Copro's P21

[Hope2float]

Jody
Thanks for the info on fish kill bags seems like a good idea.
Dave

[Spokaloo]

Dave, I carry 3 custom built bags in my boat, and we can haul 15-30 albacore in them, depending on the grade of fish we get into that day, getting them very cold by the time we hit shore.



One 30x60 on the back step, and 2 24x48 bags that we move to certain spots in the cockpit.

Can't recommend kill bags enough.

E

[Dougster]

Hey Eric, do you load the bags with ice before leaving or store the ice separately and then add when you get fish? Probably a dumb question but I've never seen 'em and am interested.

Fishin' around for ideas Dougster

[Cracker Larry]

Doug, I don't know what Eric does, but we store the ice separate in big coolers, then use it as we need it in the fish bags and fish boxes. It keeps longer that way. Eric is in a climate a lot colder than ours though, so it may not matter as much to him.

[Spokaloo]

Our fishery is a little different than Larry's, but not a ton. We load everything that can hold ice with ice. The bags are full, the seat boxes are full, the bleed buckets are full, everything is topped off. We pay around $50 a tote for shave salt ice, which comes to around 1000-1200lbs depending on the day. We usually split a tote between two boats if they are smaller (mine is one of the smallest in the fleet) and bigger boats (Robalos, Albemarles, etc) can take on their own tote alone. I can get about 500lbs of ice on board in insulated containers, and about 100 in the slush cans.

Once we are out there, we transfer fish and ice wherever is necessary. The bleed/slush cans eat up a bunch of ice throughout the day, which makes room in the bags for the fish. Shave ice likes to be moved around so you don't get air gaps around the fish.

By the end of the day, the bags are full of fish and ice, the seat boxes are usually still half full, and if it's been good fishing, the slush buckets have ice slurry and tails sticking out of them.





Can't have too much ice, we usually have the fish down to below 50 degree core temps by the time we get back to port.

E

[Dougster]

1200 lbs of ice I used to debate between a 5 lb or a 10 lb bag Course I'd just catch a few specs and maybe a red or two. Sold my bay boat 12 yrs ago and haven't fished that much since. That's gonna change when I finish Nina My fishing history is mostly rivers, lakes and bay. Started out with the old bamboo pole and bluegill. Sorry for the thread drift but thanks for the info. Those bags look great to me.

Gotta learn about this offshore thing Dougster

[wegcagle]

I'm with ya Dougster. I gotta say that if I caught as many billgills and crappy in a day as Eric did tuna, I'd be fired up. Interesting since they're 0.5lb to 1 lb max a piece. I'm pretty sure the tail of one of his is more than that

I may be buying a couple of those bad boys myself.

Thanks,

Will

[Cracker Larry]

We pay around $50 a tote for shave salt ice, which comes to around 1000-1200lbs depending on the day. We usually split a tote between two boats i

That's about the same amount we carry for a day offshore, between 300-500 pounds, depending on the temps. In real hot weather we fill everything we have.

[Copro]

Well the summer had come to an end and I go back to work Monday.

The ole boat has held up well. We trailered it to the Flordia Keys for a month and had a great time doing what one does in Florida. We did 4 overnights out in the gulf stream trying to catch a swordfish, hooked one but mostly caught sharks including a 10 foot hammerhead. Ran out to marathon hump a few times and loaded up on the little blackfins. Caught countless little dorado and have still not caught mr. wahoo???? Also made a point to stop and view the shuttle lauch, what a great day that was. Ran up the ICW from Sabastian to the Bannana River for a gret viewing.

Spent last week in a wonderful little place on Vancouver Island called "Critter Cove". If you ever want a do it yourself Salmon/Halibut trip that is a dang good place to start. My second trip there, but both have been awesome. We took the ferry across, bought tote of ice, loaded up and headed to crtiiter. Kind of funny seeing that little P21 loaded with a five 150 quart coolers full of ice, fishing gear, camping gear, and 3 guys!! We unloaded the ice on the docks and spent five days fishing the outside (open pacific) and just had a blast. We all got out limits of halibut and king salmon and brought home a few lingcod, coho, and rockfish just for good measure. We released so many fish its silly, what a great fishery that is.

One of these days I'll post some pictures, but I figured the fact that I towed this silly boat from Idaho to th FL keys to Idaho and then to Vancouver Island and back home was a worthy point to mention here. All total the trailer earned over 10,000 miles this summer.

Jody

[Cracker Larry]

have still not caught mr. wahoo????

We got into the Wahoo the day after you left us

I figured the fact that I towed this silly boat from Idaho to th FL keys to Idaho and then to Vancouver Island and back home was a worthy point to mention here.

Certainly worth more than a mention. Glad you got home safe, that's a lot of miles It was a pleasure meeting you. Hope to do it again