Storage/Mixing fish species in your fish locker or cooler

[pescador]

Is is ok to mix different species in the same ice box/fish locker when you're out on the boat fishing? i'm not talking salmon, I mean rock fish, salmon, hali etc..... I've heard certain species should never be in contact with each other. Which ones are they and why should they not be in contact with other species?

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Great question! The only fish that really smells is the Chinook.
Hope someone has the correct answer.

 

[Sculpin]

I never mix halibut, ling cod, and rock fish with my salmon. I always have 2 coolers on board.

The important thing is to keep ALL of your fish chilled after the catch.

If your a one cooler crew then I suggest putting the halibut on the bottom and stacking lots of ice on top then put the remaining catch on top of that.
Halibut can withstand (if in the whole) being on the bottom.

 

[Sculpin]

I have never had a problem with mixing my catch, with taste, etc., but like Sculpin said keep your catch CHILLED, that is the most important part of the harvest.

There are many guides that have 2 compartments for fish on board. They keep the bottom dwellers away from the salmon. Try it. You might like it. The big one is the halibut slime. Try not to get your salmon in contact with this.

 

[Franko Manini]

There are many guides that have 2 compartments for fish on board. They keep the bottom dwellers away from the salmon. Try it. You might like it. The big one is the halibut slime. Try not to get your salmon in contact with this.

Why do you separate them? Does the Hali slime impart a bad taste or something?


Franko

MILF (Man, I Love Fishing)

 

[pescador]

So how many of you bleed you fish before your throw it in the fish box? How many of you actually take ice out on your boat in the locker to keep the catch cool while you're out? What affect do these activities have on the quality of your fish? Conversely, if you do one or neither, how does it influence the quality of your fish you think?

 

[Humpbubble]

At the dock,i back spray all my salmon to get the scales off,then scrape the slime off with the back of the fillet knife..this really helps kill that "fishy" taste
Kinda doubt hali stink would penetrate salmon slime,skin,and affect the flesh.i've never noticed.

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

hali slime is bad news always keep them separate on my boat

 

[Fish Assassin]

PCod keep them away from your other fish. After they die the release their bowels. It has to be the worst smelling release I have ever smelt.

 

[tubber]

The Costco cooler bag gets the bottom fish and a frozen pop bottle. If their spines poke too many holes, they only cost $7.00. Halibut go belly up in the big cooler. Why do you scale your fish, Humpbubble?

 

[KatieB]

So how many of you bleed you fish before your throw it in the fish box? How many of you actually take ice out on your boat in the locker to keep the catch cool while you're out? What affect do these activities have on the quality of your fish? Conversely, if you do one or neither, how does it influence the quality of your fish you think?

Only ever been concerned with bleeding a halibut, never worry about other species. I have been ill prepared to store fish properly for extended periods of time with proper ice and storage in the past and will not make that mistake again. It does make a difference. Nothing has gone to waste or anything but if i ever get in a questionable spot again where a fish might have not been dealt with properly it will go to the smoker immediately. Fresh bbq fish needs to be dealt with ice and care immediately. Most people might not notice but I will. Have never separated catch at all, never noticed anything funny with doing so.

 

[SteelyDan]

Everything gets bled before it goes in the box on my boat. We only carry ice in the warmer months.

 

[bigbruce]

I bleed and flush all of my catch as soon as they are in the boat. They then go in my fish locker and are hosed down with sea water regularly as I find it really difficult to pack enough ice each time I go fishing. Normally I'm out for 6 - 8 hours at a stretch and find the sea water bath to be sufficient to keep the catch cool.

 

[Califbill]

I always ice. Also always gut and gill salmon. One cooler boat. But I keep a few 2 liter bottles frozen in the cooler. No water soaking the fish, and carrying bad taste.

 

[Gong Show]

Slushing with sea water and ice gets the fish coldest quickest.
Fish are always bled before going into the cooler.
Only sockeye are kept in the round, clean all the others.

 

[Bait&Sea]

We bleed salmon,rinse well, then into cooler with plug open on bottom to drain, bag of ice on bottom to keep fish up a bit rinsing with sea water through day. Unopened bag of ice seems to keeps it plenty chilly in there. Yet to target bottomfish so not sure about mixing species

 

[fishchaser]

What about making it a little sporting, target a species and release everything else for the day? I have been on many charters and they don’t separate their catch..

 

[finaddict]

Bled as soon as they are clubbed, regardless of species (this is by far the most important step), never had an issue with mixing the species and keep them in a built-in fish cooler with a couple 2 litres of ice and rinse with salt water regularly. Fish box drains over the side, so no water retention in the box

 

[Last Chance]

I used to back when we had a limit of 2 halis per day and there were more of them. Now they all just go in the box

 

[mhbradley]

Fish box drains over the side, so no water retention in the box

This is key... can't have them soaking in the melted ice and fish slime/blood.

I always take ice... you never know when you might need it... one day we took down two large halibut and the sun was shining.... was very happy to freezer Ziploc full of ice that day.

That being said, some people just pop it in the foam cooler and call it a day... to each their own.