Here is an interesting question posed to me from a coworker. If you are out bowfish for carp and gar, and put them in a barrel for 12 hours, how long do you have before, the meat starts to go bad? Any answers?

I think it would depend on water temp and air temp. That shoot we had on Clinton when the water was like 95 degrees and the air temp was 98 degrees..... I think those fish starting decomposing before they were all the way dead. [:-][] Air temps of 60-70, I'd put fish on ice within 3 hours of thier demise if I were going to eat them. No way I'd let 'em go 12 hours. [:'(]

Then again, what do I know... I tried eating some canned pumpkin yesterday. It was the most metallic and sour pumpkin I ever tasted. I kept eating it... thinking maybe it was just my imagination. Finally, I had enough and went and looked at the can. It expired back in Dec of 2001. Hmm..bleagh. Neither K or I can figure out where that can came from. It's like the canned goods fairy came and switched it out on us.

.....anyhow, if the fishes eyes are foggy looking and it doesn't smell fresh, don't eat it. Don't eat waaaay over expired canned pumpkin either.

Depends on the fish too. Some species will keep better than others. Silvers are about the worst. In the summer, I usually gut and ice silver carp as soon as they come in the boat. Bigheads are better, and buffs don't seem to spoil nearly as fast as either of them. Common carp lasts pretty good too. There are published scientific articles on the rate of spoiling of different species (for use by the seafood industry) and silver carp about tops the list of fast-spoilers.

Keywords, Ice and a cooler. ...If you want to keep some to eat.

We will most likely be taking a cooler with us to Carlyle for some bigheads.

Trick question -the meat is bad to start with! [:'(]

We let a barrel of commons sit overnight with ice down at the Branson BowBash one year, and they were still good eating. On silvers, you can tell when they sat too long - the meat is no longer white and firm. It starts to fall apart. I'll clean fish every hour or so during a summer day.

Thanks all, appreciate it, mostly what I explained to, just wanted to ensure wasn't missing something. I always knew christine was a pumpkin eater, don't have any life insurance K is trying to collect do you?

Nah! She's too valuable as a driver after the tourneys...Among other uses.

I'll bet that it was in the kitchen cabinet when you moved in.

Eating 8-year-old pumpkin from a can?
Must have finally run out of deer, eh?