Did you catch a fish? Great! A rich fish catch is a source of joy and pride for a fisherman. But in order for the caught fish to be eaten, it is worth knowing the methods that will help keep fish fresh. The issue of preserving the catch in the heat of fishing becomes especially relevant in the summer, when fish taken from a reservoir are only a few hours away from being turned into food for maggots. Besides, it is believed that for damaging trophies, the fisherman will be punished with no bite, which will be longer, the more fish were lost. Therefore, if there is a chance of the trophy rotting or fishing is not a means of obtaining food for you, all caught fish must be removed from the hook, photographed and released.

The tactics for preserving fish while fishing in the summer heat depend on how much and how often the angler is forced to move along the shore or by boat in search of fish.

How to preserve fish - what to do with wounded fish

If the fish is injured during fishing or during removal from the hook (deeply swallowed the bait and the hook is damaged internal organs or gills from which blood oozes), neither a cage, nor a kukan, nor special resuscitation measures will help the fish. Such a specimen must be euthanized with a precise blow to the back of the head, wrapped in dry towel and place in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Alternatively, it has proven itself well large basket with grass (preferably nettles), there should be twice as much grass as fish. Carcasses should not touch each other. In both cases, relative coolness and ventilation are important. During transportation, carcasses must breathe, so the use of plastic bags is highly undesirable. If a fisherman comes to fish by car, it makes sense to use insulated container with ice.

How to keep fish in a cage

When fishing with a float rod or feeder, you can trust all the care of the caught fish if there are no injuries to it. stationary mesh cage, which will not hinder the movement of the fish. Less preferable is a wire cage, in which the survival rate of fish is much lower - such cages, by definition, are not spacious, and the fish in them are seriously injured.

To prevent the fish tank from becoming a mass grave for the fish, it should be placed in a quiet, shady place, at least a meter deep, but in no case near the surf shore. Here, due to the constant movement of water in the bottom layers, the gills of the caught fish become clogged with silt and sand, and it quickly falls asleep.

Especially large specimens should be kept separate from the rest of the catch. Preferably use a separate cucan for every giant. Because of its sharp teeth, the pike is always kept only on a hook with a metal clasp, and never in a fabric cage, from which it will quickly arrange an escape for itself and other captives.

If the fish in the cage floats up with its belly up, she must be urgently removed and euthanized by stunning her with a blow to the area of ​​the head behind the eyes with a heavy object. Dormant fish in water will deteriorate even faster than in the sun, so you need to act decisively.

How to save fish while fishing during sea fishing

If fans of the float and feeder can spend all their fishing on the edge of one river pool, then spinning rods and fly fishermen, who run several kilometers a day, cannot fully use the fish tank.

In hot weather conditions, the Catch and Release principle is especially relevant. If the fish is caught for pleasure and does not plan to be tasted, the capture is followed by a short photo session, mandatory resuscitation and release of the trophy back into the reservoir. If a representative of the ichniofauna is destined to become a culinary delight, in hot weather, adherents of sea fishing either immediately euthanize the fish or immediately imprison it on a kukan, which is tied to the coastal vegetation right at the place of capture. The place for tying the kukan is selected according to the same criteria as for the cage.

On the way back, the fish are removed from the kukans, stunned, wrapped in a dry towel or covered with nettles so that the carcasses do not touch each other.

How to save your catch when fishing from a boat

A cage is only suitable for fishing with a float and feeder, when the angler’s movements around the reservoir are kept to a minimum.

If fishing is done from the side of the boat with a spinning rod (casting or on a track), when caught, the fish is either immediately euthanized or placed on a special cucan with a rubber shock absorber, which is securely attached to the sides of the boat and does not interfere with movement across the pond on oars (but not under a motor!).

