Transporting fish

[astutzman]

How do you guys get your fish back home from the lake?

i'm planning on taking a short trip this week to a lake about two hours from home, and was wondering how I'm gonna get all of the fish that I'm planning on catching back home. Can i just throw them on ice? Should I bag them then put them on ice? Should I clean them first? Should i flash freeze them in liquid nitrogen then vacuum seal them and fed ex them to myself?

let me know what you guys do.

[curdog]

I would clean them and put them on ice. I don't know what the state laws are there. So you might have to get away from the water to clean them.

[fishnfool68]

It doesn't matter if you clean them before you leave or when you get home.As long as thier on ice they won't spoil.Now if you have a great fishing trip and you have more whole fish than you have cooler space, you'll have to clean them before the drive.I hope you have this problem-good fishing to you!:big_smile:

[astutzman]

Thanks. Should I put them directly on ice? I swear i've read that there's either a problem with putting right on the ice, or in a bag, but I not sure which. If they sit soaking in meltwater will it hurt them?

[jsharper]

If there is a fish cleaning station, I fillet them, bag the fillets and put them on ice for the trip home. If your catfish are alive and you have space, you can put them in cold water and they usually are alive on a 2-3 hour trip home. On off shore trips, I have seen fish iced down and kept 36 hours with no bad results. I kind of like the Fed-Ex idea though. lol

Jim

[plainsman]

depending on the laws where u at, available space, and how far ya gotta drive, I'd recommend fillet them, bag em, and put em on ice, you might be tired when ya get home and not feel like doin it. at least gut em, and put em on ice, good luck.

[BKS72]

The only problem I've found with icing them and then cleaning them is that they get WAY slimy on the cold ice. I dunno if it's similar to people's nose running when we get cold or what, but be prepared to wipe them down before you can skin them if they're put on ice alive 2 hours from home:big_smile:

Soaking the melt water won't hurt them (I think you're thinking of bait - to preserve the slime and "smell" conventional wisdom has you keep your bait off of the ice and out of the melt water).

I'm with the "clean them where you caught them" school because by the time I've fished all night and then driven home I'm really not feeling like cleaning fish. Of course, if you clean them where you caught them you get the joy of driving home reeking of fish guts if don't have somewhere to wash off :wink:

Me personally, I like them dead when I clean them because I actually feel bad skinning something that's alive and kicking. Just keep them cold whichever you decide and you'll be fine. Hope you have a lot of cleaning to do, winter fish seem to taste the best!

Branden

[tncatfishing]

Depends on the outside temperature to me. Right now its cold out so I just put them in a cooler with water from the lake. In the summer time I try to always use ice and river water. Never had a problem. No matter what time I would get home I fillet them, doesn't take too long to do. When I fillet them I just use a plank of wood , if you wipe them off real good the skin side will hold to the plank good enough to allow for filleting off the skin. Put in some milk for a while , the n enjoy.:wink:

[CatAngler]

I also just use river/lake water & ice. Obviously your limited too the amount of ice you have & cooler size.


J

[countrycat15]

when the fish start to get "WAY" slimy then they are starting to spoil.lol.

[Pfunk]

I like to get the guts out asap, and bleed em. Then you can pack em on ice for the trip home.

[tofish]

i fish in the desert area. (south west arizona) have thrown them live in ice chests, covered in ice or better yet is water with ice. they have last for 5 hrs trip back to ca with no problems. like said though, best is to flay, bag and ice, or at least gut them. sometimes have just wrapped a wet towel around them and left in bottem of boat going home. (about a hr drive.) usually they revive and will be swimming in tub of water at home soon if i don't clean right away.
gary

[BKS72]

Nah, Country, they're usually still gillin', for some reason the ice just seems to make them make more slime. Or maybe you're right, seems like I do keep going to the emergency room about 12 hours after a fish fry....:wink: