while. I wash out my box after each catch with Dawn liquid dishwashing soap and have a fresh lemony smell for the next time I go out there. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

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

Master Baiter · 07-10-2001, 06:30 AM

Sliderite,

I leave my fish box at home, too noisy and the rails are worn. I too just use a burlap sack and just keep it wet till I get home. Have not had any issue with this method. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to bleed your fish IMMEDIATELY. I see some guys floating around with live salmon on stringers, I believe that this stress may cause an adrenaline build up in the muscles and not taste as good. Kind analagous to the desire for a clean kill when hunting rather than a run away.

Thomas

Phish_on · 07-10-2001, 07:08 AM

I have an old Coleman cooler (doubles as a place to sit), I put a blue ice or two on the bottom with a burlap bag on top of that. Keeps 'em cool and dry.

Kill and bleed them promptly, clean as soon as possible - - catching takes priority, eh?

ol tuna skipper · 07-10-2001, 07:49 AM

I have a fishbox in the bow. I like to keep Ice in a cooler with the lunch and beverages that I will put(the ice [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]) on the fish if I catch one.

Should bleed promptly, but don't always get to that. Get the line back in the water is the first proirity. If I'm catching I sometimes overlook bleeding immediatly.

My question is when do you clean your fish and is there a law against cleaning in the river or lake?

A. In the water/boat with entrails in the river.

b. at the dock with entrails going back in the water.

c. in the parking lot with entrails in garbage.

d. at home with entrails in the freezer for crab bait or garbage.

[ 07-10-2001: Message edited by: ol tuna skipper ]

dawhunt · 07-10-2001, 07:58 AM

HI,I just use a gunny sack and keep it wet.
Everyone above is right tho,you need to bleed your fish right away.
Bob

CAGEY · 07-10-2001, 08:20 AM

Sliderite, I see a lot of people like to use a gunny sack and keep it wet. I have no problem with that but beleave the water promotes decay. Remember how they did it it in the old days for trout in a creel. Dry grass in a wicker creel and it worked perfect. The most important thing is keep the fish dry and out of the sun. If you are a hunter you dont wrap your meat in a wet rag do you? Ice is the best way but keep the water drained off. I may be full of beans but it has worked for me for a lot of years both in and out of a drift boat. Now those of you who disagree can line up and fire away. ha ha. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Pilar · 07-10-2001, 08:22 AM

Sliderite, when I restored 'Pilar' this was the item at the top of the list. All of the fish killer boats I ever fished in had a built in box. My fish box is in the belly of the boat, drains to the bilge and is insulated. 5 bags of ice keeps the fish cold and prime, even if you stay all day. The second thing on the list of course is a huge gas tank.

You can build a flat box that fits athwart your drift boat. Just use pine and it only needs to be 10" high. Something with a lid that can hold ice, drains well and holds several slab Chinook. Another good point raised is keeping fish dry. Letting the fish soak in water is bad and promotes bacteria growth, yuk!

Using the burlap sack is good too. We used to dump ice on top of the bag and cover it with lifejackets. All the words about bleeding fish are well put. Kill it, bleed it and chill it. It kills me to see people put Salmon on a stringer and drag it behind their boat. What are they thinking?

[ 07-10-2001: Message edited by: Pilar ]

Master Baiter · 07-10-2001, 09:28 AM

Cagey,

I agree with principle that storing the fish in water is bad, the flesh will absorb the taste/smell of the water and also get mushy [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]. That is the reason that burlap is used rather than some other material. The burlap just keeps the flesh cool [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img] but breathes really well so that it is not the same as soaking it in the water. I believe [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] some peolpe wrap game up with cheese cloth when hanging for the same reason, retard spoil but promote breathability.