In this regard, a special kukan design proposed by Russian enthusiast Nikolai Shcheynikov for inflatable boats:

• to the bow end (a rope about one and a half meters long) a piece of rubber shock absorber connected to the hole for the stern end is attached through a carabiner (or a loop in a loop). The ratio of the length of the rope and rubber is selected directly on the pond. It is preferable to keep steel fasteners with short laces at the ready in your vest pocket.

A fish placed on such a fish does not interfere with rowing or fishing. Pike, pike perch and large perch have their lower jaw pierced with a metal clasp. This piercing does not interfere with the functioning of the gill covers. Moreover, sitting on such a kukan, the pike can start hunting again if the kukan is placed near the shore.

How to save your catch while fishing (on a stationary kukan)

If anglers have camped for several days, experience using stationary cucan on a rubber shock absorber, which is not much different from the donkey design, only instead of a fishing line, a durable nylon cord with a diameter of 5-7 mm is used. On such a kukan, trophies are not afraid of seagulls, crows, or curious passers-by. You also don’t have to worry about breaking waves: the fish are located far from the shore in the bottom part of the water.

During long stays killed and gutted fish can be stored in a special pit in a shady place near a spring. The entrails and gills are removed from the fish, wiped inside and out with nettles and placed at the bottom of a pit lined with plastic film. After gutting, the fish should never be washed. In the pit, the carcasses are laid in rows, separating each layer with nettles. To protect against flies, the pit is covered with grass from above.

Before placing in the pit, the fish can be lightly salted, but in this case the juice will begin to release and the meat will lose some of its properties.

How to preserve fish - Signs of fish spoilage

It is better to refrain from eating fish if at least one of the conditions described below is observed:

• the gills have turned white and there is bad smell;
• the scales have become dull and are easily separated from the carcass;
• the meat is loose and easily separated from the bones;
• bloating of the abdominal cavity (fish) occurred.

How to keep fish fresh - ways to preserve your catch when fishing in the summer in the heat

There are three ways to preserve your catch. Following them does not require special skills and funds - it is enough to competently use natural resources and responsibly adhere to simple rules.

• how to preserve fish - freezing
  

The most common way to preserve fishing catch is refrigeration and freezing. To do this, use ice without sharp edges. Fresh fish is surrounded with clean cubes, then wrapped in thick cloth. In this way, you can extend the taste and nutritional quality of your catch by at least a week. Good freezers can keep fish fresh for six months. Thawing and re-freezing is highly not recommended, as this greatly spoils appearance and the taste of the catch.

Fish should not be salted before freezing. For long-term storage, it is better to use thick paper or plastic bags to avoid freezing in ice.

The optimal temperature for storage is minus 1 degree Celsius. For quick freezing, you can set the temperature to minus 15 degrees. It’s also worth knowing that lean fish lasts longer in the freezer than fatty fish.

If it is necessary to transport freshly caught fish over a short distance, use a damp cloth instead of ice. To do this, the carcasses are wrapped in cotton or linen heavily soaked in cold water. In addition, nettle leaves and alder branches are placed there for aroma. It is necessary to periodically check the moisture level of the fabric, since along with the evaporation of water, the taste also disappears.

• how to preserve fish - drying

In hot weather, you can preserve taste by using drying the catch in the sun. The effect of drying is based on the fact that freshly caught fish is covered with mucus, and under the influence of the sun's rays it turns into a dense protective shell, protecting the carcasses from penetration of bacteria inside. A thick “case” of dried mucus will allow you to deliver your river catch home in almost fresh condition.

Before drying, the gills of the fish are removed; in some cases, the entrails must also be removed.. They do this without opening the abdomen, pulling out all excess through the mouth. There is no need to completely gut the carcass. The scales should also not be touched - they will help the product stay fresh longer.

To prevent bacteria from penetrating inside, the gill wings are tightly secured. Under no circumstances should it be washed: a damp environment accelerates rotting and provokes the onset of decomposition of fat and proteins; fish should be kept away from dampness.

