Keeping your catch fresh
- Thread starter KCD
- Start date
Salt ice is a good option. Best of you can find somewhere that sells it and you can get a couple coolers full.
If not, you can make a slurry of ice and salt. It doesn't last as long so you may need to take more ice, but it is definitely better than plain ice.
Hopefully one of the tuna guys can give you a more scientific process than this, but I pretty much just dump salt into a cooler of ice until it is kind of slushy enough to sink the fish in. Then keep adding ice and salt as it heats up and melts off.
If not, you can make a slurry of ice and salt. It doesn't last as long so you may need to take more ice, but it is definitely better than plain ice.
Hopefully one of the tuna guys can give you a more scientific process than this, but I pretty much just dump salt into a cooler of ice until it is kind of slushy enough to sink the fish in. Then keep adding ice and salt as it heats up and melts off.
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
Clean it on the boat----always!! Cut the throat or pull the gils immediately after administering the wood shampoo, then clean when there's a lull in the action. Keep fish out of the sun---if no cooler or no ice, get a towel or burlap bag, soak it in the sea, and lay it over the fish, then keep dousing water on it every once in a while
5 days is nothing if you're prepared---salt ice is the best of the best, but any coolant is marginal if you don't drain the melt away from the fish.
Salmon---take guts, gills and blood line out, lay on their backs in the bottom of the cooler on a layer of ice, then belly ice them before covering with additional ice.
If I had a halibut ior ling fillets I would lay them on top of the layer of ice/salmon so there is no contact between the bodies.
Pull the drain plug on the cooler then with plug facing the bilge/stern of the boat, put a 2x4 stud under the other end of the cooler
If your cooler doesn't have a drain option, use it for chilling beer or get it off the boat and get a cooler that does have a drain
Once you've taken care of your fish in that manner, 5 days is not considered a long time, though you'd want to supplement the ice after the 3rd or 4th day
5 days is nothing if you're prepared---salt ice is the best of the best, but any coolant is marginal if you don't drain the melt away from the fish.
Salmon---take guts, gills and blood line out, lay on their backs in the bottom of the cooler on a layer of ice, then belly ice them before covering with additional ice.
If I had a halibut ior ling fillets I would lay them on top of the layer of ice/salmon so there is no contact between the bodies.
Pull the drain plug on the cooler then with plug facing the bilge/stern of the boat, put a 2x4 stud under the other end of the cooler
If your cooler doesn't have a drain option, use it for chilling beer or get it off the boat and get a cooler that does have a drain
Once you've taken care of your fish in that manner, 5 days is not considered a long time, though you'd want to supplement the ice after the 3rd or 4th day
Sharphooks, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I don't enjoy salmon as much when the blood gets into the meat and wonder if it is because of not cleaning the fish righ away which it is a bit of a problem on my boat and in the past I have kept them alive as long as possible in the livewel. This year I am thinking we can take a break on shore and clean some fish if we find a place to do so.
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RiverBoy
Well-Known Member
Kill your fish immediately. If the fish is unable to swim properly, even with an aerated live well, that Chinook is slowly suffocating to death.
Salt Ice the best way to go, get it in Nanaimo or French Creek, about 25 bucks for a big Igloo cooler, keep it draining on an angle, pack under, pack in belly, pack on top, in layers. Cover with big sleeping bags or reflective insulated cover ....... if done right your 5 day trip is not an issue.
Do not mix your Halibut with the salmon, or at least have the Halibut on the bottom under the salmon or in sealed bags. there slime can be unlike others. We keep separate cooler for bottom fish , but thats just us.
As said above BLEED your fish too by cutting the main artery from heart to the gills, keep it open to not coagulate ....... this helps to drain most blood from the fish out.
Good luck too you
Do not mix your Halibut with the salmon, or at least have the Halibut on the bottom under the salmon or in sealed bags. there slime can be unlike others. We keep separate cooler for bottom fish , but thats just us.
As said above BLEED your fish too by cutting the main artery from heart to the gills, keep it open to not coagulate ....... this helps to drain most blood from the fish out.
Good luck too you
dance a jig
Active Member
Aside from the good tips about bleeding and ice, after the fish has been in the fish box for some time, or cooler and gone through rigor mortis, don't pick the fish up by the tail unless you want gaping in the flesh. good luck. DAJ
Salmonholic
Member
Keeping your fish fresh
I take my vac pack with an inverter . I vac pac the fish fillets after fishing . Yes bleed right right away , I use burlap bags and cut a cooler to fit in my fish locker complete with drain . Ice the fish with wet burlap on top. Vac packing keeps fish fresh much better , and no worries about fish sitting in melted ice water. Vac packed fish uses less ice also . No problem with this system for 5 days . I made a bag to cover the igloo cooler out of silver bubble wrap insulation . Good luck with your fishing .
I take my vac pack with an inverter . I vac pac the fish fillets after fishing . Yes bleed right right away , I use burlap bags and cut a cooler to fit in my fish locker complete with drain . Ice the fish with wet burlap on top. Vac packing keeps fish fresh much better , and no worries about fish sitting in melted ice water. Vac packed fish uses less ice also . No problem with this system for 5 days . I made a bag to cover the igloo cooler out of silver bubble wrap insulation . Good luck with your fishing .
jeff candy
Member
where can I get salt ice by the cooler full in Nanaimo?, I'm heading to Tuffcity for the derby on Fri and will need to get some en route. Otherwise I'm going to have to spend about $60 on party ice
eastpoint
Active Member
Have a Read of this link below. Really good info, if you like eating tasty fish its a must do.
Personally I don't smash fish in the head. Bruises the meat. Just slit gills with knife right away in my bleeding box. Both side best. Then let bleed for 10-15 mins max. Then Clean fish, and de-slime scales with back of knife. Rinse really well and into cooler asap, ON ice and fill the belly too. I always bring a clean fish cooler with lots of ice.
http://www.readbag.com/calkingsalmon-pdf-procedures
Personally I don't smash fish in the head. Bruises the meat. Just slit gills with knife right away in my bleeding box. Both side best. Then let bleed for 10-15 mins max. Then Clean fish, and de-slime scales with back of knife. Rinse really well and into cooler asap, ON ice and fill the belly too. I always bring a clean fish cooler with lots of ice.
http://www.readbag.com/calkingsalmon-pdf-procedures
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
I changed something I have done for years...I have now two kill bags a use now...Not the super expensive ones but the silver horde ones..I load ice on bottom of them and it keeps for the day until back to dock.. When I transport home fish whole if there pinks... they are gutted whole and then I process at home.Yesterday I got some pink/coho and holy cow what a difference in fish quality... I know so many guys that use all these big coolers and totes but never keep them cool.
To me that's even more important than the bleeding etc..If you keep your holds warm than expect soft fish at the dock.... With this heat wave we are having especially..
To me that's even more important than the bleeding etc..If you keep your holds warm than expect soft fish at the dock.... With this heat wave we are having especially..
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