# what to do with keepers?



## Gerardy (Jan 28, 2009)

just a quick question 
wondering what everone does with there keeper if they plan to continue fishing ? , dou you take ice ? esky ?
was considering a keeper bag although offshore this may not be a good idea.
the front section of my yak is classed as a "fish coffin" but it has scuppers. i thought of plugging them but my fish would bake without ice..(the lid is black) and surley the ice would melt within a couple of hours.
any suggestions would be great.


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## YakN00b (Jun 9, 2008)

So far i have a 25l esky in the back of my yak unfortunately it hasn't been troubled much


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Hi mate, what I do depends on the circumstances. If I am in my Prowler/Hobie and it is a hot day I generally use the esky and get a nice slurry formed in it. If I am in the BFS I generally add water to the sealed live bait tank incorporated into the hull behind me and ladle some fresh water in periodically. In winter or when trouting if I am going to take a couple for the table I just generally stick them inside the hull as the water temp generally keeps them cool enough and then transfer them to a esky for the trip home. I have had made up a fish keeper bag which is made from thick PVC like you see on the sides of trucks and has a layer of closed cell foam inside to insulate. It has a large zip all around one of the long edges. Down here we don't generally get big enough fish for me to use this but I will start to use in on the gummies shortly.

Scott


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## rawprawn (Aug 31, 2005)

I just put them in a wet sack and I've never had a problem with the fish going off.


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## Jimbo1 (Jul 29, 2008)

Hi Mate,

For convenience I just wet a thick towel with either sea or freshwater dependng on where I'm fishing and warp it around the fish. I then just wet again every now and again depending on how hot it is. Not as good as an iced eski but takes the hassle our of going to a stor and buying ice.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

rawprawn said:


> I just put them in a wet sack and I've never had a problem with the fish going off.


Same for me, and wet scuppers in the rear well continue to keep it nice and moist on the hottest day [and cooling like old time hessian water bags], when back on shore bag and fish into the esky from that point.


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## Garfish (Jun 2, 2006)

I've just got a calico bag which I wet and store in the hull. If you're planning on keeping a feed, a slurry of ice in an esky - waiting in the boot for the trip home - could be a good idea.

Personally, I think there's more risk of fish going off on a long drive home, compared to while on the water.


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## chris58 (Nov 25, 2007)

i went to a tent maker and got them to make a fitted bag. it is round on the bottom and flat on top.
to fit in the well, there are 6 eye lets alone the side with occy strap running through and all is kept in place with 6 points to hook strap into place, 3 each side. ;-)


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## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

I have an esky in the back of the yak and the fish go on ice straight away. I dont go out and buy ice everytime, I have 4 ice cube makers - when theyre done I put them in a plastic bag at the back of the freezer and make some more untill I have enough. It only takes about 3 - 4 goes untill you have enough. Quicker if you get more ice block makers. You've just got to think ahead, thats all.

Having said that, I have caught fish and kept them (dead) in a keeper bag over the side for an hour or two and theyve been fine. But sometimes I might catch something straight away and want to be out for the next 5 hours and I wouldnt want to have anything less than an esky full of ice for that long. And no matter how long I'm fishing for I would not even want to keep an Aussie salmon or tailor without ice.


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## blaggon (Jan 14, 2008)

a drybag with a techni ice sheet in it works very well


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## kiwipea (Jun 17, 2008)

I use this modified supermarket thermal bag, copied the idea from forum (thank you Butts)
Find it keeps fish ok for several hours.









Bigger concern when return to launch site and open up the car and it as hot as hell inside 
so leave all doors open and run aircon full bore to lower the temperature so fish are not cooked on trip home.

kiwipea


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

blaggon said:


> a drybag with a techni ice sheet in it works very well


Ditto - one sheet of techniice in a soft esky bag in the hull of the Kayak.



kiwipea said:


> Bigger concern when return to launch site and open up the car and it as hot as hell inside


And in the car, a std hard body esky with two more sheets of techniice inside.

If I'm keeping fish, I kill it with an icky and pop into the soft bag onto the Techniice - and then back at the car, into the hard esky again on techniice. The techniice keeps all day.


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

I'm old fashioned and use a keeper net most of the time on my pacer.
In the profish they go under the front well cover. Scupper plugs in and a bag of ice. Keeps the fish nice and cool for 3+ hours.


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## Sparra (Nov 3, 2007)

Gerardy said:


> just a quick question
> wondering what everone does with there keeper if they plan to continue fishing ? , dou you take ice ? esky ?


I married mine and after 27 years she still makes the ice and fills the esky....i'm glad I didn't throw her back....  

Cheers...Sparra


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## Elmo (Jan 11, 2008)

I use my livewell thatway I can return any unwanted fish as I catch others and they can't get any fresher than that when you get back to the car. I am still waiting for the day I catch something to big to fit in the livewell.


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## viking1 (May 28, 2008)

I use a hessian bag, just keep it wet, sitting in the back well of the revo. Works a treat!


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## Gerardy (Jan 28, 2009)

Sparra said:


> I married mine and after 27 years she still makes the ice and fills the esky....i'm glad I didn't throw her back....
> 
> Cheers...Sparra


lol... ohh a true valentine messaage


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## Gerardy (Jan 28, 2009)

seriously ..thanks everyone

all food for thought ..


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## Levi (Nov 24, 2008)

Pro fish has a handy space in the rear, i slot a 25l ice box in here, and add 1-2 frozen water bottles that i keep in th freeze, saves buying ice all the time. i always add a couple of beers and lunch for myslef and the lady, bloody awesome (and your mates are always envious when you pull out a cold beer at the end of a session).








used the same set up on overnight trips and the ice in the bottles easily last a couple of days. has hung in there on the rougher water, though nerver taken it offshore, think this set up suits river/estuary, besides, might be hard to fit a 80cm king fish in there......... ;-)


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## ELM (Jul 14, 2008)

Soft fridge bags with a couple of 1.25ltr coke bottles filled with water and frozen for ice, second one for drink water and tucka in front hatch.


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## forbs (May 20, 2008)

I also use an eski (coleman fishing one) it has a compartment for live bait and the rest is for my fish. I use the live bait tank for cold drinks and my food as it's not really big enough for a live well. I stick an ice brick in there to keep the food and drinks nice and cold. I put 3-4 more blue ice bricks in the bottom of the eski and fill with some water. It's plenty cold and even when we were getting those 35 degree days the fish came out after 6 hours nice and cold (enough room for 3 flathead, 2 large whiting and a couple of bream).

I've often thought an ice slurry would be best but the ice bricks are almost as good. It's also good for the trip home and when i'm home the ice bricks are still mainly frozen so only need the night to be ready again. Saw an add on Techni ice in a magazine and wondered if it was much better than the Blue Ice Bricks i use ?


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## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

Sparra said:


> Gerardy said:
> 
> 
> > just a quick question
> ...


Love it!


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## lukec (Apr 16, 2008)

25L soft esky, mines just a xxxx gold one with 2 Ice bricks that always live in my freezer. Also good to keep your drinks food etc cold. 2 cheap ice bricks keep fish cool all day and are re useable for years. Also thay generally have a strap that you can tie to something in the event of a dunking.


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