To dry the entire surface, the prepared carcasses are laid out in a row in a brightly sunny place. After a few minutes, turn them over to the other side. Large species of fish should be dried separately on the back and belly. You need to dry it until it is completely dry. It is important to ensure that the fish carcasses do not overheat and do not come into contact with each other.

Upon completion of drying, the fish is placed in the shade and covered with gauze or other thin cloth. to protect it from insects. Then the carcasses are placed in a special bag or backpack, adding branches of spruce branches - it will add aroma and make the taste even more pleasant. At home, dried fish should be placed in a container with cold water and leave in it for 3-5 minutes. This time is enough for it to get wet and take on its original appearance.

• how to preserve fish - chapping

In cloudy weather, instead of drying, you have to use a method of preserving fish such as chapping. Fresh for this The catch is laid out in an open place and covered with nettles, bird cherry branches, sedge or alder. To preserve the catch, such natural materials, like peeled garlic cloves, grated horseradish or onion. A wet cloth soaked in vinegar can also be a salvation. In critical cases, ordinary table salt comes to the rescue.

In such an important matter as preserving the catch, dishes also play an important role.:

• Containers for storage and transportation must be clean and large enough for the fish to lie freely in them.
• When using ice, use containers with holes in them to allow the liquid to drain out.
• Plastic bags can only be used for short-term transportation of fish. You should also add alder or nettle leaves to them - this will keep the catch fresh for a longer period.
• Styrofoam boxes are great for winter fishing. It is better to use the box once, or clean it thoroughly after each use.

1. It is better to keep caught fish in water, because it is cooler than air. It also prevents the penetration of fly larvae into it.
2. If possible, find nettles. If there is no nettle, then you can use another one, for example, a herb called “fire”.
3. Clean the fish. But there are certain aspects here, and in particular: the heads of small predators are cut off, and the gills of large ones are cut out.
4. Salt the head generously, if there is any left, and rub the fish itself with salt over the entire surface. It is important that there be as little liquid in it as possible. If you oversalt your catch, it's absolutely not a big deal. Then you'll just have to soak it longer.
5. It is necessary to ensure air exchange in the bag or package. The bag should preferably be “breathable”.
6. By transferring the nettle between the fish, it also goes inside each fish. In this case, it is advisable to put small fish on top. Perfect option, if you separate the predatory from the peaceful ones into different bags, because the predatory one is weaker and if it still goes rotten, then the mucus will remain in only one bag.
7. After packing, be sure to place the bag with the fish in the shade.
8. If you are traveling by car from fishing, it is important that the bag is not tied, that is, left open.
9. Upon arrival home, the first thing you need to do is sort out your catch.

Follow these tips for preserving fish in hot weather, and it will smell and look in excellent condition for eating.

