I almost posted this in the fishing section, but I suppose it is a cooking issue. Here is my question: I usually eat fish 4-5 nights on a 7 night trip, but would like to have fish in the morning. I have never kept fish over night that I caught the night before and eaten it in the morning. I have heard of people doing this. The question is, how do you keep the fish over night? Do you cook everything and then seal it in ziplocks? OR not cook it? I just dont know! I dont want to do one thing and then spend a day curled up heaving my guts out.

Depends on the temps. If it's cool (low 40's) you can keep it raw. If it's in the low 50's you could keep it cooked (or smoked) and salted.

Best bet is to fish in the morning. It's often a good time to fish.

Thing is the dangerous pathogens thrive on protein and moisture. If it wasn't cool it's not a risk I would take though it is more than likely that no harm will come of it.  One possibility on a cool night is salt and a little lemon juice.

Best just to rise early and wet a line.

We caught some walleye while rehydrating our dinner for the night.  This is what we did...

We filleted the fish, put their fillets into a ziplock bag and sealed it while evacuating as much air from the bag.  That bag was put into a mesh bag along with a rock.  We tied a line to the bag and threw it into the lake (estimated depth=20-25 ft.)  The other end of the line was tied to a nearby bush.

In the morning we pulled out the bag and found the fillets very cold.  It was a yummy breakfast of walleye.

I would expect that as long as the lake has some depth there is a very cold pool of water nearby.

I usually go paddling in Mid-May, where temps can go from freezing to hot, all in the same day.
I troll as I paddle and if the weather is warm, this is what I do to keep fish cool and edible.
I did it in 2006, and paddled all day in 80 degree temps and the fish was fine for supper that night.
Fillet/gut fish and put in appropriate size zip lock bag. Go to bank and get a couple of the canvas money bags they give customers for change.
I soak bag and secured shut with a Bungee Dealee Bob and put under my seat out of the sun.
About every half-hour, I re- soak the bag.
You would do the same thing overnight, except you wouldn't have to re-soak bag, just soak it good, and hang with food pack or separate,  the bag needs to be free to evaporate to keep the fish cool.
Unless it was during the hottest part of the paddling season, I think this would work just fine.
Others on here put fish in watertight containers and anchor offshore in cold water.
I think in hotter weather, that would be the ticket, but if the night temps are say 60 degrees or less, I think you'd be okay?
Of course, being fish there's no guarantee's and you should do what you feel most comfortable with ;)

I do it every trip now, friend showed this to me.

...very small styrofoam container (holds about 1-2 pops...like a extemely small minnow holder for ice fishing)...catch your sunset walleyes...throw them on a chemical cold pack....they're raring to go down the gullet in the AM.  No more having to get up early and fish.  You sleep late knowing you got fresh ones ready to go.

To add to Wally's comments.  On the trip where we first saw this idea, we all fished in the evening, filleted the fish, put them in the cooler with the first aid ice packs and ate them the next night.  they were still cool on some hi 80's days.   [smiley=thumbup.gif]

Hasn't anyone heard of a stringer?  Yes I know about turtles and otters.  They have both visited my camp at different times to fill their gullet and make off with a walleye but not my whole breakfast stringer.  I still like to get up and catch a few before the rest of the crew rises.  That makes for the freshest breakfast. ;)      

Marc

Thank everyone for the ideas and advice. I'll be up in the Q end of August so I have a mix of fairly warm days and cooler nights, sometimes very cold indeed. I like both the sink method and the chem pack method.

A side note on the sinking, when filtering water to drink I have a 30' hose extension for my purifier. Attached to it is a 2 ounce fishing weight that brings it down. I can get water thats pretty darned cold for adult beverages or a near ice cold gatorade.   It doesn't stay cold for long, but it sure is nice when its really hot out and the route was portage heavy.

Dr_X wrote on May 15^th, 2008 at 1:47am:

Hasn't anyone heard of a stringer?  Yes I know about turtles and otters.  They have both visited my camp at different times to fill their gullet and make off with a walleye but not my whole breakfast stringer.  I still like to get up and catch a few before the rest of the crew rises.  That makes for the freshest breakfast. ;)       Marc

I agree with the last part of your post, fresh is always the best.
Still leery of the stringer overnight though ?
I remember going down to get that stringer of Waldo's when I tripped with a group and some big snapper had left us nothing but a half-dozen heads  :'(
 I really hate it when THAT happens ;D

Splice a 20' section of parachute cord onto your stringer. It gives the walleyes enough line to swim away from the turtle/otters. Never had them gone in the AM when I do that.

I had a long length of para cord tied to the stringer when this incident happened :o
Since I put the stringer out, I caught a ration of S**t from my partners!
The only bright spot was that since I did most of the fishing, and ALL the catching, they really didn't have a right to complain.
I had never even considered that the Q had turtles that size, I had never seen( or really looked) for snappers that far north.
Now I see them every trip and realize just how huge they can get.
I never would of believed a turtle could get to those Waldo's with that long of leash, but the snapper believed otherwise :'(

solotripper wrote on May 15^th, 2008 at 7:19pm:

I never would of believed a turtle could get to those Waldo's with that long of leash, but the snapper believed otherwise :'(

That's because the fish had no incentive in the game while the snapper did.....the fish were gonna get eaten either way.  

Snow_Dog wrote on May 15^th, 2008 at 11:31pm:

That's because the fish had no incentive in the game while the snapper did.....the fish were gonna get eaten either way.

