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There are few things more relaxing and rewarding than a day of fishing with family and friends. The evening meal or shore lunch is the perfect setting for those tall tales about "the one that got away". No one wants this experience to be ruined by a cooler full of stinky, half-spoiled fish.

So much time is spent preparing for the fishing trip- making sure the tackle and bait are carefully selected- even making sure the camera is ready for that perfect trophy shot. A little time preparing for what happens after the catch should be equally as important. There are some simple steps which can be taken to ensure the folks at the dinner table enjoy your catch as much as you did.

1. Keep the fish alive if possible. After all, a live fish is about as fresh a fish as you can get. If you are fishing from a boat with a well aerated live well, half the chore is done for you. Make sure the live well is large enough for your fish and allows for sufficient oxygen circulation. You will want to check your live well regularly to make sure none of your fish have died. A dead fish will contaminate a live well and jeopardize the rest of your catch.

2. Put the fish on ice. If you do not have a live well, the next best thing is to keep those fish iced down. Make sure, however, that the fish you are putting in the cooler are dead. Do not make the mistake of tossing live fish in a cooler of ice and forgetting about them. Take the time to kill the fish either by clubbing it or spiking it through the brain. Fish that die by asphyxiation are stressed which in turn taints the meat.

3. Clean the fish as soon as possible. The best practice is to utilize down time while fishing to clean the fish in your ice chest. If you are in a position to filet the fish this will ensure a fresh catch. If not, at least remove the entrails and pack the cavity with ice.

4. Once you get your catch home freeze any fish that you do not plan on cooking that evening. The best practice for freezing fish is to freeze small amounts together. Rather than freezing one large bag of fish, separate the packages into smaller portions of two or three filets. A wise investment for any fisherman is a vacuum sealer. Vacuum packaging your fish before freezing will ensure a longer freezer life.

These tips, when coupled with a well planned fishing trip, will ensure everyone from anglers to diners a most pleasant experience.

Learn more about this author, Laura Beth Caldwell.
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