Are you a fan of the fresh scrumptious fish fillet from the fishmonger? Because we are! But…if you are really into keeping this to yourself, you should have sound knowledge about the best way to keep fish fresh while fishing and enjoy later in a scrumptious fish feast utilizing numerous health advantages.
There are two ways to keep fish fresh while fishing – either keep them alive that could be a little difficult or you can simply gut them right away once they are dead. Because after all, no one wants to have rotten and stale fish flesh for it can make way for bacteria. Hence, the key is to keep the caught fish fresh to its maximum extent.
What Accessories Do You Need To Keep Fish Fresh?
Are you a fishing pro? Or just a beginner who has gained interest in catching scrumptious fishes? Well, in both cases, you should note things and accessories that you will be needing to have fresh fish after fishing. In the case of a professional fishing spree, there are numerous fishing tools that are specifically used for the purpose and don’t you worry, as we have outlined every essential that you would need for fishing.
There are many websites through which you can get these listed items; however, do make sure that you look for the best quality product.
Tackle Box
The very first thing that is needed is a tackle box. Just take it as a toolbox specifically made for fishing purposes. The box has all the vitals that will enable you to carry out the process.
Moreover, it also has a provision of extra line, bobbers, weights, plastic worms to lure the intended fish, hooks, and other lures along with it.
Container For Live Bait
The second thing required is a container for live bait, and its purpose is to lure the fish to catch it. A majority of you who are into fishing would know that plastic worms or other kinds of traps are not just the only tools that you need to catch a fish because they might just not be lured with it. If you want your desired outcome, integrate live bait to catch that big fish. You must be wondering what would serve as the best bait? You may incorporate the smell of raw worms to get the best results.
Icebox Or Bags
Well, this has to be one of the vitals, as it is the most needed while fishing. It is just common sense that you can’t catch a fish and get back home without preserving it – there have to be some arrangements made for preservation to prevent it from rotting. For the sake of keeping it preserved, you have to have an icebox or zip locks filled with loads of ice – sufficient enough to cover the fish.
Landing Net
Again, a landing net is also categorized as one of the essential accessories and there is nothing to worry about, as it is quite handy. But what does it do? It provides you to have an angler to enable you to have the fish on the boat as soon as it can get through the landing net.
You May Also Check Best Ultralight Spinning Rod For Trout.
First Aid Kit
The first aid kit should be on the top because safety is always a priority. Though fishing may seem like an easy peasy lemon squeezy sport, it is dangerous enough to cause injuries if you just lose your focus. Therefore, a lesson here is to always have a basic and well-equipped first aid kit whenever you plan to go fishing.
Now that we have wrapped the essentials part, it is time to finally start discussing and guiding you on how to keep fish alive after catching because it is a key step in keeping the fish fresh after catching Let’s begin!
Keeping Fish Alive Isn’t Complicated Yet Complicated
As we already mentioned earlier that it is a tad bit complicated to keep fish fresh while fishing, but there are ways that may help you achieve the goals. We have outlined different methods below that will guide you on the task.
Dormancy Is The Key
Before digging further into this section, do note that it won’t deliver results if you are applying it to larger and bigger fishes. However, in the case of smaller fish, you can make them dormant by right away putting them in an ice bucket.
Retain Fish In The Basket
There are different baskets available on the market that work similarly to that of stringers; however, you may have to face the interruptive nature of the loops. You will have an option to retain them in an adequate basket size that is good enough to keep them lowered in water; as a result, it will keep fishes from freeing for it features self-closing latches. Though it is on the list, be reminded that this procedure does have its own drawbacks, specifically because the basket’s inner wire can cause bruises if the caught fish keeps struggling.
Use a stringer
Use a stringer; however, do note that it must be lowered enough to keep the fish submerged. Once again, we are reminding you that this method would only be successful if the water is cold otherwise, the fish would get expired right away.
Use A Live Well For Fish Preservation
Don’t worry if you have no idea what live wells are, these are basically similar to containers that are lowered easily in water with a good and effective hold of the catch. Live wells could be expensive, but honestly, these are the best; however, the key is to choose them wisely as effectiveness really depends on the size.
Well, here we wrap up the methods to keep the caught fish alive so as to keep them all fresh. Undoubtedly, each and every method has its own drawbacks, but why worry when we have got other ways of keeping the catch-all good, tasty, and fresh.
Keeping The Catch Fresh
Those who do it frequently would agree that fishing requires patience. There is no guarantee that if you catch a fish once, you would get your hands on the next one right away for it might take a little longer than expected. Also, there is a high probability that if you catch a fish and get back home, it may get rotten even before you reach there. Hence, you should be equipped with things required to keep the fish fresh. We have mentioned a few ways on how to keep fresh while fishing.
Kill It Right Away
I have seen quite a few people who put the catch for cooling and let it die gradually. But you shouldn’t be doing that for it will only deteriorate the fish quality. Once you get your hands on the fish, you have it kill it right away. Go for a straight hit to either on the eye or head with any pointy tool at hand. In an otherwise situation, the stress will gradually build up that will eventually affect the fish quality, and we bet nobody wants to eat that.
Wash The Fish Well
Once you kill the catch, you have to wash the fish well with a thorough approach. You need to be sure that the blood is all drained out before you plan to store it. You might be wondering if washing is necessary prior to the story and the answer is that yes, it is. If you are opting for fresh fish and storing it for a longer period, it should be cleaned thoroughly.
Cool It
Well, this one’s vital. If you want to keep the catch-all fresh, keep it cool. There could be numerous ways to keep it cool and we have mentioned some of them below in the post. The benefit of keeping it in a freezing environment is that you can store it for up to five days; however, if it still affects the fish quality, it might be possible that some other thing led to the bad quality. Keep reading to explore ways to keep the fish in a cooling environment.
The first and most obvious way to keep fish fresh is to keep it on the ice. The best way is to keep it in a cooler filled with crushed ice that is sufficient enough to cover all the fish. However, while using a cooler, it must be ensured that the water is drained out of the cooler, as water can make the fish taste bad.
The second way is to refrigerate it. Pretty easy, right? It is indeed the easiest rather than freezing, and also, it helps the fish to remain fresh for a good time period. In order to refrigerate it, remember to clean it first followed by drying the dish with either a paper or towel. The next step is to wrap it around the wax paper and put it on ice. The fish should be fresh for two good days.
Conclusion
This blog post was a brief one on how to keep fish fresh while fishing. If you are not a pro, this post will be good and sufficient enough to help with the preparation of storing the fish. Find out what works the best for you and have a fun fishing weekend.