There’s a debate raging between the C&C and CPR communities that often makes this question challenging for many of the new kayak anglers. CPR is a great practice to use and has helped grow the trophy trade exponentially.
Now, to be clear, AJ and I use CPR (Catch, Photo, Release) on many of our catches when we’re out fishing. Depending on what we are out fishing for and what we are catching, we frequently keep a few of our catches for dinner.
C&C (Catch and Cook) has been a means of survival for about as long as man has existed. Unfortunately, in this modern era of pollution and poisoned waters, we have to limit the amount of fish we eat. Here in Texas, we’ve got reports from TPWD about how much fish we should limit ourselves to from each of the local fisheries. As a preface to this conversation, I highly recommend you get familiar with these types of recommendations if you are going to practice C&C while out kayak fishing.
When AJ & I Kayak fish we have 2 (3 if you want to get specific) methods of keeping our catch:
First: Stringers are our most frequently used method.
There are so many different options for stringers on today’s market that you should be able to find one that works for you.
Line Stringers are typically our stringer of choice. They’re lightweight, compact, easy to clean, and cheap to replace. I’ve tried the Clip stringer style. With my hand issues, I struggled to get the clips to open and close while keeping the fish still. The clips tended to rust if any of the fish were missed while cleaning.
Pros:
Lightweight. In the world of kayaking, every ounce matters. While stringers aren’t going to be the make-it-or-break-it factor in your weight restrictions, it never hurts for your piece of mind.
Your Choice of Kayak makes a big difference in the choice of gear you’re going to use.
Compact. No matter how small your kayak is, no matter how little your gear pack is going to be, you’ll be able to find or make this type of stringer to fit snugly and compactly in your gear storage.
Cleaning. We soak our stringer in warm water with a few drops of Dawn dish detergent for about 10 minutes, rinse, then hang over the shower head to dry. It’s quick, easy, and simple.
Cheap. You can get decent-length stringers for less than $2.
Preservation. The fish can be kept alive throughout your fishing trip. When you’re ready to harvest the fish, you can bleed them out at the same time, put them on ice, and have some of the freshest meat your kayak has ever provided for you.
Cons:
Longevity. They do fray and break down over time At the cost, however, this doesn’t tend to be much of a deterrent. And, all things being relative, I tend to lose them in the bed of my truck or in the storage room more frequently than I damage them.
Cumbersome. As with any fishing tool, there is a learning curve. I had to experiment to find where the best placement was for my stringer. And I will tell you, it’s different for each of the kayaks I’ve fished from. One of my favorite solutions has been to put a float on the end of the stringer to keep the fish up, off the bottom (I tend to cross shallow waterways frequently when kayaking) and provides more resistance to the fish trying to force their way off the stringer.
Stacking. With a nylon stringer, fish are stacked on the line. If you catch a larger fish and want to put the smaller one back, you’re going to have to remove every fish caught since that “throw back” one just to change your collection. I tend to opt for keeping what I’ve caught rather than changing out my fish. My theory is that I’ve already caused trauma to that fish so I’d rather keep him than injuring multiple fish that I throw back. Yes, the nylon stringer causes trauma. It’s a stringer. All stringers can and will cause a degree of trauma to a fish.
Knots. Always keep your stringer cleanly stored. Any miss-step in unwrapping or struggle while stringing your catch can result in a not in the stringer. I can assure you, that you don’t want to fight a fish struggling to get off your kayak as you’re trying to untie a knot in your stringer.
Second: Ice chests work well when on a larger kayak
We kayak on everything from small 10-foot, lightweight kayaks to 13-foot, motorized kayaks that can haul a deer. The key to remember is that you want something that will fit snuggly on your kayak (well-secured) and be easy to reach.
What kayak have you chosen to fish from? Did you use these 7 Factors when making your choice?
Pros:
Convenience. An ice chest will keep the fish out of the water and out of the way. They’re not fighting the flow of the kayak. The ice chest can help counterbalance your gear to keep the kayak level and smooth in the water. Before you start catching, you can use the ice chest to store drinks, snacks, etc.
Transportation. You don’t need secondary storage for your harvest once you get back to shore. Simply pull the chest from your kayak and toss it in your vehicle to head home. Once home, put the chest in your kitchen, on your patio, or wherever you butcher, and let them chill until you’re ready to start filleting.
Multiuse. Depending on the ice chest you get you have multiple uses for it beyond storing your fish. The top works great as a tabletop when cutting fresh bait or repairing damaged lures on the fly. Magnets can be glued to the ice chest to store tools and lures you want to dry before putting them back in your box. Rod holders and net holders can be attached. Your imagination is your only limitation in this regard.
Cons:
Weight. Especially on small kayaks, weight is a major issue. If you put it behind you, the stern can run low in the water creating massive drag. It can prevent a straight tracking in the water while paddling. You can experience more fatigue from having to work harder while paddling. If you’re close to or over your weight capacity, you start to take on water.
Size. No matter what size ice chest you take, you are putting something large and bulky on your kayak. If space is limited, this can become exceptionally cumbersome. Sometimes you can mitigate this problem by using the ice chest as your seat or limiting the amount of ice you add. Another size issue becomes your catch. If you’re taking a small ice chest to accommodate the well size of your kayak and then you catch a 10-pound catfish, will it fit in your ice chest?
Motion. If you put your fish in the ice chest alive you are going to have something on your boat moving around, often at the most inopportune times. I had a good-sized catfish in my ice chest on one trip that managed to flop around hard enough that he hit the lid, flipping it open, slamming me in the back of the head. I lost the fish I was fighting because my line went slack when I involuntarily moved forward. I had a raging headache for the next couple of hours. And, probably most intimidating, I almost flipped the kayak when his weight shifted from the center of the kayak to the side suddenly. A way to reduce this risk is to bleed them out before putting them in the ice chest…Lesson learned by many of us.
Other options you may want to consider
There are a range of live wells available for kayakers these days. None are particularly cheap, but they are available. There are also live well options for DIYers who are up to building their own. Some will go in your kayak. Some sit on top of your kayak. And now there are some available to float beside your kayak. These are definitely options to explore and consider if you’re not particularly fond of the options AJ & I use.
Another potential solution for you is a fish basket. Some float while others have to be tied short. Some baskets collapse to a small profile for easy storage until you’re ready to use them. You can get them in a variety of materials depending on your intended use and preferences. The big consideration I’d caution you to think about is size. Most have a relatively small opening that will make keeping larger fish difficult if not impossible.
So there you have it. 2…4…Many options to choose from for keeping your catch when kayak fishing. What methods have you tried? Are there methods you’ve found that work well? Do you plan to try different methods we haven’t discussed here?