Reply With QuoteJust leave them on ice until the next day!
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Crappie.com 1K Star General
Freezing whole fish?
What are some of the problems with freezing whole fish without cleaning them. When I come home from a long day fishing if I dont feel like cleaning them I just wrapem up and throw em in the freezer. I have noticed that the meet is flimsier.
Love, what more can I say
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Just leave them on ice until the next day!
Super Mod and 2014 Crappie.com Man of the Year
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That works.Originally Posted by BarryG
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Bill H. PTC USN Ret
Chesapeake, Va
Slabmaster
I'm not too keen on freezing them whole, thawing them out and then cleaning them...but I definitely agree with Barry on leaving them on ice and cleaning them later in the day or even the next day. I've done that more than a few times.
He among you who is without sin...cast the first stone.
Crappie.com 1K Star General
I prefer to clean the fish as soon as I get back home. At times I may leave them in the live well and clean them the next day. This only works for me in the colder months as the fish won't last in my live well in the hot summer months.
I have been known to set up a 48 Q cooler with water in it on my back deck and hook up an aerator to keep my catch alive until the next day.
I think it's best to clean the fish while they are still kicking but I have eaten fish that were put in a bucket of water and stuck in the refrigerator still alive, filleted the next day and then packed in ice and finally frozen for a year in the freezer and they tasted ok after being deep fried a year later..
Last edited by Moose1am; 04-04-2006 at 10:28 AM.
Regards,
Moose1am
Slabmaster II
We freeze surf fish whole. We bring home some ocean water that they are caught in to freeze them in. We cook these smelt whole also. Hard to tell whether frozen or not with this method.
Crappie....? Any fish other than surf fish, gets filleted or steaked before freezing.
.....lee s.
Super Moderator
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Never tried it and dont want to. I use a rocket fish scaler behind my boat. I cut the heads off and split the bellies and then pull the fish on my way back to the boat ramp. Fish are clean and can be filleted later. I put the fish in a fridge in my barn till the next day or so submerged in cold water. They'll stay fresh for a few days this way. Then I either cook 'em or freeze 'em. And if I really dont want to fool with 'em I'll give 'em away. Everybody will take cleaned fish!
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
Banned
gabowman...
I agree...The rocket is the best...Once you get the scales, head and guts off, you can keep it on ice for a week and it's still fresh. Go down and check your local restaurants "fresh fish" dates.
I like to use LOTS of ice and layer it in with the fish...
Then like GA Man said, you can freeze it or give it away or cook it "fresh" days later.
If you leave the guts in the bacteria in the fish start to break down the "body" once the fish dies. If you freeze them whole, as they thaw the process begins again and "softens" up the meat.
My main problem is right now the fish I'm catching are too big for the rocket.
Crappie Wall Hanger
dont do that on the Corp lakes in Ms....every fish you have will be below the size limit...but then again please do we need the income....
Trophy King II
If you come to Alabama you better leave the heads on.
Here is an exerpt from the rules and regulations:
"Note: It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to transport more than one day's creel limit of any species of game fish beyond the boundaries of this state. It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to fillet freshwater fish while on public waters except when fish are being prepared for immediate cooking and consumption, provided however, that fish may be drawn or gutted with heads left attached."
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