Written by The Lost Anchovy
Introduction
When I go to parties, or cook dinner for friends and family, the number one comment I get is how fresh my catch taste. Most people are not accustomed to eating fresh caught fish. There is big difference in quality and people are blown away by it.
Here are my five tips to help keep your catch fresh!
Burlap and Kill Bag
The number one element that degrades fish is the heat and sun – hands down. The UVA and UVB sun will immediately degrade the meat and start the rotting process.
Who wants to eat rotting sashimi?? Eww!
Burlap bags (potato bags) can be bought at local tackle stores for 1-2 dollars a piece. Soak the burlap bags in water, from the ocean or lake, and place it over the catch. The bag will protect the catch from the harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Kill bags are also a great option. There are a lot of bag manufactures on the market such as:
All these work well, but I still prefer my burlap bag. It’s cheap and does the job. I’m all about simplicity folks.
Bleed the Fish
Besides a burlap bag, I think bleeding fish is the second most important factor in keeping fish fresh. The decay process starts soon after a fish knows it’s going fish heaven to meet the fish gods.
There are a lot stress hormones in the blood that starts the decaying process and breaks down the meat. Put out the fish quickly and humanely, and then slit the gills to release the blood. Move quickly away from the murder scene. Who know what all the blood maybe drawing in!
Keep Fish Submerged
Keeping fish submerged under water can be a good alternative to the burlap bag. The idea, once again, is to keep the harmful UVA and UVB rays from cooking the catch and degrading the meat.
This method does come with a caveat. There are lots of hungry free loaders in the ocean, a.k.a, fur bags and sea lions. The aggressive ones will follow kayakers around and try to steal the catch! Stay aware of what is around and under your Kayak before submerging any catch; unless you prefer eating salmon heads vs. whole salmon!
Hard coolers and hand coolers
The trip home is equally important. For day trips, I will use a hand cooler with ice. Filleting the fish and keeping it in cold salt water will usually do the trick for the day.
However, on multi day trips, I prefer using large coolers such as the RTIC/YETI 45 or 65 qts coolers. Both coolers are built very well and will hold ice for multiple days. Here is another tip. Salt water has a lower freezing point than normal water. Add some salt water into ice and submerge your fish in it. The ice cold water will keep the fish fresh all the way home!
ProProTip: Learn to pre chill your cooler to keep it lasting a long time for long trips
Vacuum Seal
I fish a lot and I catch a lot of fish. If you are a like me, vacuum sealing fish is a must. Storing fish away for the winter months helps me get through the winter when the supply is scarce.
Besides heat and moisture, bacteria also need air to degrade fish. Taking air out of the equation greatly increases the shelf life of the catch without adding preservatives or dangerous chemicals.
Conclusion
I love eating fresh fish! It is the main reason I go Kayak Fishing. There are too many questionable tactics that processors and groceries store use to extend the shelf life of fish. Ultimately, I’m a fish snob when it comes to fresh fish. These tips have served me well over the years. I hope the tips will help you too. Good luck and tight lines – TLA
Edited 3.5.2019
I agree Larry. I’m very particular about my catch and keeping it fresh. It makes a huge difference in the quality of the catch.
I agree with everything you said, fish are delicate, and once they get too warm you can’t bring them back to the original state.