Review of deck fish bag

[ronaultmtd]

I have wanted a kayak deck fish bag for my Hobie Outback but refused to pay the ridiculous prices for the Kayak bags with the manufactures logo on it...my solution was the Magellan Outdoors Kayak fish bag from Academy Sports- $49.99...I saw a You Tube from a Texas Kayakers forum on this bag over the winter and decided to try it- so glad I did- quality at every point! After several fishing trips using it- I feel comfortable reviewing it. For me, it is the perfect size fitting the bow section of my Outback and is very efficient keeping ice and your catch cold. The front opening is within easy reach when seated and the zippers are top quality easy opening and closing...The exterior material is a durable white coated heavy fabric. The foam insulation is soft and supple and the lining is smooth heavy gage plastic. I do not use this for catfish as their spines are armor piercing (pun intended)...but crappie, white perch, and my target fish definitely get the bag treatment. Cold fresh caught fish are just better tasting...The bottom line- this bag is a bargain that over achieves!

[dsaavedra]

Right on! Can't beat a quality product at a reasonable price. I usually use a stringer and throw the fish in the cooler when I get back to the truck, but with summer coming up it's sometimes nice to have the cooler with you on the water since fish tend to expire quickly on the stringer when the water is hot. This is especially true for snakeheads which by law you are not allowed to keep alive on a stringer. In the past I've taken my 26qt roto-molded cooler (Ozark Trail - another quality product at a good price, I love that cooler) but that thing is heavy and bulky and doesn't leave me room to bring my fishing crate so I don't like to bring it in the kayak if I can get away with it. A bow-mounted fish bag might be a good solution. How are you attaching it to the bow of your Outback?

[toadfinger]

The price is right, and I do like the bow mounting, but I'd be concerned about vehicular transport with that zipper along the bottom, which is likely to leak fishy liquids. The manufacturer claims the zipper is leak resistant.... But, if you have room for a regular cooler in your car, then problem solved.

[ronaultmtd]

I sit the bag upright with the small end down-no leak whatsoever and 5# of ice is plenty for an eight hour trip...clean the fish when I get home, hose the bag out good and unzip the bag and let it dry...clean, no stink...

[dsaavedra]

Hey Ron how do you attach it to the bow of your Outback?

[ronaultmtd]

It has sewn in loops all along both sides for tie downs, but I have just laid it in the bow section...not tied it down yet and it does not move. I plan on installing two eyes - one on each side to secure bungee cords, but so far it has not been an issue...

[dsaavedra]

Ron, I just received one of these Magellan bags as a gift, I'm really looking forward to filling it up with perch and snakehead! I'm wondering how yours is holding up now that you have (hopefully) got a lot more use out of it than when you originally posted in April.

I'm thinking of using two or three frozen 2-liter bottles as ice packs to keep my catch cold. This seems more convenient, less wasteful, and eliminates the need to stop at a gas station on the way to grab a bag of ice (which could be for naught if I don't catch anything!) Do you think that would keep this bag cold for a whole trip? I'm looking forward to using it, thanks for your original review.

[ronaultmtd]

I just grab a 5 # bag of ice...stays cold the entire trip...very good bag...Teddy got one, too...we use ours...very happy with it. Keeps fish fresh and cold, easy use access zippers when you are out on the water