Perch Disaster

Originally Posted by mudpuppy

A bag of ice costs a dollar. When I plan on keeping fish I always put them on ice ASAP. You can just dump a bag or two right in the livewell for the trip.

Yah. That answers his question.

[Radnine]

Originally Posted by REW

A bag of perch is really worth very little.

Perch is worth about $16 a pound and ice is $2.99 a bag. Boy, you guys know diddly about living in Canada. The good news is that when I need my stomach pumped out because of eating bad fish I won't have to sell a kidney to have it done.
As sure as I have taught you guys about life in Canada, I have also learned from you Americans: I am suing Crestliner for the faulty plug in the live well!
The waste of good perch aside, I also felt terrible about the way they perished in the dry hot live well. It is clear to me now that my mistake was not freezing them to death while they suffocated.
Thanks again for the responses boys, much appreciated.
Jim

[Huntindave]

Originally Posted by Radnine

The plug in my Crestliner is complete rubbish. It is a plastic plug with two O rings on it. One of the O rings broke long ago, and still to shove this plug in is difficult, and to remove it takes an act of congress!

I have a Creastliner also and my livewell plug was the same way. I say was because there is an easy fix. What I found is that the female fitting had a mold seam which was protruding and causing the excessive tightness of the male plug. I took a sharp knife and carefully trimmed the excess plastic from the ID of the fitting.
The plug is still a bit snug for my liking but far better than it was before. A bit of silicone lube on the orings also helps a lot .

[tugger]

Originally Posted by Radnine

Perch is worth about $16 a pound and ice is $2.99 a bag. Boy, you guys know diddly about living in Canada. The good news is that when I need my stomach pumped out because of eating bad fish I won't have to sell a kidney to have it done.
As sure as I have taught you guys about life in Canada, I have also learned from you Americans: I am suing Crestliner for the faulty plug in the live well!
The waste of good perch aside, I also felt terrible about the way they perished in the dry hot live well. It is clear to me now that my mistake was not freezing them to death while they suffocated.
Thanks again for the responses boys, much appreciated.
Jim

Jim

I'm a little baffled on this one, can you explain how you planned to kill them? Also, It's hard to believe you didn't hear them flopping around in the dry live well.

[fisher-1]

Ontario Fishing Regulations (page 9)
"Do not transport live fish overland in a livewell filled with water. Fish must be dead and should be transported on ice".

[seasick steve]

Originally Posted by tugger

Jim

I'm a little baffled on this one, can you explain how you planned to kill them? Also, It's hard to believe you didn't hear them flopping around in the dry live well.

i guess its a little nicer to filet them alive. but i have to admit i don't know the first thing about being a canadian.

[REW]

Tugger,
Actually you are quite wrong on the price of fresh caught perch at $16/ lb.

What about the cost of not being at work on that day - $465.
What about the depreciated cost of your boat and motor for one day of fishing - $723.

What about the depreciated cost of your tow vehicle for one day of fishing. $823.

What about the cost of the gear - fishing gear- that you use for one day to catch the fish - $321.

What about the cost of your electronics for one day to catch the fish, $143.

I think that if you add up these costs, you will find that your fresh caught perch are much closer to $500 per lb. than $16 per lb.

Be safe
REW

[REW]

(b) the fish comply with any applicable size limits,
(c) the Sport or Conservation Fishing Licence daily catch and retain limits for walleye or northern pike are not exceeded at any one time,
(d) no more than six largemouth or smallmouth bass (or any combination) caught under a Sport Fishing Licence are retained at any one time, and
will survive may be released (see Tips on Live Release of Fish,
page 10). Releasing a fish that will not survive and allowing the flesh of that fish to be wasted is an offence. Any fish not live-released are part of your daily catch and retain limit.
　
TRANSPORTING SPORT FISH IN ONTARIO
　
It is contrary to the Ontario Fishery Regulations to stock or transport live sport fish without a permit.
Anglers need to ensure they are transporting fish in compliance with the regulations, which are designed to protect fisheries resources. The fish that you catch and keep may be cleaned. However, please remember that fish taken from waterbodies where size limits are in effect must be readily measurable at all times, unless the fish are:
• Being prepared for immediate consumption
• Prepared at an overnight accommodation for storage
• Being transported on the water from a temporary overnight accommodation to your residence and you are not engaged in sport fishing
　
• Being transported overland.
Do not transport live fish overland in a livewell filled with water. Fish must be dead and should be transported on ice.
In addition, when packaging fish you must ensure that a conservation officer can easily determine:
• The number of fish in your possession
• The species of fish in your possession. This may require leaving a large patch of skin, the head, or some other identifying feature depending on the species of fish (e.g. lake whitefish vs. lake herring).
　
TIPS FOR PACKAGING FISH
　
1. All fish must be packaged so that they can be easily counted and identified, not just those with limits.
2. To ensure fish can be easily counted, package each fish separately, or arrange fillets spread flat in a clear freezer bag. DO NOT freeze fillets in a milk carton, margarine tub or other container. A large lump of fillets frozen together in bags is also unacceptable.
3. Since anglers often transport various species of fish, it’s their responsibility to ensure every fillet of their catch can be easily
　
• Frozen fish fillets without skin
attached
• Species cannot be identified
• Numbers can be counted
　
• Fillets form a frozen block
• Numbers cannot be counted
• Species cannot be determined
on all fillets

[fishboat]

Originally Posted by seasick steve

i guess its a little nicer to filet them alive. but i have to admit i don't know the first thing about being a canadian.

Yes, it's been well documented that fish prefer, by a 5 to 1 margin, being filleted while in tip-top condition over fading to black by lack of oxygen.

As for the OP...I imagine catch and release would yield the 'happiest' fish.

[Hawker]

Originally Posted by Radnine

Hi All,
I went Perch fishing with my son today and we ended up bringing home 13 of them. The problem is that sometime on the way home (a 2 hour trip) the plug came out of the live well and when I got home all of the fish had perished.
I feel badly about the way that they went, but would feel super bad if it was all for not. My question is would they still be okay to eat? (I have cleaned them and put them in the fridge)
Thanks for any advise.
Jim

Originally Posted by fireboat

If there was any color left in their gills, red or pink, their OK. 2 hrs isn't very long unless it's a real hot day.

As Fireboat suggested, if there was any color left in their gills when you indeed did clean them, most likely they are just fine! It suks about the faulty plug letting the water drain out, but hopefully you'll have time to resolve that issue before your next trip out and won't have this dilemma again! Dontcha just love it when you ask a simple question and get raked over the coals for doing this, not doing that etc???
Good luck fishing, glad ya had a good time with your son!
Tight Lines!!