Fish Cage

We get back to the cabin sometimes after dark and have a few crappies to clean. I am wondering what I could use to keep them alive over night and clean them the next day…or keep them till I have enough to clean.
I’m thinking a Pet Cage or Bait Cage of some kind I could set under the dock and keep them alive.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks

We do that at our cabin. Just make sure to follow the rules on tagging the cage with your name address

We use an old wire dog crate. The door latches and the fish stay healthy till fry-time.

I’ve seen some really nice ones made from old washing machine drums. They’re nice and heavy so the waves don’t move it around.

Ive made a minnow cage just from stiching some wire mess together. Fleet farm has the mesh. Just make it into a cage and then make a top door.

I’m kind of on a tight schedule…we are going on Vacation this Friday AM and going to spend the week on the lake. We go to Hackensack MN

Would a Dog Cage work ok ? I would only use it once a year when we go up there.
But I wouldn’t mind finding a good cage/pen so I can use it every year. Need to be able to haul it in the boat.

Wondering about the gaps are to big for the fish to go through…maybe I should catch bigger fish

You could use the dog cage and buy some 3/4″ to 1″ Galvanized Mesh cut sheets for each side of the dog cage and use Zip ties to attach. quick and easy, would still fold flat and keep fish in and predators out.

Pretty cheap and transportable

I bought this at cabelas and it is still doing its job. Put the evenings catch in it then clean em’ in the mosquito free mornings! They still sell them in a few different sizes. I think mine is 36″ wide…RR

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Leave early and butcher them

Or, c&r

2 cents

Washing machine drums work well. Jumbo collapsible fish baskets are easily purchased. I use a floating one and tie to dock if I want to accumulate fish. here’s an inexpensive one from Home Depot.

http://www.homedepot.com/s/Collapsible%2520Fish%2520Baskets?NCNI-5

A little on the $ side but a great product. I have several friends who purchased one as the sports show. Really well built product. Much better than Most all others. Keeps turtles and Otters out better than most other products. They sell them at Reeds in Walker

https://www.reedssports.com/h2-abode/-270699

This is what I’ve always used for pan fish. Under $20, collapsible, and I’ve kept fish in them for a coupe days at a time. Goggle “Fish Basket” if your interested.

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FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Leave early and butcher them

Or, c&r

2 cents

…or ‘butcher’ them in the morning after using a fish cage over night. Geez…

Joe Scegura wrote:

I’ve seen some really nice ones made from old washing machine drums. They’re nice and heavy so the waves don’t move it around.

This. My father has one he has tied to his dock. The grand-kids slowly fill it up throughout the day and he cleans them up for them at night. He has a little checklist chart on the dock with lines for sunnies, crappies and walleye. The kids put a hash mark on what fish they put in and release any more than a full meal. Nothing makes a young kid happier than catching dinner for the family…even if you’re eating potato chip sized sunnies…

carroll58 wrote:

ou could use the dog cage and buy some 3/4″ to 1″ Galvanized Mesh cut sheets for each side of the dog cage and use Zip ties to attach. quick and easy, would still fold flat and keep fish in and predators out.
Pretty cheap and transportable

This is exactly what I helped a friend do. Used the dog crate for the most part and added mesh where we thought they may get through. Also, he added wheels as where he cleans fish is up a hill and a little ways a way. Pretty slick!

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Bleed them out and put them on ice.

Joel VandeKrol wrote:

Bleed them out and put them on ice.

That’s exactly what I was going to suggest but everyone was having so much fun with all their elaborate contraptions and washing machines and….

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roosterrouster wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:</div>
Leave early and butcher them

Or, c&r

2 cents

…or ‘butcher’ them in the morning after using a fish cage over night. Geez…

‘butcher’

A.k.a.
Process,
Fillet,
Clean,
….

‘butcher’ not intended to be condescending

Commonly used phrases including the word butcher:

Butcher deer
I’m going to go butcher my deer

Btw RR had to send me a PM chewing me… I’m guessing because he read into the word ‘butcher’ a little too deep.

Eat all you want

I leave early when I intend to butcher fish because for me, they’re supper… And I need to get home so I can eat that days supper before bed time.

That’s why I suggest it.

RR, I wasted too much time with that… Thanks

Aha…right …RR

I agree with you RR, catch a few more in the morning then clean em then have a nice meal of fresh fish, guess it always works out for some people to clean em right away , guess we’re wrong and the righteous now what we should do, can’t believe the poor guy didn’t get butchered alive for even keeping a fish to est, this site has gone one way and it’s sour, still very informative but don’t kill a fish, ugh, all done

Anybody who has a lakeside cabin knows the value of a good fish cage.
But congrats to all you “minute men” butchers.

Wow, this thread has really derailed.

I just don’t like it when ‘some’ people push their own agenda’s when all a guy is asking is for a simple fish cage idea…Someone needs to call him on it…

Anyways, let us know what you end up doing. Fish cages are awesome for storing one’s catches so you clean em’ all at once and not have to clean fish 3-4 times a weekend. Good luck! RR

We used to put the fish in a corral built out of rocks next to the dock. Worked great, problem was eventually there is going to be a floater so get to that basket or pen as soon as you can especially on warm days or nights so those floaters dont become bird food. Now we ice them or put them in the freezer if it is late at night. Does not take long for a floater to spoil in warm shallow water.
Ice can be a pain to use on a long stay at the cabin and a freezer maynot be available a fish cage is a good alternative but I reiterate keep an eye on that cage there will be floaters.

hl&sinker wrote:

Does not take long for a floater to spoil in warm shallow water.
Ice can be a pain to use on a long stay at the cabin and a freezer maynot be available a fish cage is a good alternative but I reiterate keep an eye on that cage there will be floaters.

Agree 100% I’ve said good night to some only to find them belly up in the morning (no way of knowing when they expired) and they were mushy and not good eating. Icing them as soon as possible ensures that they will stay fresh for a couple days. True, depending on where you are at and for how long…ice can be a valuable commodity!

If there are snappers around I’d recommend a beefier cage.

Our pen kept getting destroyed by a large snapper at our cabin years ago, bye bye fish, until it got caught.

nhamm wrote:

If there are snappers around I’d recommend a beefier cage.

Our pen kept getting destroyed by a large snapper at our cabin years ago, bye bye fish, until it got caught.

Wow! How did the snapper get in the cage or are they capable of actually busting the wires?

I ended up making one. I went to the tractor supply and got a roll of 24″ 1×2 gal cage wire Some cage clips and tool and got busy….about two hrs later I had one the size I wanted with a lid on top…. I think it will work just fine. I only use it once a yr when we go to the lake. Thanks to all for the suggestions

roosterrouster wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>nhamm wrote:</div>
If there are snappers around I’d recommend a beefier cage.

Our pen kept getting destroyed by a large snapper at our cabin years ago, bye bye fish, until it got caught.

Wow! How did the snapper get in the cage or are they capable of actually busting the wires?

Cheap chicken wire with some janky wood slats was the cage, grant it wasn’t the greatest setup structurally, but it was a huge snapper and she would destroy it.

Mike Burke wrote:

I ended up making one. I went to the tractor supply and got a roll of 24″ 1×2 gal cage wire Some cage clips and tool and got busy….about two hrs later I had one the size I wanted with a lid on top…. I think it will work just fine. I only use it once a yr when we go to the lake. Thanks to all for the suggestions

Pics!