Couple questions I hope y’all can help with. I haven’t done any serious fishing since I was a kid and I don’t really remember everything about keeping fish. I remember if we caught bass / bream / crappie we would soak them in some salt water for a little while to remove the fishy taste, then rinse, batter, and fry. If I wanted to fillet and freeze what is the best way? I know some do it in water. Do you salt this water? I’m sure some of you don’t use salt at all. Please enlighten me on the best ways.

One other question. If we keep the fish on ice after catching is it ok to do that all day and clean them that evening? When I was a kid we always cleaned them alive so I’m not sure.

Don't like them froze,but if you must do it in water.If there in a cooler keep water poured off of them with plenty of ice.The eyes will tell you when they're starting to go bad...

Get yourself a vacuum sealer. Food Saver is a popular brand, but there are some better ones that are pretty expensive.

Plus one on a Food Saver.

I’ve got a nice vacuum sealer. Don’t know why I didn’t think about that.

Vacuum sealer by far. Frozen in water comes in second.

In water. I’ve had some in the freezer over a year before and they are still good.

In water. I usually put fish in freezer bag fill completely with water then fold it over a zip it when about 1/3 of water runs out.

this they need to be completely covered to keep freezer burn away ive ate crappie frozen like this that was near 3 years old and nothing wrong with it pretty much a poor mans vacuum sealer the water replaces the air

That's how I do it too. No salt.

Lord I am fixing to give my age away but we used to take milk cartons put the fish in them, cover with water and freeze. The Ziploc bag thing works great too.

You ain't the only one...

I ain’t as old as you but did the same growing up. Used it on squirrels, dove and quail also.

Done a many like that, still would if cartons was available.

As far as cleaning, you can wait a few days if they stay in ice. Gills are what I check. Should stay red. Once they get lighter in color, I would not eat.

This!!!

Yep.....use plastic milk cartons to freeze fish, doves, Turkey, Shrimp,etc. in water. And I shoot an old A-5 Browning, drive a '76 Ford Highboy.....and my Baby Pics are in Black and White!!!

Amateurs freeze their fish in water. Professionals vacuum seal their fish. Fish tastes different and gets a rubbery feeling when submerged in water long enough to freeze. If you don’t believe me then i want y’all to snap a pic and post it next time you see some fish for sale at the store and the fillets are frozen in a block of ice. All the frozen fish I’ve ever seen was either vacuum sealed (best) or frozen and then sprayed with cold water to create a shell of ice(second best). My vacuum sealed fish tastes as fresh as the day i caught it and thaws quicker than a 10lb block of ice does.

Yup grandpa did it that way too

Freezing them in chlorinated water does this. I freeze mine in well water......tastes like the day they were caught.