Kill Bags -- Anyone use them -- comments?

[TenMile]

Hey guys,

I am looking for a better solution to the large cooler in the cockpit that takes up so much fishing space.

My options as I see them are to custom-build a fish-hold into the cockpit floor of the boat or to use a Kill-Bag (or more politically correct a cooler-bag or fish-bag) and hang it off the transom.

Anyone use something like this before? http://www.charkbait.com/cs/csdKillBags.htm

Product review seems to suggest they can keep the fish iced for several days. I'm just looking for something that can keep the fish cold during the day until I process them when the fishing is done.

 

[eaglemaniac]

Hey Ten Mile, those things look very interesting. Just wondering about hot summer days? Nothing worse then bringing home a nice catch, only to find that it's half cooked already. eman

 

[TenMile]

that was my concern too -- I found this discussion on them: http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=280220

I know the guy who commented about using them in Cabo -- says they kept 60lbs of ice for 3 days. If they work in 90 degree weather there, I suspect they should be good here.

 

[Shepnoir]

We used them in Hawaii and kept Tuna & Mahi fresh as can be. We were only out for a day though.

 

[eaglemaniac]

Interesting forum there. It would kinda be nice to chuck your fresh caught fish into a bag, that doesn't take up floor space and keeps them prime. Still a little apprehensive though. eman

 

[TenMile]

I'm even thinking these bags can be used right in my cockpit floor. I have a 18" x 32" hatches on the starboard and port sides of the deck where I was thinking about making fish holds. One of these bags on either side might really do the trick. A little marine plywood to hold them in place and they might turn out better than making a custom fish hold.

 

[GLG]

I use the bubble wrap with a silver foil on one side. Got it from Dolphins Resort in a box for transport. It is folded and held together with packing tape. It fits in a aluminum fish box on the boat and keeps ice all day. Used it 5 or 6 times this year and cleaned it after each trip. I have seen this same material in a roll in the box stores as pipe insulation. I would prefer a kill bag but this is working for me, for now.
GLG

 

[Fish Assassin]

GLG it's hot water tank insulation you are talking about and you can buy it by the foot at most hardware stores.

 

[GLG]

Thanks FA will look into it.

 

[Dave S]

Over priced for what you get imho. I'm sure you could find a cooler bag for a lot less money than those things. Your money though, spend it how you see fit.

 

[Hali killer]

Never used one but it looks like a great space saver.one draw back could be if you have a little bit of a rough ride home would it be swaying backand forth or beating your fish against the transom?might not be an issue at all just a thought.

 

[Klob]

I bought one a couple of years ago. Love it. Keeps the boat clean and fish cold.


http://www.konezone.com/content-categories/cat-220_217/off_shore_tuna_bags.html

 

[Dogbreath]

Mike Hynman from KoneZone has some Made in USA units On Sale now

http://www.konezone.com/content-pro.../koldzone_by_konezone_off_shore_kill_bag.html

 

[Dogbreath]

Oops!

Looks like Great Minds Think Alike!

 

[Stosh]

Fish Cooler bags

I have used them in Texas on a very hot day. They are used all over the south in much warmer weather than we ever get up here. If they are built right they should do the job.

Stosh

 

[AlK]

If my boat wouldn't have a built in fish locker I might be insterested.

 

[mbowers]

I bought one a few years ago and a spine from a dead wahoo (not a particularly spiney fish and it was dead so it wasn't flopping around) put a hole in it on the first use when we picked the bag up to move it from the boat to the dock so now my cooler bag has fishy water trapped inside of it. Salmon / halibut probably wouldn't be bad but a ling or one rockfish would proabably just shred the bag. To me, the bags are designed for keeping one trophy fish that's too big for a fish box (like a 6 foot king mackerel) in top shape for a tournament weigh in. They keep ice well enough but they are not very durable. When your 6 foot kingfish is worth $50,000, $200 is peanuts to spend every year for a fresh kill bag. I'd build the fish holds into the deck and then maybe buy a kill bag for the really big fish that you can't stuff into the hold.

The charkbait one claims: "I've been out three days with 2 10# bags of crushed ice in the bag, and had the fish in perfect condition upon arrival." He must have caught one 2lb fish on that trip because even a 10lb fish caught in 20C water will melt 20lbs of ice at -10C just getting that fish cooled down to 0C