I recently watched a video where they were talking about keeping their fish in a livewell overnight. What are people using for this?

Using rocks to build a "corral" in the shallow water to keep your fish confined.

I haven't done it, and not sure it's within the rules or not.

I would count on corralling your fish in rocks being effective in making the mink and snapping turtles happy, but don't plan on having any fish for yourself the next morning.

I'm not sure what live wells people are referring to. I found it easiest to just throw back any fish I can't eat that day.

johndku: "Using rocks to build a "corral" in the shallow water to keep your fish confined. "

I've stayed at a several campsites that have this 'feature'...usually on lakes that allow motors.

Tyler11: "I recently watched a video where they were talking about keeping their fish in a livewell overnight. What are people using for this?"

I don't

johndku pretty well spelled out how it's been done, and minnmike correctly points out the pitfalls of such a setup.

This kind of construction project does run counter to the leave-no-trace principles most of us try to follow, and it would not be looked upon favorably if this type of structure were left behind by some over-energetic engineer/fishers.

An alternative you could consider was told to me by a friend who used to guide up north. He said that the old-timers (I'm an old-timer now, so this must go WAY back) would put the live fish in a burlap sack with some rocks, tie up the sack with a long rope and sink it in deeper water overnight. Supposedly there was no predation by turtles, otters, or mink, and the fish would still be lively in the morning.

Now the next problem is: where to you find a burlap sack these days!?

thebotanyguy: "johndku pretty well spelled out how it's been done, and minnmike correctly points out the pitfalls of such a setup.


This kind of construction project does run counter to the leave-no-trace principles most of us try to follow, and it would not be looked upon favorably if this type of structure were left behind by some over-energetic engineer/fishers.


An alternative you could consider was told to me by a friend who used to guide up north. He said that the old-timers (I'm an old-timer now, so this must go WAY back) would put the live fish in a burlap sack with some rocks, tie up the sack with a long rope and sink it in deeper water overnight. Supposedly there was no predation by turtles, otters, or mink, and the fish would still be lively in the morning.


Now the next problem is: where to you find a burlap sack these days!?
A mesh laundry Bag perhaps



"

unfortunately I know all too well about feeding the otters/snapping turtles. I once tied up a nice walleye that I was going to eat for supper one afternoon. When I returned about an hour later to pull the fish up from the end of our dock there was nothing left but the head. Lets just say that I will never do that again.

take a wire fish basket- eventually with fish inside-- attach a plastic water container as the "bobber" on the end of rope- tie one end to the basket and one to the "bobber" and anchor it off shore in 10-15 FOW. with another piece of rope from the bottom of the basket. Try to get the fish basket about 3/4 of the way down. The fish last easily over night but will be stressed over two nights and start looking rough. But less troubles than the rock corrals.

A few times I've kept fish overnight on a stringer in thick roots along the bank so they can hide. Guess I've just be lucky so far.

johndku: "Using rocks to build a "corral" in the shallow water to keep your fish confined.


I haven't done it, and not sure it's within the rules or not. "

I remember a trip in 1976 when neighbors camping near us on Gneiss Lake caught a nice northern at dusk and kept it in a rock corral on the shoreline intending to eat it for breakfast. When we paddled by the next morning they showed us what they found that morning. It looked like a cartoon fish - a head and tail connected by a spine.

I have never had luck keeping fish alive overnight from shore. Once, my son and I filleted the fish, double zip-lock bagged the fillets, tied them to a rock and dropped it fifteen feet off shore in 20 ft of water. Pulled the bag up in the morning...shredded. I'm bringing a wire fish basket this year.

Construction of livewells or anything else in the wilderness is illegal.

I'm thinking of getting something like this:
mesh bag
The dusk bite is usually pretty good, but also near to bedtime for us, so this could solve that. Anybody try it?

lundojam-
Yeah, same deal with us, we bang some 'eyes on the after-dinner bite (aka "The Booze Cruise"), and want to save a few for the next day...the mesh bag works like a champ! Also, otters and turtles aren't the only friends that raid the stringer... we had some of those ferocious BW seagulls (from Superior?) that were big enough to throw a saddle on do a job on our catch, too!!! I think those live-wells are like a grocery store for the critters up there...

A couple years back, I think it was on Fourtown or maybe Ensign, I left 6 small eater walleyes on a stringer overnight for breakfast, this is a pic of the walleyes at breakfast time:
BTW burlap sacks are sold at Fleet Farm in two sizes regular and large...

old_salt: "Construction of livewells or anything else in the wilderness is illegal."

Unless your first nation I suspect.

johndku: "Using rocks to build a "corral" in the shallow water to keep your fish confined.


I haven't done it, and not sure it's within the rules or not. "

Thank you for having not done it. And I hope people will not do it. Your live 'corral' is cool to you (the person that made it) but not to me. I disassemble them whenever I find one.
Leave no trace.

Tom

I would rather someone make a "corral" than other options. I used an outfitter many years ago that had a fish cage stashed in the woods. I have used a stringer and had the fish relocated by otters and snapping turtles. We currently use a large basket if we need to. It has come in handy when we catch a bunch and the bite shuts off. If you do decide to make a corral, please disassemble or at least make it not noticeable. But leave the rocks nearby so someone who may need it can easily reassemble :-)

nooneuno: "BTW burlap sacks are sold at Fleet Farm in two sizes regular and large..."

I have heard that coffee houses that roast their own beans will gladly give away burlap sacks.

nooneuno: "A couple years back, I think it was on Fourtown or maybe Ensign, I left 6 small eater walleyes on a stringer overnight for breakfast, this is a pic of the walleyes at breakfast time:
BTW burlap sacks are sold at Fleet Farm in two sizes regular and large..."

Whoa!

I don't fish so not really a concern but I have to say I am no more offended or bothered by a ring of rocks in the water than I am around the fire pit. I respect the difference may offend some and don't really care if you disassemble them. It obvious people have been in the campsite and have left traces. I try to leave sites or anywhere I travel in better condition than when I arrived. I cleaned a lot if fire pits and carried a lot of junk out. Yet somehow a ring if rocks in the wilderness doesn't earn my scorn. Obviously, YMMV.

billconner: "I don't fish so not really a concern but I have to say I am no more offended or bothered by a ring of rocks in the water than I am around the fire pit. I respect the difference may offend some and don't really care if you disassemble them. It obvious people have been in the campsite and have left traces. I try to leave sites or anywhere I travel in better condition than when I arrived. I cleaned a lot if fire pits and carried a lot of junk out. Yet somehow a ring if rocks in the wilderness doesn't earn my scorn. Obviously, YMMV."

+1 But when we go on our annual boat trip in Canada one of our guys has a system of panels that we ziptie together which we've had a lot of Walleye in. As long as we are careful to collect all zipties I see this a great option. I'll see if I can find a picture or info.

Going to try this technique this year. Another poster detailed above but here is a video from YouTube https://youtu.be/VME2AWPNlMs . About the 2:45 mark if it doesn't start there