How long can fish stay on ice?

[Wichita]

Ok guys,,,how long can you store your fish under ice before cleaning them?

[Barnacle Bill]

I've kept them 3 or 4 days and they were still good. If the gills are still red, they're good.
Commercial fishermen keep them a lot longer than that.

[yikess]

IBNFSHN I didn't know about the red gill test. That's good info. Thanks for the post.

[Slipped Cork]

I have left a bunch overnight and fillet'ed the next day.Im sure they will last alot longer.You ever see a whole salmon in the store? It did'nt get there in a hurry im sure.I dont know this for sure but if you keep the water drained and keep ice on them they should last several day's.Thank's for the tip ibf about checking the gill.

[slipbobber]

If you keep the water drained off and scatter some rock salt on and around them they will keep for several days, remember home made ice-cream?

[PawPaw Gene]

I never ate crappie ice cream. :p :D

[skeetbum]

I bet it would sell pretty good in our circle of friends.

[Luke77]

I was wondering the same thing in March, and after a few 3 day camping trips on the river this year, my fish have been fine from Friday to Sunday in a good cooler. I drain the cooler of water and add ice from other coolers containing the food, beer, etc...

[slipbobber]

I would recomend frying the crappie before making home made ice-cream with them, now we might have something there!!!!!!

[Phantom309]

When I was a youngster I lived up on the Gulf out of Perry Fla at a place called "Jug Island".
We had commercial fishermen there who rowed gill net boats catching mullet (was a loooong time ago). we'd get their catch at the fish house and ice em down in a big ice box, and keep em collected/iced down for a week till we made our annual weekly trip to Steinhatchee where we'd sell em. Never had a problem and everyone else in the area did it the same way.