Just my $.02 though! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

FEAR NO FISH! · 07-10-2001, 09:47 AM

Whack em, Rope em, Slice the gills, Leave em in water for 10 minutes, Stack em in ice in the cooler. After getting lines back out, take turns cleaning them while the other guy
drives the boat. Catch and fillet, SAY IT AGAIN! Catch and fillet! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Master Baiter · 07-10-2001, 12:16 PM

I think it is best to bleed them immediately after the fight when possible and not bonk them first. That way there haert is pumping really good and the blood is expelled more effectively.

Killertraylor · 07-10-2001, 01:27 PM

Rick - the big white marine coolers (120 quart and bigger) will hold keeper sturgeon and big Chinooks too. I keep one on the boat with a bag of ice in it while salmon fishing. For sturgeon, I stab them in the heart and bleed them on a rope in the water and then just throw them in the bow for the ride in. I fillet them and ice them after they are filleted. I've left them whole in the back of my truck for several hours without ice and the meat stays fine as long as the fish is whole. Salmon are a different story - bleed and ice quick.

Master Baiter · 07-10-2001, 01:34 PM

I just got one of those huge white 150QT coolers this weekend at Walmart for $65. You could fit a body in it! [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Sand Shrimp · 07-10-2001, 03:01 PM

I have a Clackacraft driftboat and my fishbox sits underneath my seat on the floor and has a lid.It's made by Clackacraft and it will hold alot of fish.You don't need ice to keep the fish cold even on a hot day.

Thumper · 07-10-2001, 04:01 PM

I bonk 'em and gut them within seconds. When the little fishy heart comes out it is still beating. Kinda cool. Then if the water is cold enough (mouth of Wind, mouth of Lewis or upper Lewis before it warms up, etc., that is where they go to bleed out for a while. Then into the ice.

Firedog · 07-10-2001, 04:04 PM

Sliderite, Like has been said before the burlap sack will keep your fish cool as long
as it is out of the sun. I immediately bleed my fish, bonk em then cut the gills. The
quality of the meat is better this way. keep them cool and you will be very happy
with the results. I have a fish box that is on tracks mounted to the bottom of my
rowing seat, it is oversized so chinook fit in it also (thanks Dave [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ) once my fish are
mostly bled out in the box they go. If it is warm out they will also be in a burlap sack
if I don't have any ice with me. Hope all this helps.

[ 07-10-2001: Message edited by: firedog ]

Kenia · 07-10-2001, 07:28 PM

Cooler and ice for the big ones. Fish smaller than 3 feet will fit in the live wells, keeps them happy all day long. Well maybe not happy, but alive and fresh.

Kenia

Sliderite · 07-10-2001, 11:25 PM

Thanks for all of the comments. I will just continue using the burlap bag.

bait boy · 07-10-2001, 11:50 PM

Hey, those words about not putting fish in the water.

Is this a fact that putting the fish in the water is bad to bleed them? I realize that bacteria growth can happen but that fish didn't have any issues with the water before you bonked it on the noggin.

I mean its not like were calling hangin your fish in the water long term storage so it can get all icky on ya... Most of the waters around here are 60deg or less

I think that if you bleed fish out in the water you actually get more blood out because of the reduced clotting effect..

I don't hang all my fish in the water but Ive yet to find a cooler big enough for a big keeper sturgy(they don't fold well)

Thats my .02 cents on the subject

Wog · 07-11-2001, 05:16 PM

I have a fiberglass fishbox that sits under the seat in my driftboat. After bleeding a fish and placing it in the box it stays cool all day long, without any ice. One day this spring I was out when the temp. was near 80 and when I got home the Springer I had caught that day was still cool to the touch.
Works great.

Sliderite · 07-11-2001, 08:19 PM

Wog

Is this the fiberglass fishbox that Clackacraft makes and is a box which can be placed on the floor? I think they wanted over $100 for that one..Wow!
I think that I am rethinking this thing and will be looking for a storage container and place the ice or blue ice in it along with the burlap bag.
Just want to thank all of you who have responded!!!!
This site is great!

