Keeping your catch fresh on the water.

[kschupp]

I've seen picture after picture of crappie and blue gill in coolers on the boat, but have noticed that hardly anybody has their fish on ice. Do you all not use ice or did you just remove it for the picture? I've always have been taught to keep your catch on ice to keep it fresh. Just curious about this.

[Hookedonslabs]

Ice used here

[gabowman]

I have a walleye boat (a very big livewell) and the first thing I do after launching the boat is to fill the well and add some ice packs. This cools the water atleast 10 degrees and then the fish stays lively and swims around until I remove the water for the filleting. During the spring, fall, and winter I dont worry about icing the water.

[olduckhunter]

most are taken like that just to show the fish. fish don't show up good covered with ice.

[keeferfish]

No ice here, live to knife is always fresh.

[bfish]

I keep half gallon frozen milk jugs in the cooler.

[dandeman]

No ice, but I use one of the 12 volt bubblers. That keeps 'em alive for a day or more.

[Blackhawk19]

Ice here, but it's a layer in the bottom of the cooler and then I just toss the fish in so if you see a picture of my cooler you won't see my ice. But I only fish about 3 hours so it works fine.

[6poundtest]

Ice in a cooler; off the hook, onto the ice. Like Blackhawk19, I'm only on the water for 3-4 hours at a clip and clean them pretty much as soon as I get home.

Along that same vein, for those of us that ice them, do you bonk them or kill them in any fashion immediately before tossing them on ice or do you take care of that before you clean them at home? On another board, there are a couple of guys claiming they have to be bled out like you would a tuna or other big fish. I think that's stretching it, personally.

[Catman767]

I'm with Blackhawk and 6poundtest, ice in the bottom of the cooler and don't fish for more than a few hours a nite.

Jim