how long can fish stay on ice

[gooch]

I have a lazy buddy that has had some fish on ice since Friday. I am wondering how long you can keep fish on ice before they spoil? Any answers other than dont keep em if you dont want to clean them.

[Barnacle Bill]

I have a lazy buddy that has had some fish on ice since Friday. I am wondering how long you can keep fish on ice before they spoil? Any answers other than dont keep em if you dont want to clean them.

They will keep quite a while on ice. Check their gills, if they are still red, they are good. They may be good longer than that, but thats what I go by.

[stumpjumper]

i try to hold mine on ice no longer than 3 days. But there's been a time or too when i've seen them on ice for 5 day b/4 they where cleaned. But one thing i don't do is let them set in water in the kooler even with ice on them mix together. (water and ice). Just the way i was taught to keep on ice out of the water.

[crappster]

Don't mean to derail....but I never did understand the saying of not letting your fish sit in ice water or water and ice mix. I have done this for the past 13 years and have never had anything out of the ordinary happen to the fish. Cold is cold is cold. I 've heard some say it ruins the meat. Never had the meat ruined. Always fresh as long as its cold. Someone enlighten me. And to your question gooch, if they've been on ice they should be good to go. When you filet the first one, look at the meat. If its normal opaque or clear color...it should be good to go.

[gooch]

crappster I dont know. I guess I subscribe to the same wifes tail that IBNFSHN does. That if the gills are not red and the eyes are cloudy dont eat the fish. I have seen some of the same info on the Food TV network. (Please dont report that I watch the food network. I could be kicked out of the Arkansas redneck assoc). My thought is catch em, clean em and eat em. I have a 12v electric filet nife and a 110. I clean my fish at the lake and bagem there when its warm and take em home if its cool. I was just looking for some feed back from some of you guys with a heck of alot more experience than myself. The 12 crappie and 7 huge bream I caught Sunday afternoon were consumed tonight. The only ice I needed was for the glass of sweet tea I washed those glorious pan fish down with.

[Bart]

When the meat is mushy when you squeeze it I throw it out. It may still be good but I can't stand the thought of frying mushy fish.

About the water.... I don't know about uncleaned fish but as for filets... any chef will tell you that water sucks the flavor out of any meat. Yeah I know some people have frozen fish in water for years and couldn't tell the difference but however good those filets tasted they would have tasted better vaccuum sealed ((IMO)).

[DENNIS BOWERS]

I To Go With The Red Gills--if Their Not,i Dont Clean Them.i Usually Ice Mine Overnight-then Clean The Next Am!good Fishin Yo Ya!!!dennis

[Roberta]

And that's only if we get home late and I don't feel like staying up and messing with it. Then, I'll wrap the fish in a towel and pack them in layers of ice, not water. (I use ice water for the ride home from the lake).
The exception is trout, which get strong if they're not bled out right away.

I think if I had my doubts (gills pink instead of red) I'd still cook them up for the dogs. No sense in wasting fish. - Roberta

[GABoy]

My pa-in-law has kept fish on ice for up to 5 days and they have been just fine....my cut-off is usually somewhere around the 3 day mark....I always drain the water and keep the ice stocked up on them, but if I can't get around to cleaning them by day 3 I find someone quick that has the time to clean them. That part is usually not a problem at all.

[Eager Beaver]

I go by the gills and if they are red. Light pink or white the bacteria has started working on the meat and will have an unusual odor. I try to keep the fish alive as long as possible. when I leave the lake I dump a bag or two of ice in the livewell and the fish are generally still alive when I clean them. As far as not having fish in water. I never eat fish that haven't been in water overnight in the fridge after I have filleted them. It firms up the flesh, and to me it tastes better. I chill the fillets until the tail turns up a little. Fresh fillets are mushy when cooked right away, to me.