Fish.....where do you put them?

Now, I realize some folks do catch and release only and don't bother retaining their fish.  However I fish to eat, and curious how you handle fish storage during your stay on the water?   

Live well, stringer, cooler, fish bag, etc.....

Anyone have any good tips, or pics of how they manage their catch?   
Especially interested in those that deal with surf landings and such.   

Live well, stringer, cooler, fish bag, etc.....

All of the above.  And don't forget game clips and burlap bags.

I like to use a game clip and secure it to my stern line (with the fish in my crate) for surf landings.

I have a game clip on a leash and put it all in the rear tankwell with a wet burlap bag on top. I soak it before I put it back there and the evaporation keeps the fish a touch chilled on most days. You just have to splash it every 30 min or so. If I'm coming in for a surf landing, everything I want to keep goes downstairs.

Z

In the salt, do you need to worry about any fish blood coming from your scuppers leading a shark, or other predator to you? 

Burlap sack for this old Texan.
 I like the next question ALOT!
 Blood trails are a possible issue, as we do live with the Man in the Gray Suit.
 I have yet to encounter a GW on the water, but I commonly get harbor seals that come close out of curiosity or the fish in me boat, not sure which.
 My biggest concern and I keep an eye out for, is the Stellar Sea Lions ( not called Lions fer naught ya know).
 Here at the mouth of the Chetco River we have a very large resident Lion that has claimed an abandoned Coast Guard dock next to the port entrance. Every time we go by, he has to get in the water and check us out. This never bothered me 'till we were coming in with a load of fish in the Yaks when he suddenly appeared 5' away from me and blowing air!! followed us all the rest of the way to the take out at the dock. I'm sure that 400# fella could have rolled me easily and stripped my fish (or me).
      "we are on top of the water out there....not the food chain"

Just toss that water lion a fresh fish with some tasty sauce from this place.  

http://www.hotsauceworld.com/

In the salt, do you need to worry about any fish blood coming from your scuppers leading a shark, or other predator to you? 

I wouldn't worry too much. Lots of people kayak fish all along the west coast of the U.S. and I haven't heard of people being harassed by sharks. There have been 2 attacks but only one was a fisherman. Like BOR said, I'd worry more about seals. I have had them mess with me and get a little excited but it never lead to anything. I've heard of a seal knocking someone over but curiously enough, it wasn't over food. Most likely a territory thing. http://www.kionrightnow.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=11992@video.kcba.com&navCatId=8

And this... I'd rank more as cute than dangerous.


Keep your head on out there and if there's a group of seals etc. that seem aggressive just paddle away.

Z

If I'm coming in for a surf landing, everything I want to keep goes downstairs.

Z

Dang!  How do you get the smell out?

If I'm coming in for a surf landing, everything I want to keep goes downstairs.

Z

Dang!  How do you get the smell out?

All the fish go into the burlap bag so it keeps most of the fish slime from getting everywhere. If it gets funky I make a few gallons of bleach and water mix and pour that into the yak. Then I close all the hatches and roll it around a bit. I then stand it up and blast it all out w/ a hose and let it drain out the drain plug. Does a pretty good job of getting the funk, the funk out of there.

Z

In the days of my youth, venturing out on the half day boats, the gunny sack was standard equipment. I remember how funky they used to get and how I had to hang them out behind the garage in the weather for a week or two in order to freshen them up. I have only been doing fresh water fishing in the yak so far, and my old scuba goody bag works great. I hang it over the side while I'm fishing, and it's easy to drop the fish into it and secure it with the handle clip. This keeps most of the fish alive. When I get ready to paddle in, I loosen the rope a bit and stuff it under the bungees behind the seat. It stays in place pretty well, even while carrying the yak sideways back to the truck. Would this work for me in the ocean too?

Z, wonderful shot of the otter! They are such cute little guys. I have only seen them at Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Dave

Z, wonderful shot of the otter! They are such cute little guys. I have only seen them at Oregon Coast Aquarium.

I really like this shot too.  Reminds me of time spent on Monterey Bay mostly with a scuba tank.  They're such playful animals and very curious too.  They'd follow us on our dives but only the seals would try to steal our stringers and goodie bags.

Oregon otters are extinct and have been for many years, hunted into extinction.  The otters we have at OCA (I'm a volunteer there) are CA and AK otters.  There had been efforts to repopulate the coast with both but failed.  For whatever reason, they just didn't take to our environment.  Otters require large kelp beds to flourish and my observations suggest OR has few places except in the south where this might be possible.

Greg

Amazing shot of the otter! Seems curious and unafraid. I sometimes have river otters swim up and then huff and wheeze at me in the lower rivers and creeks around here. Must be a territorial thing, like "Hey! Get outa here! These are MY fish!" 

I have been dragging any kept fish around on a stringer, and then throwing them in the bottom of my boat with a wet towel over them when i need to paddle back from the fishing spots. I haven't been keeping many  fish though. Just some stocker trout from lakes, and one nice 15" searun cutt that I bonked because it was bleeding profusely from the gills.

I'm wondering where I can stash a couple of good sized hatchery Kings, if I get so lucky. Probably put one right on the bottom in front of me, between my legs, and the other behind my milk crate, lashed on with the tail hanging out the back (Bear with me...I'm dreaming of success here ).

I hate to have to say this, FishSniffer, but in your pic, you more closely resemble that otter in Zeelander's photo than you do that Ling you are holding up, and yet somehow, you manage to retain some of the "ling-ness."

well, you can always use the insulated catch bag shown here;

http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=14

<ammended> and i almoist forgot outdoorplay; http://www.outdoorplay.com/store/productlist.asp?F=2&PDID=12&DID=470


i've seen them at the Lacey and the Fed. Way Sportsmans Warehouse for about 8 bucks less than listed on that webpage. they come in both a bow and a stern configuration, and i believe in two sizes for each..
 

In the salt, do you need to worry about any fish blood coming from your scuppers leading a shark, or other predator to you? 

Good old burlap sacks is what i use for cod and if i forget it i just toss em in my milk crate and i've never even thought about a blood trail. most the time they aren't beeeding much and the burlap soaks up the rest.

Z, wonderful shot of the otter! They are such cute little guys. I have only seen them at Oregon Coast Aquarium.

I really like this shot too.  Reminds me of time spent on Monterey Bay mostly with a scuba tank.  They're such playful animals and very curious too.  They'd follow us on our dives but only the seals would try to steal our stringers and goodie bags.

Oregon otters are extinct and have been for many years, hunted into extinction.  The otters we have at OCA (I'm a volunteer there) are CA and AK otters.  There had been efforts to repopulate the coast with both but failed.  For whatever reason, they just didn't take to our environment.  Otters require large kelp beds to flourish and my observations suggest OR has few places except in the south where this might be possible.

Greg

 

I saw an Otter in Charleston a couple years ago. Are you sure they are extinct? Maybe he was on vacation from CA..