Hilarious and true

Snow_Dog wrote on May 15^th, 2008 at 11:31pm:

solotripper wrote on May 15th, 2008 at 7:19pm: I never would of believed a turtle could get to those Waldo's with that long of leash, but the snapper believed otherwise :'( That's because the fish had no incentive in the game while the snapper did.....the fish were gonna get eaten either way.

 YES, but better to die by a sharp fillet knife and consumed in a delicious meal (for me), than be eaten in chunks by a hungry snapper ;)
  I'm sure that old turtle would have a similar argument ;D

I am with the alive and swimming group, on long line.  Had those snappers snack on them, so I simply go farther out in the lake.  Mesh bag with rocks, attached to stringer, long line up to surface, piece of "noodle" floatie I use for anchor as marker.  Depending on site, my personal  safe space is about 200 yards from shore, depending on location.  Needs to be deep water, somewhere around 30', and in the open.  Not had a problem since.  Love those am fries.

Yeah, stringer from camp here. I don't like fish that taste like fish. That's the flavor of decomposition and storing fillets for any lengthy time defeats the "fresh" aspect so I clean 'em in the morning. The nerves need to be firing for the breading to penetrate.  ;)

One of the nylon snaps or two work for me for a fish or two per line. Much more than that seems to increases the turtle's odd plus one is bound to end up belly up by the second morning if for some reason they haven't been consumed. More fish = more lines out. That's the nice thing about the nylon snaps.

Northerns tend to be pesky once in a great while but that's normally when the stringer is short and attached to the boat!

Bad turtle!   (You need to Login or Register ;)

gamble on the snappers and the otters. have certainly "crapped out" on occasion but more times than not we are feasting on fillets when the sun comes up and not hanging onto a couple body-less heads on the stringer.

have seen some paddler made cribs here and there which is an intriguing option since the fish stand more of a chance when they are free to swim, kick and fight. might be more of an aviary target though. any stories here?

thebutcher

I have seen Eagles eyeballing our stringer. Had Eagles sit over my head while I filleted a few too.

Seat down quietly in the evening on a good fishing lake near where you'd normally have your boats and stringer tried up. The turtle come up like begging lap dogs looking for a hand out. First thing you hear is them clear the water from their nose. Next time I may save a cheek for one and name it too.

JJS,

Your turtle comment reminded me of being on that big island on Bentpine Lk, ( the one with the big logging chain).
I intently filling water bottles for the next day, when a HUGE snapper stuck his head out of the water, so close it startled me.
 He sort of treaded water for at least a couple of minutes, staring at me like a hungry dog.
 I finally noticed that there was some signs in the shallow water that people had cleaned fish there.
Apparently, he was the camp turtle and was looking for a handout.
I went for my camera, but of course he was swimming away when I got back.
 I bet more than one fisherman has had the bejeezers scared out him, when "FIDO" popped up in front of him ;D

ST, I know the spot and turtle too. First place I noticed one doing that.

Ever meet one on the portage trail, or crawling though your camp?

This guy was doing one of the higher portages on the creek between Darky and Williams. I passed him on 2 carries. Should have given him a pack too.

---

Now that's what i call a portage monkey ;)

SOUPS ON !!!

solotripper wrote on May 18^th, 2008 at 5:16pm:

Your turtle comment reminded me of being on that big island on Bentpine Lk, ( the one with the big logging chain). ;D

That turtle got a couple of walleye when I camped on that site. I was taking a lazy nap and only to be rudely awaken by swearing and splashing and as "Fido" was persuaded to leave. After that we saw huge snapping turtle on the paddle the next and at our next campsite. (Which also had a huge fish crib)

Since were off point anyway ;), I asked this before but got no response?
Are snappers on the menu in Quetico park?
I checked the MNR site and from what I can figure it's a hit and miss depending on area? I didn't see them mentioned one way or the other in the Q. You have to think the Native People have used this resource as they do all the others?
I would like to try the Survivor Man method of grilling one whole on a bed of coals.
I've never heard anyone talking about it, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been done?
Snapping turtle is excellent fare but the meat is strong flavored, so NO it doesn't taste like CHICKEN ;D

" I bet more than one fisherman has had the bejeezers scared out him, when "FIDO" popped up in front of him "

ST,
That line made me laugh. I will confess that a similar "Fido" once produced a fine scorch mark on my shorts one morning, too!  ;D  Whew!!!
Wind-in-Face

Yeah, no kidding, those damn turtles just pop up and can really get the adrelaine going.  We had a daily visitor on Crooked at one camp, was huge, netted him once to inspect.  Pulled up on shore,  shell was more than 3' across, measured with string across longest part.  Slimy, leech or parasites sucking on skin parts on legs, wild stab on weight, we lifted it up, 50#.  Then it got mad, started hissing.  Needless to say we were very careful not to be anywhere near the head anytime!  Manoevered by holding tail.  What a beast.  

Over the years I've stayed at several campsites with a local camp snapping turtle in residence.  
We had walleyes on a stringer overnight on one trip, woke up to find a smallish northern with one of the walleyes held crosswise in its mouth.  He didn't let go till we nearly pulled him out of the water with the stringer of fish.
I doubt that fish fillets would go bad overnight, especially if salted a bit and sealed in a ziplock.  I wouldn't try keeping them longer than for breakfast tho.
The sinking into cold water method sounds nearly fail-safe.