# Frozen Fish!



## carp (Oct 31, 2011)

With the temps way below freezing, my fish take for quite a while to unthaw to get ready to fillet. One saugeye took 5 hrs in the house last night and then was barely cleanable with semi-frozen fillets!

I also would like to ask what is the longest period of time someone has kept a frozen solid fish before they cleaned it?

I've noticed the longer fish stay froze solid before cleaning, have more red / blood in the fillet that needs to be cut out!

Any opinions or tricks?


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## KingFisher89 (Feb 22, 2007)

I usually dont let my fish freeze for that reason and usually after they unthaw they are really slimy. I put my fish in a 50lb seed bag and keep them in the shanty with me and they dont freeze. It also keeps people from walking by and seeing your fish throwed on the ice or in a bucket and setting up right on top of you.


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## carp (Oct 31, 2011)

Ive done this, but with these temps there still frozen when I get home! Remember we are fishing in temps in the negatives, so just packing up and moving spots, or walking off ice is freezing them solid. I agree with the slime, its crazy, so ive been cleaning them semi-frozen, to avoid the slimy fish! But a pain to wait 5 hrs on one fish last night! Last fish I caught only waited 1/2 hr and he was flopping 



KingFisher89 said:


> I usually dont let my fish freeze for that reason and usually after they unthaw they are really slimy. I put my fish in a 50lb seed bag and keep them in the shanty with me and they dont freeze. It also keeps people from walking by and seeing your fish throwed on the ice or in a bucket and setting up right on top of you.


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## sady dog (Feb 10, 2008)

You should bleed them out..tear or cut a gill and they will bleed out in a bucket in your shanty...This will keep the filets from getting all the blood in them. they come out nice and white everytime. 
I usually filet mine frozen, unless they are bent..then i run them under cold water, like you do shrimp.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

carp said:


> Ive done this, but with these temps there still frozen when I get home! Remember we are fishing in temps in the negatives, so just packing up and moving spots, or walking off ice is freezing them solid. I agree with the slime, its crazy, so ive been cleaning them semi-frozen, to avoid the slimy fish! But a pain to wait 5 hrs on one fish last night! Last fish I caught only waited 1/2 hr and he was flopping


Easiest way is to not go out with these low temps like me.  Getting to be too much of a wimp as I get older.  I don't like to let them freeze either and keep them in the shanty too. I also put several scoops of the ice chips in the bucket. I have an older homemade shanty so I set it up at the car and don't take it down till back at the car so the fish stay protected from the cold more for me anyway. If you have a bucket with a lid perhaps you can take a cup or something to dip from the hole and cover the fish with water in the bucket before you start to pack up. Maybe even add extra. The lid will help keep the cold out and water from splashing over everything. That may be enough mass to keep from freezing while you move or walk off the ice. You can dump the water after you set up again or load up the car. Even without freezing the fish can be slimy so many times I'll rinse them off to make them easier to handle before filleting.


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## ballast (Sep 15, 2011)

I take the frozen fish in my bucket and put them in a bag and throw um in the freezer for a few days. I give alot of fish away and have had no complaints. Bleeding them out on the ice sounds like a mess.


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

If it is that bothersome....... couldn't you drill an xtra hole (a few feet away from where you are fishing) and use a stringer down through the hole? Honestly, never tried it, just a random thought.


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

AtticaFish said:


> If it is that bothersome....... couldn't you drill an xtra hole (a few feet away from where you are fishing) and use a stringer down through the hole? Honestly, never tried it, just a random thought.


Exactly what I was just thinking.


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## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

i kept a batch of fish in the garage for two days and that was too long in my opinion, some filets were very pale and most were getting mushy so i got freaked out. i will never let that happen again. one night is long enough for me. im sure they were fine but its not worth getting sick for me


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## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)

Some folks will drill halfway down with their augers and make an "ice livewell" fill it up with water and keep them from freezing.


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## shroomhunter (Aug 6, 2004)

I have taken along a medium cooler you can fill it with ice from the holes you drill or some snow. It insulates from the cold as well as keeping your fish cold but not frozen solid. Bleed them out first if you like then toss them in the cooler.


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