Anyone use the Clam Fish Well, floating mess bag that can be put in a spare hole ice fishing, acts like a live well?
Thinking it might be a good idea, but never heard of anyone that uses one. Nice to keep fish alive until closer to filleting them. Can also bleed the fish out in the water, less mess in the bucket.
https://shop.clamoutdoors.com/fish-well-floating-livewell.html#
Anyone?
I’ve thought about buying this but I’m just afraid that it would get frozen in the hole and it would be destroyed.
I have the same fear, that is why I asked. In a heated house, likely not an issue, but in the portable or no house at all, could get icy.
3 or 4 years ago I had one and it worked well. No worries with it freezing in, the mesh was durable and the Styrofoam stayed well above the water line. Eventually the zipper broke and never replaced it. 5 gal bucket hasn’t failed me yet
Someone makes a plastic one with hard sides. I saw it in a friends castle. He seemed happy with it. I think you would have to watch it if not in a shack.
I would not want the fish I kept back down in the water telling the other fish not to bite my line. 
I use one often in the wheelhouse. We were on Red Lake Christmas-New Years. We kept our limit for 3 days until the blizzard died down and we were able to get to shore for a fish fry at JR’s. We took 1/2 our limit out for the fish fry. 2 days later we replenished our limit to take home. All fish were alive until we put the knife to them. They work well. Never had a problem with them freezing in.
Someone posted the same question on FB and someone said they’d had 2 of the Clam ones and both ripped eventually and they’d never use them again.
I believe the other similar one is called an “icewell.” Just looked it up. Looks like clam also owns it. Neat, simple idea for sure
I have the Clam one and love it. Have had great luck with it and it keeps fish ready to clean when you get home. Also has a nice full length zipper on the side for dumping your catch out
A buddy was given one for Christmas, we used it on the lake and I had to buy one!! Fit two nice northerns and a hand full of pan fish. Such a simple concept, no more dealing with frozen fish, and the zipper on the side makes removal a breeze!!
Stringers work in the winter too.
Watching fish unthaw in the sink is too fun to give up.
Watching fish unthaw in the sink is too fun to give up.
Lol. Zombie fish
I’ve been using one of these for 5 or 6 years now and it’s worked great. I was just up on Red last weekend and it was the first time it’s frozen to the side of the hole and it held up just fine; no rips at all. Sure beats dealing with frozen fish.
I only had the mesh style for last season, but really like it a lot.
Stringers work in the winter too.
+1 Dave. Use the ones with the individual holders, keep the rest topside and just keep clipping your next eye to it. 5 gal pal with a little snow is my go to for panfish.
Watching fish unthaw in the sink is too fun to give up.
Maybe your hot water heater will help unthaw them 
Lol @ bman
Cousin has one, we love using it to keep the fish fresh/ alive for quick filleting after a trip out. Dpending on how many fish you have in there, some of the fish can get pretty beat up. Normally not an issue but Here’s the big problem we didn’t see coming- we had it out with a CO in northern MN over this.
1) First, he accused us of keeping an illegal northern. He incorrectly cited the slot at 22-36″ when it is actually 24-36 on that body of water. It was very conveniently posted at the launch, which made it extremely obvious. Northern in the bag was just over 23″, below the 24″ cutoff. CO stated we will be fined, then retrieved his rule book blackberry thing from the sled and only then conceded he was wrong. No apology anywhere on that note.
2) The northern had been in the livewell bag with 5 walleyes for about 3 hrs. All the fish seem to take a beating from rubbing around all the other fish inside what is basically a big sock. CO took his official measurement again, then stated “this tail does not look natural, you must have cut it”. Cue 15 minutes of back and forth of being accused of cutting a damn tail- what a joke. CO eventually conceded all of the fish in the bag looked to be in a similar state, stated again clearly he “doesn’t believe us but doesn’t want to press the issue”, then took off on his sled.
So watch out if you use these bags, the fish get scraped up if you keep them in there too long and you might just be on the receiving end of some wild accusations.
I got myself a Clam fish well around Christmas time and so far have only used it on a 20-ish-degree day inside a flipover right next to my heater, so not sure about freezing. I liked the idea and it worked well for me the one time I’ve used it.
I don’t really like laying my fish on the ice because 1)they can freeze if it’s cold enough 2) they can slide around and 3) I really don’t want others walking by and seeing my catch. So I typically have them in a bucket with some snow packed on. The reason I bring this up is that at the end of my day a CO stopped by and pulling that fish well out and dumping them was very easy, whereas had they been in the bucket I might’ve had to chip them away, separate them, etc. This worked much better.
And KPE….that’s a crazy story about being accused of cutting the tail. What the F are you as the fisherman supposed to do in that situation, other than deny the allegations and truthfully tell the CO that, um, no you didn’t clip the tail?? Is that even a thing? I suppose if they’re bringing it up it’s probably happened, always plenty of folks doing dumb s&*% to ruin it for everyone else, but damn what a story.
I just cut an extra hole and just punch through the bottom of the ice with the center point and let the water come in. A little tricky sometimes getting the fish out. Have use a metal ice scoop, a fish elevator or a Little Dipper ice scoop.
Used mine today, froze in, just needed to use my heel to break out the slush/ice around it. Still happy with it! 
Barney Fife syndrome, seen it a few times myself, all on Mille Lacs. And I can say I know that tail clipping on Mille Lacs happens, have seen it, and it disgusts me people feel so entitled. And then it causes honest people to be questioned.
Worth noting, but I think I am going to pick one up for the next fishing trip, seems like a decent accessory.
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