Deepslayer · 07-11-2001, 08:25 PM

When it comes to keeping the catch fresh I rely on expert advice.
According to the Alaskan University of Fairbanks website (www.uaf.edu):
a. Remove fish from gear gently.
b. Do not handle fish by the tail. (pulling a fish by the tail stretches the backbone breaking blood vessels along the spine. Blood seeps into the surrounding tissue and forms a bruise that cannot be seen until the salmon is split.)
c. Do not kick throw or step on fish. (I always do all of the above to bullheads.) [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
d. Protect fish from heat, sunlight and air drying.(Kind of hard to do in a creel full of dried grass)
[img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
e. Live fish should be stunned in the water or as soon as they are brought on board.
f. Feeding cohos and kings should be eviscerated and washed as soon as they are brought on board.(The flesh of live fish is normally considered to be sterile, but bacteria naturally can be found living on gills, skin and in the fish's gut. These bacteria flourish after the fish dies, multiplying rapidly as temperatures elevate. Enzymes are secreted into the fish's digestive tract so that it may digest and utilize the food it eats. After the death of feeding fish, enzyme activity continues, but is not controlled as it was during the fish's life. Digestive enzymes will leach out of the stomach and intestines and begin to attack the proteins in the flesh of the fish resulting in what is commonly called "belly burn". Ow!
g. Control the temperatures to keep bacterial and chemical activity at the slowest rate possible, i.e. chill the fish as quickly as possible to a range of 32-35F. (I don't think a burlap bag, or cool to the touch is anywhere near 35F.) [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Personally I don't go fishing without an adequate supply of ice. The fish I catch are too precious to take a chance with. I would rather throw the ice away because I didn't use it rather than wasting the fish. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Sliderite · 07-11-2001, 08:39 PM

Deepsleeper.... e-mail me and maybe we can hook up and hit the river. Thanks for responding(good info)..that was alot to type if you hunt and peck like myself.

Wog · 07-11-2001, 10:38 PM

Sliderite,
Yes that's the one. The nice thing about the box is that it stores underneath the seat, out of the way. There is plenty of room in the box for fish, beverages, Ice, or whatever. It's not cheap by any means, but in my opinion it's a durable unit and a worthwhile investment. If taken care of it should last the lifetime of the boat. It has worked well for me.

Deepsleeper,
I would agree that keeping fish as cool as possible is important. That's a given.
Some people just forget things every once in a while.....like ice on warm days. (I really have to stop mixing scent combo's before I load the boat in the morning.) I was very impressed with this box and how cool it kept the fish without ice. I would guess that the internal temperature of the fishbox may not fall in the expert recommended temperature range, but Hey, it works for me.
That's my 2 corkies worth. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Sliderite · 07-11-2001, 11:38 PM

Thanks Wog!

I think you have just made up my mind about the fishbox thing! The plastic with the storage bins just doesn't sound right. I have called about the Clackacraft box and now I will just suck it in and by the dang thing. I did like the look of it but I think
I need to put it on rails as was mentioned before on another post. Blue ice or real ice will do I think along with the burlap bag.
The opinions you get from this board can often change the way you look at something. Thanks again everyone!!!!!

willierower · 07-12-2001, 06:09 AM

If you own an aluminum driftboat and you are fishboxless, Toss the fish on the floor of the boat (not the floorboard) and trow a damp burlap bag on top. Between the cool water flowing under the aluminum floor and the evaporation of the water in the burlap the fish will stay cool. If it is warm out, 60 degrees or warmer put the fish in a cooler on ice. Always bleed the fish before its dead, Blood is the first part of a fish to rot.
My boat has an aluminum fish box under the rowers seat. I only use it as an actual fish box when the air teps are under 50 degrees and I dont plan on being out all day. If Im going to be out all day or the air temp is aboce 50, I put anyfish kept in a big cooler with ice. A block of ice costs just a buck and wil last almost all day.