Bringing fish home from the coast....

[drake]

Headed to the North Island for a salmon adventure next friday. I will be flying in and out of comox. My question for you folks is what is the most economical way to get the most fish home?. I was thinking of carrying on my clothes bag, thus saving my two checked peices of luggage for coolers?. They allow 50 lbs per checked bag, with dimensional restrictions too, will these perameters allow me to bring back two full coolers, or will i have to pay the penalty?. Is packing the coolers with dry ice and greyhounding it back an option?.....

your thoughts and suggestions will be very much appreciated.

ps. we will be vacume sealing everything our selves

[brianscott]

I would pay the penalty for the extra space and guarentee that my fish got home.

Used to transport them in the waxed packing boxes full of ice, but that was from a buddys fish processing plant and it wasnt a long drive home

[Rigg dogg]

If you can get all your clothes into your carry on bag and use the coolers for your checked bags that would be the way to go.
If not just pay the extra, might not be to bad if you have a few guys to split it up with.
Although it doesn't guarentee that it will be with you when you land.
I came back from OCI one time, get into Vancouver, checked my bag and 1 cooler, paid the extra for the 2nd cooler.
Arrive in Edmonton, NO FISH, NO BAGGAGE :mad2:
After exchanging a few choice words with the Air Canada folks, I wait for the next flight to come in. Still no fish.
I leave a cell# with them. They will put my fish on a Courier and ship them to my place.
I stop for a beer in Ft Sask, get a call from the woman driving the courier. She has my fish and is looking for directions to my house. I meet up with her in the Fort and get my fish and bag.
Told her to make sure she charges Air Canada mileage all the way to Cold Lake.
Gave her a couple slabs of Halibut and she left a happy woman.

I had one other disaster when I had some fish shipped out of Prince Rupert. The lady told me it would be sent out on a courier, she decided to throw it on Greyhound. Well that might have been OK but Rupert to Cold Lake is hardly a direct route. Fish sat in Edmonton for a day then another day in Bonnyville before I was notified.
I was a little PIZZZZZED off with the woman in Rupert, but I will know better next time.

One other option is St Jean's in Nanimo. A little PRICY but I have never had any problems with them. Have used them several times.
Try getting some Smoked, Canned Salmon, pretty good stuff.

Sorry about getting long winded but I know a guy spends a lot of cash on these trips and it's nice to have little something to show from them.

[Blairh]

I would say that as long as the coolers are under fifty pounds they should not charge you if you check two and carry your clothes on. If you plan on bringing back more than that I would pay the extra, its around 75 bucks which would be cheaper then expedited shipping.

[gdbccb]

Two quick points:

1. If you do check your fish in as baggage, make sure there is little or no dry ice - there are restrictions on the amount of dry ice you can have in checked luggage;

2. Be aware of the new "pay extra for checked luggage" rules with the airlines. I got bit by this a few weeks ago - I only had carry on on my outbound flight and therefore indicated "no checked luggage" when I ordered my plane ticket online (and saved something like $5, IIRC). When it turned out I had checked luggage on the inbound flight (i.e. two boxes of fish), I had to pay $50 extra.

[2big4u]

"One other option is St Jean's in Nanimo. A little PRICY but I have never had any problems with them. Have used them several times.
Try getting some Smoked, Canned Salmon, pretty good stuff."

X2 on the canned smoked... I HATE canned salmon but the smoked is very good from St Jean's. I was disapointed with the candied ( it was more "just smoked" than I was expecting) took 4 weekd from delivery to reciept of fish.

[mooseknuckle]

I was crab fishing in victoria I just bought a strofoam (heavy duty) cooler packed them in some ice and sent them on the greyhound 35-40 bucks got too edmonton a day and a half later still alive! Just a suggestion.

[ACM]

eat as much as you want while there( medium size only) but do not bring any home. Catch and release works on all bodies of water including the ocean. We have a developing problem with salt water fish stocks(huge understatement) and sport fishing is part of the problem albeit maybe a small part.
I have fished the coast for years and never brought fish home and there is nothing that even comes close to shore lunch.

[drake]

eat as much as you want while there( medium size only) but do not bring any home. Catch and release works on all bodies of water including the ocean. We have a developing problem with salt water fish stocks(huge understatement) and sport fishing is part of the problem albeit maybe a small part.
I have fished the coast for years and never brought fish home and there is nothing that even comes close to shore lunch.

It is my belief that sport fishing is but a small piece of BCs salmon/bottom fish stock issues. Every last piece of fish i bring home is eaten and enjoyed. I bring home enough fish for the year, this does not mean limits. Many of the fish we catch live to swim another day. I much prefer the little guys than the "trophy class" fish anyhow. The fellow i fish with encourages c/r....if a group is lucky enough to catch a 40 lb salmon and choose to release it he comps them a free half day fishing. This goes for any halibut over 60lbs as well.

Thanks for all the advice guys, i think i will try to keep the coolers under 50 lbs and carry my luggage on.

[ACM]

only keeping the smaller guys is a great start- maybe someday we can get you to catch and release. in the meantime enjoy your fishing trip and enjoy that fresh sal****er catch!!!

[ACM]

these were inserted automatically- must be something about the phrase salt water as one word- interesting!!!

