Safely Store Your Catches

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How To Safely Store Your Catches (856 Words)

After the thrill of successfully reeling in your catch, you are faced with two options; either keep the fish and eat it later, or let it go. However, both of these options pose their own challenges, especially on a fishing kayak where you have very limited space for storage and maneuverability. Storing your catch must be done in a manner that ensures it stays fresh and out of your way while releasing the fish must be done without harming it or yourself. Thankfully, anglers now have a lot of tools at their disposal to ensure that whether they keep or release their catches, it can be done safely and with maximum efficiency.

The Weather

When it comes to keeping your fish the weather is going to play …show more content…

A live fish on a kayak will slowly die, which causes a myriad of issues ranging from bruised meat due to all the thrashing as well as the release of natural toxins. In addition, having a live fish flap around in your kayak is not very safe. This means that you have to kill your catch as quickly and humanely as possible to keep it fresh. The quickest way to accomplish this is a swift blow to the head (you'll find a soft spot just above the eyes).

The Pros and Cons of …show more content…

Using stringers for large fish means you don't have to worry about lugging around a cooler with you, but the downside is that it will influence your tracking when you have a large fish tethered to your kayak. You'll also find that you are much slower in the water when using strings and there is always the risk of attracting predators when using this method. However, this might not be an issue for anglers who are fishing slow and stick to water where there are no nasty predators lurking. One situation where you definitely want to avoid stringers is when fishing in salt water where sharks are present. A dead fish is still going to be worse off getting dragged around in hot water compared to one that is properly stored in ice, so the water temperature where you angle will also play a role. Of course, fans of stringers will point out that not having your catch with you in the kayak is a lot safer when it comes to cuts or bites. Detractors on the other hand claim that the fish can get bruised from getting dragged around on a stringer and the risk of losing your catch is also

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