I fly fish in a float tube for bluegills. These little guys are a lot of fun and I’ve always practiced catch and release. Now my wife has requested that I bring a batch home for a fish fry. (Who am I to ignore a request like this?)
Anyway, I am looking for suggestions on a practical way to contain the fish so I can gt back to fishing in short order. I don’t want to fiddle with a stringer because of the number of fish and time consumed. I’ve heard of floating fish bags that you can attach to your float tube. You just drop your fish in the top of the basket and get back to fishing.
Has anyone had experience in doing this? Does the fish bag get tangled up with your feet and float tube? Does it really float? Any recommendations with models and experience would be greatly appreciated.
You do realize that the new member gets the coffee and firewood. lol lol I don’t have any answers for you, but you will get results very soon I expect.
I am also looking for a fish basket to have float in the water next to me. I found one at walmart that floats but is ment for bait fish not bluegill. I would also be worried in them getting hung up in the mesh. I also have seen the metal mess basket that I have used before when I was a kid it worked well, but I don’t like the idea of this flaoting next to my tube. I will ask around if I find any more information I will get back to you .
I fish a small lake here with my NuCanoe and fish for the large bluegill and will at times take a mess home. What I have made up is I purchased the regular mesh fish basket that you can pick up at any Wal-Marts or other discount stores. I then use plastic wire ties and fasten the round foam pipe insulation around the neck of the basket. I think I have 3 rows of it around the neck. This holds the neck of the basket up above the water and the larger part below the surface. I also fastened one piece of the foam on the bottom of the top hinged lid which not only helps with the floatation but keeps upward pressure on the hinged lid so it does not flop down. You just push the bluegill down through the hinged top lid and the basket neck stays upright and above the water line. This has worked good for me.
I’m not sure if it will work for you or not but this is what I do. I have a fish cat float tube and it has a storage area behind the seat that holds nothing but lake water. If I’m out and decide to take a few home for the frying pan, I simply put them in my “livewell” until I’m ready to leave.
Have you ever seen a " large " zippered, nylon mesh garment ( for delicate’s ) bag for use in the washing machine? I found one at a Dollar store that measures 16" x 19". They’re tough enough to take hundreds of washing’s and not fall apart. Then all you need is a metal shower curtain clip that gets laced through the mesh at the side seam and clipped to a side hand strap or D-ring on your tube. If the connection point on your tube is to far from the waters surface for the clip alone, then just use a foot or so of 1/8" nylon cord for a lanyard and weave that through the mesh so that it encompasses the side seam, tie it off. Then tie the other end of the cord to the metal shower curtain clip. Total cost, under two bucks.
That’s about it, the lake and fish will do the rest. One thing to keep in mind, 'gills have some sharp dorsal rays. Those rays and some float tube bladders aren’t all that compatible.
Galen,
Warren’s suggestion is excellent. You can also buy (mine came from WalMart) a floating wire fish basket with a hollow plastic hinged lid that floats…Just push on the lid & the fish is held inside, yet can move & remain lively until you put them on ice. I just tie it off to the rear/side & have never had it interfere with landing a fish.
Welcome to FAOL…If you’re not already aware, this is a very special community of wonderful folks.
Mike
Look thru a Janns Netcraft catlogue or look on the web site for fish baskets. They have a mesh one that I am not sure how it connects to a boat, tube or canoe. They say it is a floating mesh basket.
In my one man pontoon, I take one of those floating baskets from Wally World and have used it with good success. Just make sure that they fish you just coaxed to bite for 10 minutes really goes in the basket and doesn’t get released while you ATTEMPT to put it in the opening.
I have it on a 5 or 6 foot section of paracord and the only problem is when I try to go through some heavy vegitation. It is useful enough to me that I continue to use it for the gill harvest and a couple of dinners a year.
The type that float away from the tube are the best and can be made from the collapsible metal fish baskets or mesh cloth laundry baskets. You need to to tie wrap a foam “noodle”, like the ones sold as swimming pool toys, around the opening.
Caution: I do not recommend a mesh bag type that attaches to the side of your tube or pontoon because bluegill (and a lot of other fish) have spines. Spines and float tube don’t get along! Trust me, I learned the hard way.
Get a bucket used for ice fishin witn a 1/2 opening lid. drill holes in the sides and bottom and attach a kid swiming pool foam tube at the 7/8 level to the bucket. Hint use cable ties to attache the foam tube.
PS Do not through the extra tube material away, use it for poppers.
Go out and have some fun and keep the Mrs. happy!, with a fish fry! If you keep fish please let the female go if they have eggs.
Bad Bug you won, It bets my idea, as as far as I am conerned everyone that showed
interest should order one. I am. Just put it behind the seat and use it when you want.
