Fish storage (on board)

WP · 11-04-2002, 11:45 PM

Hey team,
I have a question and a dilema. I would like to get enough on-board tuna storage to allow more than a few fish that are cooled and iced. I have an open bow and have thought about building/buying a removable, insulated "cooler" or fish box that I can put a bunch of tuna in, after they have been cooled down. It could serve as a secondary water shed if I should have an over the bow event (in addition to scuppers).
If this is not practical, I wonder what you all do to ice fish in a smaller boat?? Ice chests seem too small and don't optimise the number of tuna per container. Any help would be appreciated!
WP

Pilar · 11-05-2002, 07:31 AM

WP, you might ask Pilar's Mate how to get 36 fish on ice in my 19 footer.

Do you have any built in storage? When I rebuilt my boat, the first thing that happened was a large underdeck fish box. If you lack that then you could do the same a s 'Puffin'. he uses the plastic totes you see in Bi-Mart for $15. They stack together when empty and hold 10 fish each in the 55 gal size. The bad thing is that they are pretty brittle and break if fallen on or lifted when overloaded. Also the coffin size white cooler holds 12 fish.

We use one for a cooling tank with 10 gal of seawater and (5) 10# blocks of ice. That will cool 5 fish. After 15 minutes they go into the other tote or the fish pit with just enough ice to cover them. Once you get the initial heat out of the fish they are pretty easy to keep cold. Once all the fishbox, cooler and other tote are full the cooling tank gets filled.

The real limit is ice. I always run out. BTW, I do not recommend 36 fish as 1) Carking them takes hours and 2) What the hell are you going to do with 300# of loins anyway?

OceanBlue · 11-05-2002, 08:02 AM

Pilar - As I recall, we didn't have any trouble dealing with 300# of loins!

In fact, we should have kept more out of the canner. I have a feeling we're going to be jonesin' big time this winter! :depressed:

Myles · 11-05-2002, 08:50 AM

If you get that many, stack 'em on end like bowling pins :grin: with lots of ice and cover with wet burlap. If you put a large ice chest up front just make sure you can open the window to get up there. You might consider removing your bench seats (assuming you have them) and making a base to hold an ice chest or tote just for tuna runs.

see ya out there next year
myles

Popeye · 11-05-2002, 09:16 AM

WP - This is how I took care of the problem....holds about 75 TTTTUUUUNNNAAA....but a little spendy to build!

[ 11-05-2002, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: Popeye ]

11-05-2002, 10:09 AM

Popeye,
I could put my 30hp Honda on your fish box and fish out of it! :smile:

Mojo · 11-05-2002, 10:20 AM

LMAO! Keta you are killing me!

corrirod · 11-05-2002, 01:47 PM

Keta, you can borrow my Fish Hunter 360 to tow behind and carry the fish! :grin:

That is as long as you're not planning on using it this weekend because I'll be taking it out over the CR bar in the 20-30 ft. seas! :grin:

fishwhenican · 11-05-2002, 06:16 PM

WP I think we both got TUNA!!! fever on the same trip in September. My boat has a built in fish box that holds 5-6 fish, seawater with gallon jugs of ice (tops off the jugs) keep that water cooled down. I strapped 1 cooler to the bow in front of the windsheild (yes I could still get the door open) then I put another in the back. Next time I will fill the bottom of 1 cooler with a layer of ice then stack the ice jugs on top of that. The other cooler I will fill the bottom with jugs and ice in bags on top of that. Then it will be an easy fast transfer of fish from 1. slit throat put in cold water to cool (when ice melts in jugs throw in a couple more) 2. transfer fish to cooler with layer of ice and start layering fish and ice.
What I really like is the "remove a bench seat" idea, then I could add another cooler without losing any more room.

WP · 11-05-2002, 07:07 PM

Thanks for the ideas!
I don't have bench seats...two front and two movable seats so a fair amount of open room.
I am leaning toward a bleeding trash can on the small swim platform, an ice/pop cooler on one side, a cooling bath in one of those plastic bins, a fish box cooler in the rear (already have these), and add a large cooler, 200 quarts or so, or build one in the front. My goal is for 20 fish capacity or so....am I on the right track?
:grin:

:smile: :smile: :smile: WP

Miss B Haven · 11-05-2002, 11:03 PM

Keta - And that's just Julie Rose's main fish box. Those 4788's have combination bathtubs/fish boxes in the main head. You can probably get another 30 or so fish with ice in there! :grin:

Popeye · 11-05-2002, 11:04 PM

Keta....Then where would you put the fish :grin:

11-05-2002, 11:40 PM

Popeye,
In the cooler/sponsons that I'll have to duct tape and bungy cord to the side of the box for stability.

fish assassin · 11-06-2002, 05:29 AM

When I had my boat built last year I had them add
3 recessed tie-downs on the rear deck. My plan is
to go out and stay over-night next season (weather
permitting). Again, the plan is to use the tie- downs
on the rear deck to strap down an insulated 1/2 tote
so I have enough storage room for the fish.

