What do you guys do when the fish is bigger than the cooler? Are there nets you can drag a fish back in... I'm just looking for ideas. I expect to catch king fish in the gulf and I know they wont fit in my 58 quart cooler

That will be a good problem.

I carry one of these fish clips in my hatch; works good for halibut or larger fish and then you can just carry it in your well and secure it.


or carry a bag like this that secures to your cooler if you want.

Those Canyon bags are cool but a bit pricey...
I tried to find the clip online but was unable. Can it be found at Basspro or similar?

Babaloo wrote:Those Canyon bags are cool but a bit pricey...
I tried to find the clip online but was unable. Can it be found at Basspro or similar?

This is the one that I have:
http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/servlet/the-441/Game-Clip-Red-Handle/Detail

or this one with the strap:
http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/servlet/the-280/kayak-fishing-game-clip/Detail

i'd get the bag instead of the clip because i don't want something chasing me along the way..

You can always bring a knife, and filet the fish while on the water.
Not sure what the rules are where you are... but in California, as far as i know, it is ok to filet the fish as long as you leave a 1" x 1" square piece of skin on the filet.

I would not do it with fish that are barely of legal size. Dont want to get into any trouble.

In Texas we are not allowed to do that

Can you clean fish that you have caught while you are still on the water in your boat?

It is unlawful to clean (remove the head, tail, fillet) your catch of fish until the fish is finally landed on the mainland (not including piers, jetties) and no longer transported by boat.

HawaiianShorts wrote:i'd get the bag instead of the clip because i don't want something chasing me along the way..

Oh come on; where is your sense of adventure? Seals would never bother us on the ocean.

I remember seeing a post about a seal that scooted up the launch ramp at Oceanside and stole a prize WSB out of an anglers hands as someone was shooting pics.

Does the law say any thing about just cutting the fish in half.
would fit in a cooler then.

I just cut and pasted the info from the Texas Department of wildlife. I will call and ask if I can gut it then cut it in half keeping the head and tail intact so they can properly measure it if needed. Or I can just buy the darn bag... I'd be worried if I had the clip device that I'd have to hurry back to the car to put it on ice to keep it from spoiling in the hot Texas sun.