Crappie on ice

I see a lot of pics of people on the water with crappie on ice rather than in a live well. What are the benefits of putting them on ice rather than in a live well (assuming it keeps them alive)?

Easier to clean when you get home. No flopping around. :)

Don't know about yours but in this heat with a bunch of Crappie in my livewell , they die and spoil rather quickly.

I put them on ice simply due to the fact I have no livewell.

My live well is my dry storage compartment. I think fish on ice keep longer. Most of the time it is the next day before I get to clean fish. Cold fish are easy to clean. I keep them in ice with the plug pulled to drain.

there is not many livewell that well keep many crappie a live in this heat . they will ruin real fast as hot is it has been!!! if you are going to fish in this heat thats the last thing you want is your catch to ruin!!!!!!!

It keeps them from spoiling, it makes the meat more firm and they are easier to clean. it keeps your livewell from stinking in this heat.

X 2 ! ! ! Ice is the rule in this heat. We even take two ice chests with one slap full of ice so that we can place ice on the crappie as soon as we form a single layer of fish in the other ice chest. A few years ago we let 60 crappie spoil because all the ice was in the bottom of the ice chest and the upper fish were insulated from the ice and got too hot! Sometimes I even put clean water in the ice chest before starting so that the fish are going into ice water as soon as they are caught! For tourney fishing in this heat where the fish have to stay alive there are techniques to keep a few fish alive in the live well until weigh-in but it just isn't practical otherwise when you are keeping a lot of fish in hot weather.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NIMROD

Don't know about yours but in this heat with a bunch of Crappie in my livewell , they die and spoil rather quickly.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by luvpt

X 2 ! ! ! Ice is the rule in this heat. We even take two ice chests with one slap full of ice so that we can place ice on the crappie as soon as we form a single layer of fish in the other ice chest. A few years ago we let 60 crappie spoil because all the ice was in the bottom of the ice chest and the upper fish were insulated from the ice and got too hot! Sometimes I even put clean water in the ice chest before starting so that the fish are going into ice water as soon as they are caught! For tourney fishing in this heat where the fish have to stay alive there are techniques to keep a few fish alive in the live well until weigh-in but it just isn't practical otherwise when you are keeping a lot of fish in hot weather.

---

+1

ICE in a cooler for fun fishing... If im in a tourney I keep frozen water bottels and throw one or two in every 3-4 hours to cool off the water and keep the fish healthy. Works Great and I feel like they are more frisky than when I caught em when I pull them out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CrappiePro

ICE in a cooler for fun fishing... If im in a tourney I keep frozen water bottels and throw one or two in every 3-4 hours to cool off the water and keep the fish healthy. Works Great and I feel like they are more frisky than when I caught em when I pull them out.

---

Yep. I agree, but even then I won't put too many in the well to prevent overcrowding. I pump fresh water in regularly too. Gotta give em oxygen when the water temp is high.

Cooler full of ice is the way to go though if they don't have to still be kickin in the afternoon.

Thanks guys. That all makes sense. I realize now why my live well keeps them alive. I'm not catching enough crappie!!!

They keep well in a livewell until the water temp hits 70-75 degrees. After that I keep 2 frozen 2 litre bottles of ice in my cooler for a morning trip. After 75 degrees the amount of oxygen that the water can hold drops drastically. I can do it either way but prefer to fillet 'em chilled.

We use milk jugs 1/2 gal freeze these with a teaspoon of table salt in 1/2 gal milk jug in a 48 qt cooler(our live well) fill the 48qt cooler with water just enough to cover fish.Put 1/2 gal frozen milk jug with a teaspoon of table salt in cooler with fish take the( lid off) of the 1/2 gal milk jug as the milk(or ice) jug thaws it puts the cooler water and salt (brin water in with fish) will keep fish a live longer most of the day or night if night fishing!!!!! Will add frozen 1/2 gal ice jugs as needed throughout the day!!!! If you have a built in live well in boat you can just add 1/2 gal jugs as needed!!!!!

Never had a livewell in my boat. Have used a cooler since I was a wee little lad. Makes the sodas taste better anyway.

I have a walleye type boat which has a hugh livewell. First thing I do after getting on the water is fill up the livewell with clean water and drop a few frozen gatorade bottles in. Once they melt I switch 'em out with a few ice packs and I'll have the water inside the livewell a good 10*-15* cooler than the lake surface water. Crappie swim around frisky & healthy until I reach home and drain the livewell.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MEATGETTER

there is not many livewell that well keep many crappie a live in this heat . they will ruin real fast as hot is it has been!!! if you are going to fish in this heat thats the last thing you want is your catch to ruin!!!!!!!

---

X1000


Big River Marine
Bill Burnett
870-635-0202

We offer Xpress, Excel, and Alweld Boats. Yamaha, Suzuki, Evinrude, and Tohatsu/Nissan Engines.
Southern Pro Tackle Pro Staff
Member, Tri-State Crappie Anglers

2xxxx

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Billy E

My live well is my dry storage compartment. I think fish on ice keep longer. Most of the time it is the next day before I get to clean fish. Cold fish are easy to clean. I keep them in ice with the plug pulled to drain.

---