Author Topic: How long do you wait to clean your fish?  (Read 11726 times)

Offline Fish_Tko

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How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« on: Oct 21, 2008, 01:08 PM »
While ice fishing i will usually keep all my fish from saturday and sunday and clean them monday after work with some buddies so i can fish sun-up to sun-down all weekend. We have been doing this for years and have never noticed a difference in the quality of the fish(speaking of gills, crappies, and perch, not trout). We usually also keep them packed in 5 gallon buckets with snow to keep them cold/frozen.  Does anyone else keep fish this long before cleaning them? Opinions?
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Offline stumper

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #1 on: Oct 21, 2008, 01:12 PM »
I will throw them in the freezer until the GF has time to clean them.

Offline jdm

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #2 on: Oct 21, 2008, 01:16 PM »
I do the same thing. Unfortunately, if I have a good weekend, I end up spending a couple hours with the fillet knife. I have never tasted a difference by doing this either.

Offline ALASKANSS

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #3 on: Oct 21, 2008, 01:29 PM »
as soon as i get home,or back to camp.

Offline jayswimmer09

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #4 on: Oct 21, 2008, 02:43 PM »
normally right when i get home, as long as the fish you catch are getting frozen decently fast then i dont see why it would spoil the meat

Offline icejunky

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #5 on: Oct 21, 2008, 03:10 PM »
i usually clean them nightly, two shorter shifts at the board is better then one long one...I dont know why Im always the knife bearer, I guess it comes with the territory of being the head cook as well

Offline billditrite

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #6 on: Oct 21, 2008, 03:29 PM »
there are plenty of times I'll go catch some crappie after work in the evening and dont clean the fish 'til the following day after work. keep 'em nice and cold and they will be fine. when they are just starting to freeze ,they fillet nice and easy

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #7 on: Oct 21, 2008, 03:30 PM »
I clean mine, to the extent the law permits, on the ice.  Usually means filleting and leaving the skin attached for pike.  What else is there to do while your buddy is tending the tip-ups?

Offline bowhuntken

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #8 on: Oct 21, 2008, 04:13 PM »
i like to clean them as soon as i can, i don't like fish sitting around to long, i have spent many
late nights cleaning the fish so i can get them right the freezer
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Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #9 on: Oct 21, 2008, 04:19 PM »
Open water as soon as Im done fishing  Ice fishing   when I get to them  maybe a day or so later   once they are froze  there is no rush
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Offline bulldawger

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #10 on: Oct 21, 2008, 06:03 PM »
I'm usually out of gas by the time I get home at night, so they stay in the bucket with snow till the next day.
I dont always drink beer, but when I do I like to drink alot of it.

Offline duck doctor

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #11 on: Oct 21, 2008, 06:09 PM »
I clean mine, to the extent the law permits, on the ice.  Usually means filleting and leaving the skin attached for pike.  What else is there to do while your buddy is tending the tip-ups?

Hmmm.....maybe enjoy another adult beverage?  lol


I clean mine when I get home. That is, if I keep any at all!

Offline Skipper

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #12 on: Oct 21, 2008, 07:41 PM »
If you freeze the fish prior to cleaning, don't refreeze them after cleaning. You can freeze fish once and it is fine, but if you thaw it and refreeze it, and thaw it again, it turns to watery mush.

I will let fish sit in a pail in the garage and clean them the next day, but those fish go right in the fry pan. :)

Offline fishfry

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #13 on: Oct 21, 2008, 07:47 PM »
there are plenty of times I'll go catch some crappie after work in the evening and dont clean the fish 'til the following day after work. keep 'em nice and cold and they will be fine. when they are just starting to freeze ,they fillet nice and easy
Yep. ;D


Offline J_Jaacks

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #14 on: Oct 21, 2008, 08:50 PM »
I do mine when I get home. It sure can be tiring fishing all day and them come home and clean them, but when I sit down I don't want to have to think about when I will get them cleaned.  All I have to worry about then is when to enjoy them.

Offline Polar

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #15 on: Oct 21, 2008, 09:40 PM »
During hardwater season the following morning.
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an  well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, A fishing pole in one hand, beer in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming \"WOO HOO, what a ride!

Offline IceFishinJoe

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #16 on: Oct 21, 2008, 09:55 PM »
Usually after a full day on the hardwater it is the next day. Summertime it is always the day of.

Offline darkhousefisher

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #17 on: Oct 21, 2008, 11:38 PM »
I clean mine when I get home that night, or else first thing the next morning.

Offline stumper

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #18 on: Oct 21, 2008, 11:58 PM »
If you freeze the fish prior to cleaning, don't refreeze them after cleaning. You can freeze fish once and it is fine, but if you thaw it and refreeze it, and thaw it again, it turns to watery mush.

I will let fish sit in a pail in the garage and clean them the next day, but those fish go right in the fry pan. :)

Mine never have,cant say that we have ever noticed a difference either way.

Offline Piggyn

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #19 on: Oct 23, 2008, 07:49 PM »
As soon as I get home...
Catching the lunkers of tomorrow today!

Offline initforfun

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #20 on: Oct 23, 2008, 08:46 PM »
A couple of 'eyes or pike when I get home. I will let a bucket of panfish sit til the next morning if I get in late.

Offline brittlab

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #21 on: Oct 25, 2008, 05:10 AM »
as soon as I get home


See you on the frozen pond.......Mike

Offline DizzyDean

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #22 on: Oct 25, 2008, 06:00 PM »
We clean them when we usually get back unless its late then ts the next day. They just stay frozen till we do them
I need ice!!!!

Offline icefisher-45

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #23 on: Oct 25, 2008, 06:09 PM »
Soon as I get home :tipup:
Take a kid ice fishing

Offline filetandrelease

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #24 on: Oct 25, 2008, 06:30 PM »
open water they go from live well to frig clean next night then vacuum pack then to freezer same with winter fish
 

Offline DaWaitaz

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Re: How long do you wait to clean your fish?
« Reply #25 on: Oct 26, 2008, 06:55 PM »
I asked a guy at work this question and I've employed his method......toss them in a five gallon bucket with snow on them until you've got a big enough mess to eat, or when they are two weeks old whichever comes first.  Works and they taste fine to me...I agree with the "don't freeze them twice" comment...especially with crappies. And another really good tip (perhaps everyone knows this but...) keep the fish as dry as you can...don't soak the crap out of them....get them as dry as you can and don't cook them while cold, they should be room temp before you toss them in the grease.

 



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