How to preserve fish in hot weather? It is not enough to catch a fish, you must also be able to preserve it, and the preservation of fish begins from the moment it is caught. Everyone knows that fish is a delicate and perishable product. On hot days summer days caught fish spoils much faster than in cool weather. And it is advisable to deliver the catch home, if not alive, then at least in fresh form. Some fishermen have probably experienced the disappointment of bringing home spoiled fish from fishing. After all, eating fish that has begun to spoil can lead to poisoning, which is dangerous to health and sometimes life. Therefore, the fisherman needs to know the signs indicating that the fish is beginning to deteriorate. A characteristic features The beginnings of fish deterioration are as follows: The eyes become cloudy and turn white. The gills turn pink and then become white and covered with mucus. The abdomen is swollen, and small fish have a hole. The meat softens and separates from the ribs. Eating fish with such signs is dangerous - poisoning is possible. Of course, if your catch includes fish that will be used to prepare fish soup or a second fish dish directly at the fishing spot, then there is no need to worry about the fate of the catch, but if the catch needs to be delivered home, then you need to worry about the safety of the caught fish as soon as you've let her off the hook. Most often, removing the hook does not seriously injure the fish and does not interfere with its short-term storage in a live state. It can be somewhat more difficult to release the hook from the mouth of, for example, a perch, which often swallows the bait deeply. If you have to release the hook from the mouth of such large predators (with powerful jaws!), like pike or pike perch, then you need to open the mouth with the help of a gaper, and then, using an extractor, carefully remove the hook, trying to injure the fish as little as possible. Then the fish still remain alive for a long time if they are placed in water. There are several ways to preserve fish in the warm season. The most common method is that the caught fish is placed in a cage, which can be made of thread, woven from twigs, or made from thin planks. Factory-made metal cages are completely unsuitable for long-term storage of live fish, since the fish in them knock off their scales, damage the soft tissue of the lips and die quite quickly. And, of course, you cannot keep fish in plastic bags, especially tightly closed ones, which can often be observed among inexperienced fishermen. In such bags, fish most likely spoils. Most often, fishermen use cages woven from nylon threads. In order for the fish in such a cage to remain alive for as long as possible, it must be spacious enough - the fish in it will fight and rub against each other less. And one more, important note: the mesh of the cage (as opposed to a landing net) must be small enough so that the fish cannot stick its head into it, otherwise it will quickly fall asleep. It is advisable to keep the cage in the shade, protected from direct sunlight. And under no circumstances should you keep a fish tank near the surf shore: the fish cannot withstand the “uncomfortable” conditions in such a place and quickly die. Fish falling asleep in a cage, even if it is in water, can also result from suffocation caused by excessive accumulation of metabolic products as a result of too energetic movements of the fish trying to free itself from captivity. Falling asleep occurs much faster if the fish is injured. Over time, the caught fish becomes covered with mucus, the secretion of which is not a sign of poor quality fish - it is a kind of reaction of a dying organism to unfavorable external conditions. Fish that have fallen asleep must be immediately removed from the cage, since they deteriorate much faster in water than in air. If it is not possible to keep the fish alive, then it must be pinned immediately, and large and medium-sized fish must be bled. To do this, without resorting to gutting, make an incision in the spine near the tail and, holding the fish with the tail down, let the blood drain. Cut out the gills and discard. Remember that fallen fish is less tasty than dead fish. And the killed one lasts longer than the sleeping one. Different ways you can kill the fish. For example, a needle injection into the brain. Sometimes, after hitting the fish on the head with a stick, the fish is stunned, and then a puncture is made in the back of the head. The force of the blow is arbitrary and depends on the type and size of the fish, but it must be such that it does not leave marks or breaks the skull. There are other methods that are used depending on the type of fish. For example, a pike's spine is broken at the head, and the head must be bent back strongly until a crunch appears. The killed fish must be wrapped in nettles and sedges, the mouth stuffed with these plants, and the carcass dried in the shade until a protective film of dried mucus forms on the fish’s body. On cloudy days, the mucus hardens when exposed to air. During drying and chapping, the fish must be protected from flies. On a hot day, to be safe, it is better to gut the fish, remove the gills, lightly salt the inside and wrap it in plants. Gutted fish cannot be washed in water; it is quite enough to wipe it dry with grass or a clean canvas rag from above and from the inside, especially carefully removing the blood near the ridge. Having cleaned it, it should immediately be hung in the air for 5-7 minutes, and then wrapped in sedge or nettle and placed in a basket. Fish treated in this way should be stored in the shade. If fishing continues the next day, it is better to store the catch in a small hole dug in the ground. Cover the bottom of the pit with dry grass, each fish should be wrapped in dry reeds or sedge, and covered with dried these plants on top and covered with sand. It is best to keep the largest fish on the kukan in a quiet place, in the shade and closer to the bottom. In such conditions, fish can live even on hot summer days for a very long time - from 3 to 5 days. Acetic acid, mustard, garlic, and nettle increase the shelf life of fish. The volatile substances released by these products help preserve fish meat. For example, fresh fish, wrapped in a rag moistened with a solution of acetic acid (1-2 pieces of sugar per 0.5 liter of wine vinegar), and lightly sprinkled with salt, can be stored for 2-3 days. If, after a long fishing trip, a stock of fish has formed, then it can be salted, dried, and smoked. Fish brought home can be checked for freshness and good quality by the following signs: The gills of fresh fish are bright red, but if it has been bled, the color of the gills will be lighter. The gills of frozen fish are grayish with a reddish tint. Fresh fish has a clean and mild odor, specific to a particular type of fish and, of course, different for sea and river (lake) fish. The eyes of fresh fish are light and somewhat convex, the cornea of ​​the eyes is transparent. The meat is elastic to the touch, the scales are difficult to separate, the mucus is transparent, there is no unpleasant odor. Correctly assessing the quality of raw fish based on the consistency of its meat can be very in a simple way: how soon will the hole that forms on the back of the fish from light pressure on it with your finger disappear (and whether it will disappear at all). The sooner and more completely the hole disappears, the more complete the fish is in the consistency of meat. Fresh fish have bright colors and shiny scales. The degree of brightness of the color largely depends on how long the fish has been stored and whether it was stored raw or dry. When frozen, the color of the fish fades. If the fish is fresh, then the mucus covers its entire skin in an even layer. In addition, you should check the degree of adhesion of meat to bones (ease of separation of vertebral and rib bones from fish meat). The harder the meat is to separate from the bones, the better the consistency. When preparing any fish dish, you must strictly and completely follow the entire technological process of its preparation - this can prevent infection with various pathogenic microbes. You should not eat raw fish, as well as lightly fried, undercooked fish or those that have not withstood a certain period of salting, drying or smoking. For example, tiny balls with Siberian fluke larvae (quite often found in the body of stale fish) die in frozen fish only after 5 days at a temperature of at least -10°C, and in large fish they live even longer. Salting fish with strong salting kills the larvae only after 5 days in large fish and after 2-3 days in small fish. The fish is hot smoked for at least 2 hours. And, of course, after cleaning and handling raw fish, you must wash your hands thoroughly.