[drake]

only keeping the smaller guys is a great start- maybe someday we can get you to catch and release. in the meantime enjoy your fishing trip and enjoy that fresh sal****er catch!!!

What are you really suggesting?......should we put down our guns and pick up cameras?.

[blackpheasant]

eat as much as you want while there( medium size only) but do not bring any home. Catch and release works on all bodies of water including the ocean. We have a developing problem with salt water fish stocks(huge understatement) and sport fishing is part of the problem albeit maybe a small part.
I have fished the coast for years and never brought fish home and there is nothing that even comes close to shore lunch.

Each to there own and get your facts straight while your at it J*** Off...:wave:

[ACM]

sport fishing is an immense load on fishing stocks. we have decimated stocks all over the planet. neanderthal attitudes like yours are a huge reason we have the problems we have.my facts are 100% accurate

[ACM]

Not sure what fishing has to do with guns but not at all suggesting cameras are the only answer ...but there is an undeniable truth that we are devastating our resources and catch and release is a part of the solution. There are many problems beyond sport fishing but we can be a small part of the solution. I have seen lakes go from superb fisheries to little fish and yet we insist there is no problem. Island fishing now is vastly different that years ago with my grandfather and sport fishing is part of the problem.
There are many opinions and we can all make our own choices.
make your choices as you want and have a great trip.

[drake]

Not sure what fishing has to do with guns but not at all suggesting cameras are the only answer ...but there is an undeniable truth that we are devastating our resources and catch and release is a part of the solution. There are many problems beyond sport fishing but we can be a small part of the solution. I have seen lakes go from superb fisheries to little fish and yet we insist there is no problem. Island fishing now is vastly different that years ago with my grandfather and sport fishing is part of the problem.
There are many opinions and we can all make our own choices.
make your choices as you want and have a great trip.

Since you appear to have a grasp on the pacific fish stock issue, perhaps you could offer some insight into how you would you fix the problem?......

[ACM]

I am not an expert of any kind but just an old guy that has fished for many hours but here are some suggestions.
1. eliminate the fish farms especially when the salmon farmed are Atlantic There is no safe way to farm fish in the ocean.
2. Change the logging rules so every single salmon stream cannot be logged or mined or developed within a mile on either side.This cleans up the spawning grounds to a degree and prevents further degredation
3. stop all dredging of any kind in the Fraser river and others and do not allow native bands or anyone else to take the gravel from the river
4. control pesticide use within a mile of the rivers- the same as logging restrictions
5. stop commercial fishing at the present levels and buy the licenses out at a premium while we determine a safer system and outlaw bottom dragging
6.Stop tanker traffic in the strait especially old single hulls and weak ones as that is a catastrophe waiting to happen
7. reforest the kelp beds
8. stop dumping raw sewage into the ocean- Victoria has all the enviro nuts yet insist on raw sewage into the ocean
9. control chemical usage around all the drainage systems and recycle storm sewers in major areas
10. Catch and release fishing for the sports fishery with low limits for personal consumption only and slot limits ie: no big ones kept and no little ones kept

These are just a start and would all be attainable and would greatly improve the fishery and us.
We fishermen have a lead role to play as we are the experts in many ways since we spent so many hours on the water.

[bucknaked333]

I just flew out of Comox 2 weeks ago with 8 salmon and 2 halibot. I just took a a carry on bag for clothes and a couple hundred buck's. The guy we stayed with had a foam cooler and it went in a wax box. We put it on as are luggage and no problems. We had one box each under 50 pounds and could have packed 2 each..He got the boxes at a fish plant, but there is other places I'm sure .. As for keeping your limit.. I'm sure your not the first nor last..

[blackpheasant]

sport fishing is an immense load on fishing stocks. we have decimated stocks all over the planet. neanderthal attitudes like yours are a huge reason we have the problems we have.my facts are 100% accurate

ACM here's the thing, we have a large extended family that love's eating fish we make a yearly trip or two to the west coast each summer, we catch and keep our limits sometimes, we then consume this fish over the winter month's ok. These limits are set by the DFO, believe it or not but they actually have hundreds of people ON and IN the water everyday, if you spend anytime out there at all you would quickly realize that they have some very, very intelligent people managing these resources, the Coho fishery is a good example of this, If I was on the water there all the time no question C & R would be the norm for us, you paint a picture that is a little off base with regards to the fishery on the west coast, to call me or anyone else a Neanderthal because we keep some fish to eat speaks volumes about your character...........:wave:

[ACM]

There may be some good folks in fisheries and oceans but the facts are Victoria still dumps raw sewage in the ocean,the Fraser is being dredged,and look to the greatest fishery resource in the world-the grand banks- and the condition there as an example of the intelligent folks in charge. The entire east coast fishery has been decimated.
Fisheries has made many many mistakes.
The fishery on the west coast has changed dramatically in my life time and thats not a good thing.
As to the neanderthal comment it was the comment on an attitude but maybe check your posting as to name calling. Discussion is always good but there needs to be respect and the ability to not agree but still be decent. You have no idea how much time I have spent on the west coast but only need ask and I would tell you as well as offer my opinions and the things I have seen in my time. You are free to draw your own conclusions and they may well differ from mine but thats OK. Our fishery problems need everyone to work at solving the messes created.