In the winter, I usually catch only a few crappies thru the ice and they are pretty firm when eating them. Its been a long while since I have tried to eat summer crappies. Last week I caught a few and Saturday thought I would fry some up to eat. I had forgotten how mushy/soft they are. Don't care for mushy/soft fish, I couldn't eat them. So is there anyway to firm up in summertime crappies so their like gills, firm and flaky? I soaked them in salt water for a day or 2 in the fridge, that didn't help.