2 Cool Fishing Forum banner

How long can I keep fish on ice before cleaning?

50K views 42 replies 29 participants last post by  G-O-T-B 
#1 ·
Heading to the coast this weekend and wanted to ask y'all what's the longest time you would keep your fish on ice before cleaning?
In regard to specks, reds and flounder, does one keep better than another when in the ice chest?

Thanks guys.
 
#6 ·
I'm estimating no more than 48 hours on ice, then I'll be back home to clean. I'm pretty sure the hotel we're staying at this weekend wouldn't take to kind if I were to clean them in the room.
So some say trout may get mushy, how about flounder and reds?
 
#22 ·
All 3 will keep plenty long on ice (drained) for a weekend trip. But I have to wonder why you wouldn't clean them when you get done for the day.

You mentioned not wanting to clean them at the room. You didn't say where on the coast you are headed but I would bet there's a cleaning station near the boat ramp or bait camp. Fillet them when you're done each day. Put the fillets in ziplocks on ice and you are good to go.
 
#7 ·
Trout and redfish kept several days on ice should be no problem - no different than a bag of fillets in the refrigerator. Pull the drain plug so that they do not get waterlogged and remember to add enough ice periodically to keep them covered. I think that mushy reputation comes from laying in ice water and the flesh absorbing excessive moisture.
 
#13 ·
Trout and redfish kept several days on ice should be no problem - no different than a bag of fillets in the refrigerator. Pull the drain plug so that they do not get waterlogged and remember to add enough ice periodically to keep them covered. I think that mushy reputation comes from laying in ice water and the flesh absorbing excessive moisture.
I agree completely.

When I lived in Brownsville as a boy ( 1950's) my Dad and his friends would take me on fishing trips into Mexicos famous passes from the laguna to the gulf. They would stay from 4 to 6 days and we never had problems with spoiled fish.

Their rules for keeping the fish fresh were: 1. always gut & gill the fish as soon as possible, preferrably when the fish are still alive, 2. put them on ice as soon as they are gutted, 3. never let them sit in water, 4. as soon as you get home fillet, package,freeze, 5. after a few days to rest; defrost, fry, eat.
 
#9 ·
If you gut them, but leave them whole, they can last longer than you think.

Fish markets have fresh fish that could be up to a week old, but are still fresh as they were kept near freezing, approx 33- 35 deg.

After a few days they eyes will start to get cloudy, but the smell is an important factor ...... I have found keep them coverd in ice, not a slush or any water.

The nasty water is what will smell .... just keep them draied but covered in ICE.
 
#11 ·
Instinct says that you gut and gill them on the water before coming back to the hotel, but check with parks and wildlife and make sure they are good with it. Don't know how it would change a measurement but I'd get their blessing before I got hung with 10 to 20 illegally processed fish. Commercial snapper fishermen gill and gut their catch offshore I believe, but I'd check anyway. Gill, gutted, and properly iced fish could be good for up to 5 to 7 days but I'd process as soon as feasable.
 
#15 ·
There is no reason not to clean and prepare your catch as soon as you get back to dock unless you are staying the night on the water in a boat or cabin and in that case gut and gill them when you finish fishing. You can not have filets on the water. Gutted and gilled fish will be fine on heavy ice for up to 3 days. That is what we do if staying down at the cabins. I would not leave whole fish longer than 12 hours on ice. hope this helps
 
#16 ·
Guys, awesome info thanks! I had to look up gill/bleed the fish (I had no idea :redface:) and will gut them prior to putting them on ice (should be easy enough at the water. I'm being very optimistic that I'm going to catch anything worth taking home, but I figured best be positive and prepared in case I do.


Thanks again.
Neil
 
#20 ·
As has been mentioned, let the cooler drain. Also, lay the fish on top of the ice, as much as possible, and not under it.

You'll be amazed how fresh they'll stay for days. The eyes will remain clear and their coloration will remain almost as if you just pulled them from the water. Plus, the flesh will remain firm.

Personally, I've never worried about gutting/gilling. The only part of the fish I've noticed being affected, by not gutting and gilling them, is the ribcages, and I'm not going to eat them anyway.
 
#24 ·
I'm not real familiar with Galveston but there has to be a ramp, bait camp, or something close by your hotel that has cleaning facilities. If not, all you need is a small piece of board and a knife and you can clean them near where you fish. Just be mindful of where you throw the heads, guts, etc.

I took my dad to lake Somerville last weekend. The only ramp open is at Rocky Creek park which has no cleaning station. I took a folding saw horse, cutting board, and fillet knife and cleaned them right at the truck. Put all the scraps in a 5 gal bucket, put teh bucket back in the boat and dumped it in the middle of the lake.
 
#25 ·
I say bleed them. Capt Hollis showed me once how to bleed a redfish, craziest thing I ever saw. We got back to the boat after a long wade and had a few redfish. He took each redfish, held in the water by the back, stuck his finger in the hole right behind the dorsal fin and rolled his finger around. He did that both sides of the redfish. Blood poured out of the fish and we threw them on ice and continued fishing else where for a few more hours.
When we got back to the ramp close to dark, we cleaned the fish and the redfish had no blood in the meat just as Hollis said. I agrre with a few post here, keep out of water and on top of a bag of ice with ice on top.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top