You caught it, you're keeping it...now what?

Stringers, game clips, gunny sacks, 5 gallon buckets, just drop it in the hatch and let it flop???...what's your preferred method of securing the catch that is destined for the BBQ?  These are all the methods I've tried, and none of them seem to work too well (the inside of my yak still stinks like lincod stomach contents!)...

-beenfishin

beenfishin

I have the same issues you have. I use a game clip and just let them flop around at my feet. It works fine for rockfish, which are generally not huge, but for lingzilla or a butt (which I haven't caught yet) is seems inadequate.

I am considering purchasing a soft cooler made just for this purpose. It straps on the front of the yak is about 7" wide at the front, 20" wide at the back like an arrow (the same shape as the front of my yak) and about 30" long. It is about 6" deep when expanded and comes with ice packs to slip in a sleeve on the top.

The back end (widest end) has a zipper that you can simply open, slide in the fish and zip closed. Might be a good solution for butts as you don't need to worry about them coming back to life halfway home on the boat.

As I don't use the front hatch much, it seems like a good solution, but they are about $50 to $70. I have seem them on kayakfishingstuff.com

Check them out and report your opinion back, I have been eyeballing them for some time, but don't see anybody else using them.

Stoggie

1. quick death with the bonker ( some folks will bleed 'em too)
2. into a wet burlap sack in the tankwell, regularly splashed with water
3. as soon as I'm onshore I drop them into my "fishcooler" with plenty of ice. The fishcooler is named as such to keep it from being confused with other "clean" coolers at the house that might need to hold more than dead fish and beer.

I think I may start trying to clean/fillet fish at the beach this year though.

Saltwater fish that seem to live forever out of the water. So I agree a swift blow your 'little friend' I like the game clip but if I was RFing I would go with a burlap sack. 10 fish on one stringer may be hard to mange. If it's butt's or stripers I'd stick with a game clip. It also looks cool when you pull it up in front of the beach crowd. But as far as placement I go with the tank well.

lFor me, larger fish get the game clip.  Rockies get the game clip.  Smaller fish get a divers mesh gear bag or a burlap sack.  All are tied off and get tossed in the tankwell.  All kept wet and cool with periodic soakings.

After having the "smiling guy in the grey suit" frequent our party I prefer a fishcooler bag inside my yak. If unwelcome guests are not present and OTW chumming is ok the wet sack is hard to beat as well as the old favorite game clip (bring 2).

I prefer a fishcooler bag inside my yak.

Which one you got? I may be looking for one as I've had a few close run in's w/ the "dogs" @ my spot.

Z

I'm with shimmy... fish cooler bag inside my yak.  I use the CFS insulated kayak fish bag.

I also made an ice pack out of diapers that works pretty slick.

I took the absorbant part of the diaper and cut everything else away.  I secured them together with duct tape to make a flat ice pack mat of suitable size to fit through my hatch and into the fish bag.  I put the diaper mat into a heavy duty plastic bag and soaked the diapers completely with water (it's amazing how much water they hold).  Seal it up, push out excess air (a vacuum sealer might be nice here) and freeze it.

The ice pack can be reused time and time again and will not leak if a fish fin pokes a hole in it.  Keeps your catch nice and cold inside your yak.

EK

I'm definitely cleaning fish on the beach this year.  It's the way to go.

Maybe even bring limes for ceviche on da beach-eh.

Good tips, much obliged.

A word of caution on cleaning your catch on the beach.  After a good day in Trinidad last year, I landed and had my fish meaured up by the ever-present F&G biologist, and walked the pier towards where the cleaning station used to be....gone!  Ripped out because disposing of the carcasses disturbed the ecosystem (so the bio told me).  She said all carcasses had to be dumped overboard at least 1/2 mile offshore.  I asked how realistic this was since I was on the kayak, and she was kind enough to turn her head while I attempted to throw the carcasses 1/2 mile.  They managed to hit the water, that was good enough for me.

Not sure if you guys have to deal with that crap in your neck of the woods, but of all the cheap-shot ways to get a ticket that would really suck.

-beenfishin

string it
bleed it
throw it in a wet gunnysack

So far I've been using a wet burlap bag ala Moochy and it works great. Only problem is larger salmon won't fit in my tankwell with my downrigger set up. My front hatch has a ton of room so am thinking to go w/ a coolbag there. The burlap bag would work but then I'd have to clean the inside of my yak every time. A coolbag seems much easier.

Z

nice to hear salmon fishing optimism

I'm just a few ticks north of most members. So far our returns are still good.

Z

oh, didn't see your location

maybe I'll move up there

I'm with shimmy... fish cooler bag inside my yak.  I use the CFS insulated kayak fish bag.

I also made an ice pack out of diapers that works pretty slick.

I took the absorbant part of the diaper and cut everything else away.  I secured them together with duct tape to make a flat ice pack mat of suitable size to fit through my hatch and into the fish bag.  I put the diaper mat into a heavy duty plastic bag and soaked the diapers completely with water (it's amazing how much water they hold).  Seal it up, push out excess air (a vacuum sealer might be nice here) and freeze it.

The ice pack can be reused time and time again and will not leak if a fish fin pokes a hole in it.  Keeps your catch nice and cold inside your yak.

EK

Holy cow EK, you are one mad daddy scientist,  .  you make mcGyver look bad!

I like to use two game clips. Keep one free for the lings or halibuts.

I bonk lings, but not rockfish. and I do cut gills sometimes. yeah, it probably sucks being alive in a tankwell on a stringer, but some have lived to escape later so I figure it might be worth it to them and the longer they stay alive, the fresher they are on my table.

If it is hot out, I sometimes toss them in my front hatch (like I care what the inside of my kayak smells like?), but often I wrap them up in my drift chute to contain the slime a little. If it is hot I consider bringing one of the gallon juice jars frozen full of water that I have in my cooler and putting it in the tankwell with the fish or in the hatch with the fish.

a burlap sack would be good I just on't have one and am unsure where to get hold of one.

John

oh, didn't see your location

maybe I'll move up there

You're welcome any time.

Z