In Deck Fish Boxes

[backman]

has anyone figured out how to make the fish box gutters drain correctly ?

Tuna blood and bass scales clog them every time!

[CClassic28]

Larry,

Remove your fishbox and use a belt sander to remove about 3/8" of material from the bottom corner of the box that partially covers the gutter drain. This seemed to correct 95% of the problem for me.

I also ran a piece of 1/4" EPDM rubber weatherstrip on the top edge of the gutter to prevent overflow into the bilge.

I also used the same EPDM on the underside of the hatch to create a gasket to prevent overflow into the fishbox.

All of these have worked well for me and after 2 seasons are still holding up.

Has anyone been able to better insulate there fishboxes? I hate coolers!!


Thanks,

Chris

[backman]

Neat idea/wish I had thought of that

I don't care if water goes in the fishboxes; I can always pump that - I hate the bloody bilge the morning after a successful tuna trip.

I can't keep ice or fish overnight in the fishboxes; I find they work great as brine tanks to chill the fish down; then I transfer the carcass to a 128 quart cooler. If I leave fish in them overnight the ice melts and the fish are mushy.

I ride out w./ 2 128 quart coolers; one in the cabin to keep the weight down low and tne 2nd in front of the passenger bench seat - the boat seems to like running better with all that weight forward than with it in the fishboxes.

I turn one fishbox into a brine tank after we get the 1st fish by salting 2 25# blocks of ice and adding a few gallons of salt water. 2 hours in the brine tank and they are perfectly chilled through and go into the now empty space in the cooler. As fish come in I rotate 25# blocks out of the cooler into the brine tanks and cooled fish back to the coolers. Works well up to 6-7 fish which is more than enough anyways. a 200 pound bigeye or 72-76" bluefin will fit in a 128 quart cooler when headed and tailed.

[Split Decision]

I wanted to move half of this thread to the general board but I can't figure out how to do it.

Anyway, I ordered the freezer boxes on my 32 in hopes that it will solve this problem. I really do not want to carry extra coolers if I don't have to. I want to try to turn them on when I leave the dock and fill them 1/2 or 3/4 full of seawater when I get out the inlet. Hoping it will be cold enough when I get to the canyon to cool down the fish. Only time will tell.

[CClassic28]

Larry,

I also run with a 100 quart cooler under my v berth filler cushions. This extra weight up front helps. In order for the cooler to stay put I installed a teak rail at the back edge of the raised deck area. Works like a charm!

Tom,

Are those freezer plates 12v or 110v. Are the boxes on the 32 removable or sealed in like the '05 28's



Chris

[Split Decision]

The freezer boxes are 110 and run off the genny.

They are not removable.