Maybe I’m over thinking but as a noob to backcountry fishing I have this question.  Let’s say it’s around 10 am and I’m trolling a line in Batchewaung Bay and catch a couple nice meal size Walleye.  But I’m planning on camping at Jesse which means a few hours of paddling and a couple of portages.  What should I do with the Walleye?:
a)      keep them on a stringer in the lake as long as possible though they’re going to die on the portage
b)      fillet them asap and carry the fillets in a plastic bag with water
c)      gut the fish but don’t fillet them until I get to camp
d)      throw them back and wait to catch something closer to camp
e)      other
What’s the best way to handle this scenario?
Thanks for your help.
Kerry

Any of the above would be fine, but once it's dead you need to get the guts & gills out.

Instead of using lake water to cool, use salt.  My thinking is that lake water isn't particularly clean or cool for that kind of storage.  A hefty dose of salt, rub the whole gutted fish with it, will work better.  Then a good rince, LNT-nutty up on shore dump the rince water in the firepit if you're burning wood that night - otherwise treat it like greywater.

Me?  I'd let it go.  I don't need the fish. I bring food.  Fresh fish is an awsome luxury.  The closer to living the better.  I can get old fish at the market.

The correct answer is D - throw 'em back.  You will catch more and even if you don't . . . . . so what.  Filetting and moving them is probably a no-no (or at least seriously frowned upon) - I don't know.  Kind of defeats the "fresh fish" dinner objective anyway doesn't it?  Besides, if you're catching walleye on Batch I can almost guarantee walleye on Jesse.

Search your feelings Luke - You know them to be true.

10:00 AM?  You'll catch more.  If not, you had a Plan B anyway, right?

I might carry fillets over one short portage if it's getting close to dinner time.  I use Old_Salt's method if I do.  Other than that, I pretty much fish C&R only until I get to my destination lake

I guess I'm just overly cautious.  I don't want fish (even fillets) anywhere close to my packs.  Yes, I understand placing fillets in a plastic bag and wrapping in burlap or something else to create evaportive cooling.  But, if the plastic bag gets punctured ... guess what the pack will smell like, and that's going into camp with you.

I also get a mental picture my paddling partner told me about when he was in a group fishing along a river in Alaska.  It had been a pretty good day as they were walking the trail back to camp in single file; the last in line having his catch slung over his shoulder.  They were making enough noise that they didn't realize until almost too late that a griz was keeping pace with them, stide for stride, as they walked.  As soon as they realized their peril, they dropped there catch and quickened there step as they left the bear feasting on their deposit.

I'm not interested in repeating this senario, even with a black bear, especially since its not too unusual for me to be alone on a portage.


dd