Keeping fish without an esky?

[curranboy99]

Hello all

I have been fishing a few times in the past without an esky/cool bag and caught a few legal fish and had nowhere to keep them. And i was wondering is there anyway of keeping fish for consumption without a esky/cool bag? and i don't like putting fish alive in a bucket because i find they taste not as good, more chance of going off, as well as it being much harder to fillet (for a beginner fillet-er).

Also does anyone think this would work using a plastic shopping bag and an ice block: put the fish/s on the ice block and wrap the fish onto the block using the plastic bag until ready to fillet then do the same with the fillets?

Thanks, i put this in the recipes and food category because i could not find a better category for preparing seafood for consumption. 

[Gad]

Your best action would be, buy a small soft pack esky and a couple of esky blocks to freeze. Each time you go fishing just pop the frozen blocks in and roll the soft pack up and put in your gear bag, takes up little room and always on hand, when/if needed.

[curranboy99]

18 minutes ago, Gad said:

Your best action would be, buy a small soft pack esky and a couple of esky blocks to freeze. Each time you go fishing just pop the frozen blocks in and roll the soft pack up and put in your gear bag, takes up little room and always on hand, when/if needed.

Thanks Gad

I'll buy one of those soft packs and a couple frozen blocks, i think at kmart it probably won't cost me more than $15.00 so that will be worth ago.

[Alexx]

I always keep a clean esky in the car, and always have a folded up cloth fish bag in my gear bag. That way if I ever catch a fish I want to keep for a feed (which is very rarely), I pop it in that bag, get back to the car then get some ice for the esky on the way home, and Bob's your uncle I have a chilled fish.

I obviously don't do this when i'm parked in an area where ice is not closely available. as travelling more than a few minutes with a dead fish at room temps, is not the greatest haha 

[curranboy99]

6 minutes ago, Alexx said:

I always keep a clean esky in the car, and always have a folded up cloth fish bag in my gear bag. That way if I ever catch a fish I want to keep for a feed (which is very rarely), I pop it in that bag, get back to the car then get some ice for the esky on the way home, and Bob's your uncle I have a chilled fish.

I obviously don't do this when i'm parked in an area where ice is not closely available. as travelling more than a few minutes with a dead fish at room temps, is not the greatest haha 

Thanks, i don't have a car at the moment but thanks for the idea

[rayke1938]

no need to buy a frozen block just use an empty milk carton /bottle and freeze it up at home.

wrapping the fish and frozen block in bubble wrap inside a plastic bag will help keep contents cool for a longer period.

Cheers

Ray

[curranboy99]

2 hours ago, rayke1938 said:

no need to buy a frozen block just use an empty milk carton /bottle and freeze it up at home.

wrapping the fish and frozen block in bubble wrap inside a plastic bag will help keep contents cool for a longer period.

Cheers

Ray

Thanks Ray for that idea

That seems to be a very practical idea as pretty much everyone has an empty milk carton or bottle and plastic bags around the home, i'll just have to buy some bubble wrap which i think i could get it from the local office shop or newsagents for not much money. And now i am going to fill up a milk carton and put in the freezer 

[jon]

Depending on where you fishing, one option ( really only for beach or saltwater estuaries ) is to bury fish in the sand you'd be surprised the temp differences 500 mm below surface at beach is especially close to water line where the hole will flood with seawater

[curranboy99]

8 hours ago, jon said:

Depending on where you fishing, one option ( really only for beach or saltwater estuaries ) is to bury fish in the sand you'd be surprised the temp differences 500 mm below surface at beach is especially close to water line where the hole will flood with seawater

Thanks Jon. Never would have thought of burying my fish in the sand, i will give that a go when i have nothing on me except my rod and tackle bag as i do about 85% of my fishing in saltwater estuaries.