Page 34 - How to Go Boating Flip 1
P. 34
The third part is ice. Specifically, salt ice. Fresh water and fish
don’t mix. The only time fresh water should get near a fish fillet is to
wash it just before cooking. And then only maybe. Salt ice, often called
flake ice, is widely available from garages and tackle shops. It stays
colder longer, packs beautifully around the fish and chills it rapidly.
By adding a bit of salt water a slurry is created and this chills the fish
even faster. I also use reusable sheets made by Techniice. They are
made of a gel that freezes, packs flat and can be refrozen after the
trip. Because they come in sheets they are ideal to place on top of the
contents before closing the lid.
Safety
Before you bait your first hook it pays to look at your fishing area and
think safety. Fishing inevitably involves sharp hooks, sharp knives and
slippery surfaces. Further, there are many rod tips and you don’t want
to be meeting them at eye level …
The floor needs to be non-skid. On a modern fibreglass boat
it’s likely that the sole will have non-skid moulded into it. Alloy boats
will likely have tread plate flooring, which adds a degree of security.
Extremely popular on all boats now is the addition of tube matting. It
can be cut and joined to the size required, it drains freely (although it
retains scales, etc.), and it adds a degree of shock absorption into the
mix. It is a highly recommended addition.
Another great addition to my boat is an accessory made by
Railblaza that fits onto one of their ports (more on those in a moment).
It is a specially shaped storage unit that holds and hangs spare
lures, tools such as fish pliers, the iki spike, etc. It does a great job at
keeping the loose sharp things off the floor.
LEFT: While snapper dominate the fishing in the north, it’s blue cod that are
the target species further south. The ones caught in the cold waters of the
deep south taste fantastic! Blue cod can be caught by just about any method
from baits to lures. At times they are ravenous!
216 How to Go Boating and Where
don’t mix. The only time fresh water should get near a fish fillet is to
wash it just before cooking. And then only maybe. Salt ice, often called
flake ice, is widely available from garages and tackle shops. It stays
colder longer, packs beautifully around the fish and chills it rapidly.
By adding a bit of salt water a slurry is created and this chills the fish
even faster. I also use reusable sheets made by Techniice. They are
made of a gel that freezes, packs flat and can be refrozen after the
trip. Because they come in sheets they are ideal to place on top of the
contents before closing the lid.
Safety
Before you bait your first hook it pays to look at your fishing area and
think safety. Fishing inevitably involves sharp hooks, sharp knives and
slippery surfaces. Further, there are many rod tips and you don’t want
to be meeting them at eye level …
The floor needs to be non-skid. On a modern fibreglass boat
it’s likely that the sole will have non-skid moulded into it. Alloy boats
will likely have tread plate flooring, which adds a degree of security.
Extremely popular on all boats now is the addition of tube matting. It
can be cut and joined to the size required, it drains freely (although it
retains scales, etc.), and it adds a degree of shock absorption into the
mix. It is a highly recommended addition.
Another great addition to my boat is an accessory made by
Railblaza that fits onto one of their ports (more on those in a moment).
It is a specially shaped storage unit that holds and hangs spare
lures, tools such as fish pliers, the iki spike, etc. It does a great job at
keeping the loose sharp things off the floor.
LEFT: While snapper dominate the fishing in the north, it’s blue cod that are
the target species further south. The ones caught in the cold waters of the
deep south taste fantastic! Blue cod can be caught by just about any method
from baits to lures. At times they are ravenous!
216 How to Go Boating and Where
