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Marcus if the fish freeze the ice cristals cause the meat to start to break down then you thaw to clean and refreeze causing the meat to be broken down more. Just makes them a little less firm for cooking.
I can't believe none of you guys use what I've used ever since I was old enough to fish.....a simple FISH STRINGER !! We just punch an extra hole and keep 'em alive and kickin' till the end of the day. The best ones are the metal "chain type" with separate clips for the fish.
Holehawg has one of those we used last year, and I built one for myself cuz it worked so nice !
I keep mine in my flip over in an empty 40lb salt bag. That way I don't have an extra bucket or cooler taking up space. Throw the salt bag away at the end of the night and clean the fish [alive]. I'll throw some snow in it to keep the fish wet.Paul