When fishing, use a long mesh stationary volumetric cage, and completely abandon the wire cage, in which large fish are often quickly injured. Particularly large fish must be kept separately. And because of its sharp teeth, keep the toothed pike on a kukan with a metal clasp, since it can bite through a cloth bag, freeing itself and other captives.

So, how to preserve fish in hot weather and on a long journey. It was then that the problem of preserving fish during long-term fishing and travel became very acute. For example, you need to store large fish such as carp or pike for about a day. After all, if a fish is caught in the evening or at night, it is not a fact that it will survive until the end of fishing. It will still be a long time before it gets into the home refrigerator. I'm not considering the case where you might have a car refrigerator with a cigarette lighter outlet.

How to preserve fish in summer

Firstly, leave it in the pond until the morning, since the water at this time is cooler than the air. Among other things, and what is very important, the possibility of fly larvae getting on the fish is eliminated. Please note that dead fish should not be left in water, as they deteriorate much faster in it.

Secondly, in the morning try to find nettles, fortunately there are a lot of them everywhere and it is not difficult to find them near rivers and reservoirs. But if nettle is not available, you can use other herbs.

Third, clean the fish. But there are nuances here: the heads of predators and small fish should be cut off, while the gills of large white fish should simply be cut out. After all, an old proverb says that a fish spoils from the head. The fish should not be cleaned, as the scales are its protective shell.

After gutting the entrails, there is no need to rinse the abdominal cavity, but only wipe it dry.

Fourthly, if the head of a large fish is left, it should be generously salted. And salt the fish itself and rub it over the entire surface so that there is as little liquid in the fish as possible. It is necessary to salt so that the salt remains visible and undissolved. It’s not scary to over-salt the fish, you’ll just have to soak it longer later. If the fish gives juice, it needs to be drained.