So the plan goes something like this ... I fill the
1/2 tote and 2 or 3 150 quart coolers with ice. I
will put fish in my built in boxes with plenty of
ice from the 1/2 tote the first day. During the
night I will re-ice the fish to use up all the ice
in the 1/2 tote. Next day I will use the ice out
of two of the coolers to ice the fish I put in the
tote. The third coolers ice will be used to ice the
fish in the other two coolers.

The unfortunate part about this plan is that by the
time I add my bleeding bucket (a big RED garbage can)
to the back deck ... there might not be any room to
move around the boat!! One thought is that I can
strap two of the coolers to the swim platform to
lessen the impact on deck space ...

Hmmm, I may have to think about this a little more!

It'll give me something to do during the long wait
for the next TUNA season!

-assAssin-

pkg40 · 11-12-2002, 12:31 AM

You may be able to squeeze 20 tuna into 2 of those big bimart coolers, but they take up a lot of room compared to their storage capacity. Fish bags are popular back east and look like a pretty good idea since they don't take up the room until you actually catch that huge load of tuna. Ice is the key Those babies are really hot. Think 200 lbs of ice.

Master Baiter · 11-13-2002, 03:02 PM

Novice Question Here:

Yall are stuffing Tuna into every nook and cranny you can find! Is there any need for concern of too much load weight in the boat and difficulty getting on plane at some point particularly if conditions get rough? What about weight distribution, all storage dominantly to the rear?

Thanks,

MB

[ 11-13-2002, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: Master Baiter ]

corrirod · 11-13-2002, 03:09 PM

M.B.,

That's a valid question if you go out with Pilar! :shocked: :grin:

He'll stack'em up till he's only got 6" of freeboard!

WP · 11-13-2002, 03:13 PM

My boat is slightly stern heavy (honda 130 IS heavy) but my available storage area is center and forward. Sometimes thing just work out...I have not had a load that even vaguely slowed me down and I would not be able to stand having inadequate freeboard...so no problem other than too much time to wait!
WP

Master Baiter · 11-13-2002, 03:15 PM

Corrirod: So much for the self-bailing deck option!

WP: Mine storage is center and stern but I may be able to get a cooler inplace of my dinette? My engine is a little on the heavy side also, I guess my scuppers would likely have to be closed and my first mate will be on bucket brigade if necessary!

How far do you folks have to go out? I here it ranges from 30 to 70 miles off the gate for us. Although witha decent El Nino it can 2-10. Last event in 97 we had marlin in the mouth of Humboldt Bay!

[ 11-13-2002, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: Master Baiter ]

Miss B Haven · 11-13-2002, 03:30 PM

MB - If those Bill's show up again we're all coming down for a visit! Billaholics meeting at Masters House and it lasts three weeks!!! :shocked: [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

Same story with the TUNA up here- varies season to season, week to week and location to location. Closest I heard this year was 15 miles out of Dopey Bay (Depoe bay for you non-residents). Up here at CR it was 25-40. We never did hit the big schools this year and fill the boats. It was hit and run, fish here, fish there but they were all nice size (20-30). Some did better I guess. Next year, gunna see that bright red boat stem to stern and come home sitting heavy in the water! Right crew?

Pilar · 11-13-2002, 04:06 PM

MB, yes good question. I must admit to exceeding the cargo weight limit on my boat.

It is very hard to stop killing tuna when they are jumping all around the boat. If Corrirod is around you can ditch a few by supplying him with 'Pity' fish. There were a few trips when he was begging pretty hard and rambling about 'Can't buy a damn fish' on the radio. Pretty funny stuff, can't wait for next summer.

If I had to guess, my limit for all practical purposes is about 20 fish or about 400 lbs. Any more than that is pretty hard to deal with and not safe to boot.

Mr. Fisherman · 11-13-2002, 08:05 PM

Master Baiter...
If ya plan to stow more fish than my buddy John (Pilar) ya better have a periscope as standard equipment. :grin:

:grin:

Lets see.... 5' x 5' x 3' fish box, $900
400 gallons of gas, $600
Custom built Tuna slayer boat, $750, 000

Handing off pity fish, PRICELESS! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Deepslayer · 11-13-2002, 08:28 PM

The only problem we had last year with tuna, was that we kind of got a little greedy. They were dooperating so well that when we got into Depoe Bay "fully loaded" we had less than a gallon of gas left in the tank! :shocked: :shocked:

Master Baiter · 11-14-2002, 07:05 AM

Yall are KILLIN ME!!!! [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

Miss B,

Bring it on anytime, we'll have a North/South Flotilla! The predictions of this El Nino are split but we will see, I got an inside track to the main man, the State Meteorologist who runs the models and puts out the predictions that all the OTHER weather folks depend on!

MB

Man I am all thumbs typing lately!

[ 11-14-2002, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: Master Baiter ]