Newbie question of the day

Hey guys, thanks so much for all the help this forum has been already! I have another (probably stupid) newbie question for y'all. I know SOP for shore fishing is once you land a fish bonk it, bleed it, and throw it in an ice chest. Since an ice chest isn't readily available for me on the water, anyone have tips for what to do with the fish? Is bleeding it out while you're out on the water okay? All I've caught so far is a rock fish that was so tired by the time it got up that I just threw it in the footwell alive until I got to shore.

Bleed it, bonk it, put on stringer, keep fresh and cool under burlap sack in tankwell or if not in too sharky of a spot hang on stringer off side of yak.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Some people put their catches on a game clip and hang the clip on the side of kayak to keep them "fresh" as long as possible.  Some will put their catches inside the wet burlap to avoid the heat/sunlight.  If you got $, you can buy the game bag designed for kayak.

I would not recommend bleeding fish off of a kayak, but that's just me & my experiences .
I like to bonk the fish, cover them with a wet burlap sack or bag, and then get them on ice as soon as possible after landing on the beach.

I would not recommend bleeding fish off of a kayak, but that's just me & my experiences .
I like to bonk the fish, cover them with a wet burlap sack or bag, and then get them on ice as soon as possible after landing on the beach.

I'm a bit apprehensive to bleed it out on the water myself... maybe I'm just a worrywart but this sounds like a plan to me.

Bleed, ikejime, wet burlap on a cool day or catch bag with ice on a hot day.

Hanging over the side invites unwanted furbags. 

If you don't bleed then you end up with a soupy mess and inferior quality fillets. 

What I do is cut the gills, and hold it in the water (using a stringer or fish grip, not my hands) until it bleeds out. Then I bonk it and put it in a burlap sack that's wet to keep cool.

I know Piscean and other folks who fish certain areas don't like bleeding fish out there...but I bleed all the fish I shoot in the water...while I am in the water with them...and I'm not dead yet.

But I don't believe in sharks... 

So, yeah...do what you feel comfortable with.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

What I do is cut the gills, and hold it in the water (using a stringer or fish grip, not my hands) until it bleeds out. Then I bonk it and put it in a burlap sack that's wet to keep cool.

You still "bonk" it after cut the gills and bleed out the fish?   

I bleed my fish over the side as soon as it's caught. The fillets later are so much nicer. I don't worry about blood coming off my yak. It's not as if it's the only blood out there in the water. I'm sure there's plenty of blood being spilled out there, regardless of my doings.
Bled fish go in the sack.
I'm more worried about the damn furbags. I keep an eye out for them and pull everything in if I see or suspect one.

I drag 'em alive over the side. Toss them in the back if I have to travel, then drag them some more.
Right before I hit shore I rip the gills, bleed 'em out and toss them in the back as I beach the kayak.

Pull the gills out, let em bleed. I don't bonk the rock fish, they don't last long with the gills pulled. Lings get bonked then gills pulled. If it's cool and foggy then they get dunked every so often, if sunny and warm they go in burlap. I figure that lots of things are bleeding in the water, the current is taking it away, I am constantly moving..... Sharks are a figment of your imagination.

Yep, rip out gills, bleed over the big net, THEN bonk and deposit in burlap.

Last step - give thanks to the fish and celebrate the fact that you hit your target.

Have fun. 

A few years back when salmon were around and I was lucky enough to catch some I cleaned them immediately on the yak. Gills, guts, backbone blood line over the side. Rinse and put in wet burlap bag. Rock fish are bonked then flipped in the back hatch. Only an eighth of an inch of glass separate them from the water so they maintain sea temps. I really can't tell a taste difference between bleeding or not as long as the fish remain cool.