P.S. If anyone doesn’t know why bacteria don’t live in a saline solution, then I’ll explain that salt takes water from any organism, and thereby disrupts the functioning of living cells.

Fifthly, it is necessary to ensure air exchange in the bag or bag. The bag should be “breathable”, that is, made of natural cotton fabric.

At sixth. When putting fish in a bag, in addition to placing nettles on each fish, you must also put them inside the fish, and it is preferable to place small fish on top.

The ideal option is when it is possible to separate predatory and peaceful fish into different packages. Predatory fish spoil faster, and if for some reason they begin to rot, the mucus that forms will remain in only one bag.

Seventh, after packing it with fish, the bag should definitely be placed in the shade.

Eighth, when transporting on a long journey, the bag of fish should not be tied, and it should remain open.

Ninth, upon arrival home, the first thing you should do is disassemble the fish.

By following these notes, you can easily transport the fish and for almost a day its appearance may remain almost unchanged.

How to spot signs of fish spoilage

You should avoid eating fish if

1. Its gills are whitish or light-colored. grey colour, and she herself emits an unpleasant odor
2. The fish meat comes off the bones very easily.
3. The fish's belly bloated
4. The fish scales have become dull and come off easily.

It should be remembered that fishing For the fisherman, this day does not end, and he must remember that he will have to fish more than once. And if you spoil your caught fish, then, according to legend, the fisherman may be punished with no bite. Therefore, do not take extra fish, but only as much as you can save.

The caught fish, if it is not injured, must be immediately placed in a spacious fabric cage - it does not live long in metal cages. Lower the cage into water in a quiet place, shaded by bushes, at least 1 meter deep - the water there is cooler. Under no circumstances should fish be kept near the surf shore.

Here the conditions are so uncomfortable that the fish quickly die. Large fish are held on a kukan - a soft nylon cord passed through the gills, but not between the gill plates. The pike's lower jaw is pierced with a metal clasp (in this state it is even capable of hunting). Pike perch weighing up to a kilogram and bream do not live long in a cage.

If the fish in the cage begins to float upside down, it must be removed from there and killed, since the fish that has fallen asleep in the water spoils very quickly. This is done either by a puncture in the back of the head, or by an incision in the gill vein, but in no case should the fish be left to struggle on the shore - it will be injured and deteriorate faster.

It is recommended to gut the killed fish, wipe it inside and out with nettle or tansy leaves, alder branches, sedge (but do not wash it!), remove the gills, and lightly dry it in the shade - there are many microorganisms in fish mucus and drying kills them. It is best to store fish treated in this way in a hole dug near a spring or in a coastal area, in a place shaded by bushes with moist soil. The pit is covered from above with tree branches and grass to protect it from flies. The fish are placed in rows in the pit, with nettles or other preservative plants placed between them.

If the journey home takes more than 3 hours, before leaving the river, the fish should be removed from the cages and removed from the kukans, killed and processed as stated above. It's best to put it in abdominal cavity and into the gills, if you have not removed them, leaves of tansy or nettle. It is necessary to transport fish in a basket that has good air exchange, but under no circumstances in plastic bags or sacks - the carcasses must “breathe” and not wrinkle during transportation. To prevent them from touching, they are replaced with the same plants.

Small breams, minnows, and bleaks do not tolerate transportation well - they are better in hot conditions. Fish processed in accordance with the above recommendations can be stored for 24 hours in heat up to 30° C. Salting fish reduces its taste because the meat loses its juice under the influence of salt. But in the case of multi-day fishing, you have to add salt to the fish to bring it home; It is better to store and transport it according to the given method.

You can be sure that the fish is fresh if:

The gills are scarlet, without any foreign odor;

The eyes are light, convex, with a transparent cornea;

The scales are smooth, shiny, without sticky mucus, and are difficult to separate;

The meat is dense and springy (there are no pits left after pressing);

The abdomen is normal, not swollen.

If you notice that one of these requirements is violated, it is better to refrain from eating such fish.