Joe Beaderman Loc: Adams Nebraska

Allways take your stringer with you, turtles and other preditors will take your fish and sometimes even the stringer. Had it happen to me several times.

Captain Lahti Loc: Kennewick, WA

I like to fish for trout in S eastern WA. Usually catch and release. But when I’m Fishing to keep, I unhook them into a small cooler with a flip lid with ice emptied from my ice maker basket at home. They are almost frozen when I get home. Certainly cold and firm. At home I gut and remove the head. Then fill a gallon zip lock bag with a meal, say five fish, fill with cold water, squeeze out excess water to leave them covered but just so. Leave a small corner of the zip lock unzipped o let out air.They eat about as fresh as you can get them. I have string stingers with the metal tip to run through the gills and the ring on the end to run the tip through for that first fish, but it’s not the way to keep them alive. For that I have a metal stringer with individual clips. Intended to run through the lower jaw and not the gills. They often stay alive until finally removed from water. But if you are walking along the bank from spot to spot, your not going to keep them alive very long. The best you could hope for is keeping them cold only if the water is cold. Even steelhead fishing, I don’t string them through the gills but through the lower jaw. And bleed them dead when I’m leaving my spot.

You can store a heck of a lot of fish the way I do it, squeeze most of the water out of the bag. And keep them fresh if you drop them onto ice immediately.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

If you're gonna clean any fish "on site" leave the head on. Most states that have minimum length or slot length, will NOT Take your word that the fish was legal size. It can get very expensive,very fast! Even in saltwater,if you filet your catch on the water, keep the racks until you're on land.

JimCT Loc: Connecticut

There are large parts of the River I fish in (the Farmington in CT) that are C&R all year and some those are the prime spots which stay decently cold from the damn releases to manage the cold water according to a set of riparian rights set forth decades ago. There are lots of the river in the spring and summer where you can take. The creel limit is two 12 inch or better trout. In my case one stays on the stringer and when and if I get the second one, he gets whacked on the he’d to kill him quick, he is joined by the other and use my landing net to carry them and I go home to smoke or cook them . In the warm weather in the warmer parts of the river you need to know this river really well to find the trout and then probably only fly fishing . As the temp gets warmer, dept of environment protection closes fishing within a 100 yards of any water inlet that cools the river. That is where the trout will be but no fishing . I basically put the spinning trout gear away in mid June.

Justoldjim Loc: JUNCTION CITY, OR.

I always vacuum pack before the freezer keeps much better

JR okie Loc: Central OK

I guess I’m different. I use a small metal fish basket. During season we’re required to tag our catch to be inspected by game wardens. Never had a fish die in basket yet. Then we transfer to ice chest when we leave.

Frank romero Loc: Clovis, NM

Frank romero Loc: Clovis, NM

Use a laundry mesh bag with a rope attached and keep it with fish in the water.

Mister twister Loc: Foxworth,Ms.

The bag trick works. If bank fishing I take a playmate cooler handle on top with frozen ice packs. Move the fish to cooler as needed. Could use small cooler on wheels.

20mules Loc: Chesaw, Washington

20mules Loc: Chesaw, Washington

You are way overthinking the situation. Relax and have some fun.

qkas0322 Loc: Maryland

I put mine in a basket or on a line and keep them in the water you are fishing.

Jamesfk Loc: Carmichael, Ca

Look for Fish Catch bags online.....You will find allot of options/and prices.