How do you keep 'em alive?

[Rat]

I went out to Granger this weekend and fished all weekend. I camped out at Primative Camp. I cought some pretty good crappie on Friday night and more Saturday night, just not as big.

Anyway, the fish I cought on Friday were dead by late afternoon on Saturday. And when I started cleaning them today they were no good, I lost 10 fish.

I use a regular rope stringer to keep them on, I don't have a live well on my little 12 foot Jon Boat. So what would be the best way to keep 'em good until I get home to clean them?

Someone told me that the chain stringers with hooks/clips will keep them alive for a long time. I was thinking about getting a fish basket, that might work. I figured they died because they were on that rope stringer, I could be wrong on that though. If nothing else could I take a cooler and just put 'em on ice? Would they keep for a couple of days if they are iced down?

How hard is it to put live wells in the bench seats of Jon Boats? I have seen some built this waybut I don't think I would like to start ripping the seats up on my boat unless I was sure I could do it right. Are there any good web-sites for Alu. boat modifications?

I really hate that I lost those fish and would like to do something to keep it from happening again.

[luvdemcrappies]

yes put them on ice and if u can keep em on ice without ice melting u should be fine, ive cleaned fish that was on constant ice for up to 3 days, sometimes if ive been out all day and tired i wait till next day to clean them if i can, if thats any help to ya

Jeremy.......................

[etexmudbug]

on the live well in a jon boat BPS sells one for a cooler for about 50.00 and one for the boat for 160.00

[mudwitch]

Ice.........its the way to go.It has 2 benefits,one is that the fish die in a state of hypothermia,and all the blood surrounds the organs to protect them and is not left in the meat(that is your fishy taste), and two, you can sleep in without worry after a long night.I have went two days many times with no problem, If the fish eyes are not cloudy, or slime is not coming out of the gills, they are fine.

[gabowman]

They'll keep on ice. Put a bag in the cooler before you go out and then cover them with more ice after fishing. They'll keep.