Question about Livewells, keeping fish for dinner...

[Tony Payne]

ok, I ahve been "strictly" catch and release for a long time, mostly because I never felt like I could "catch enough" at any given time to warrent keeping a few for the table... (whites/hybrids or crappie)...



This past weekend, Barb and I got onto a pattern with the whites/hybrids where we _easily_ caught about 100 fish... most in the 12-16oz range... excellent keeper material... if we can get on that again this next weekend, I plan to have some fish to eat!



My questions are fairly simple:



1.) Best method to keep them alive in the livewell? or how best to store them until ready to filet?

2.) if they die in the livewell, are they still "ok"??... at what point should they not be fileted and eaten?

3.) Any good pointers on methods to filet them?





Sorry for the basic questions...

 

[Staci Matheis]

Simmy -



When I go after whites, I try to carry a cooler with me with a layer of ice. I just throw the fish on there as soon as I catch them.



Unfortunately, I don't catch them when I plan for it!



So..... I just put them in the live well with the recirculate on constantly. If there are a number of them, I will take some of the blue ice from my cooler and put it in the livewell to keep the temperature down if it is a hot day.



me!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I agree with puttin' anything on ice immediately..especially in this kinda' weather

Another tip I can give ya' for cleaning white bass...It's a little more time consuming but, your fish will taste much better. White bass, Stripers and a few others like walleye...these fish have "brown" areas on the skin side of the fillets. If you have a really sharp fillet knife you can trim these areas away and you will have some fish that makes some of the "best" fish sanwiches you'll ever eat. A buddy of mine showed me that trick on big walleye that some have a lot of "brown" meat. Also if your gonna' eat em' that day or next...just soak them in milk instead of water will help also

 

[Texas Transplant]

As has been said, take a cooler with ice. If need be, due to space, plan a trip or two back to the tow vehicle to swap out a full cooler for an empty.



Tex

 

[fatrap]

Whites seem to die in the livewell pretty much anyway even with cool water. Ice is always best. When we get on the whites in South Dakota and plan on keeping some I run to the marina and get a bag or two of ice. My Starboard storage compt. behind the seat has extra insulation to be used as a cooler. It drains into the bilges. Makes a great icewell. I had the fish biologist tell me that when a fish's eyes start to cloud up the decomp has started already.

fatrap

fatrap

 

[Tony Payne]

So, I guess keeping them "swimming" isn't something to worry about...I'll probably just ice down the livewell instead of taking a cooler to get in the way... (or in case I forget the cooler).



Back to the 2nd question... if kept in the livewell "swimming"... if they die in the livewell are they no longer "good" to filet/eat? at what point are they definitely "bad"...

 

[Staci Matheis]

Try soaking the filets in Italian dressing!

Then BBQ!

M-m-m-m-m-m!

 

[Rich D]

Sim,



As long as the eyes are still clear, you are fine.



Rich D

 

[Michael S]

Sim



They will be fine if they die....but like rich said if there eyes get glazed over they have gone bad.....but this is not something that happens right away...it usually takes the better part of a day....and I mainly fish in TX and LA where water temps get hot real hot....

 

[Gary Weaver]

Try soaking them in 7up.

 

[Gary Weaver]

I mean the fillets for about 3 hours before cooking

 

[Tony Payne]

gweaver...



yeah, that's alot of 7up to fill a livewell...!!!

 

[Greg Meyer]

Fillet them as close to live as possible... As soon as they die the internal bacteria begin to work against you...



Two, soak your fish in cold baking soda water for 2-12 (or more hours) 10-12 seems optimal... with a dramatic improvement after 2 hours. Got that tip from a real live French Trained Chef... Causes them to lose "oily taste" and firms the flesh.

 

[Staci Matheis]

DANG! JR, you had one heck of a day!!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I try to fillet all panfish alive if I can! The meat will be firmer also if you put the fillets in ice-water after you fillet em' out. Havin' bluegill tonite that was caught yesturday morning at our local resivoir...mmmmmmmmmm!