Quick Question WSB Icing or Fielting

[wiredantz]

Originally Posted by dos ballenas

Ideally 24 hours yes.... try not to get any frresh water on your fillets....
fresh water bad!

i always use freshwater with lemon juice then straight to the BBQ if i am going to eat it on the spot. I also use freshwater to rinse off all the scales when i am cleaning it. Am i doing it the wrong way?

[Aaron&Julie]

We bleed them right away while they're still kicking, and bring a large cooler with eight 2-litre frozen water bottles (the large soda types). Then the fish goes right into the cooler when we hit the beach, and when we get home we gut 'em ASAP, then throw a couple more 2-litre frozen in, along with a large bad of crushed ice. We wait a day, then filet it, keeping the filets cool in another smaller cooler with a couple more frozen bottles. When we're done fileting, we vacuum pack ASAP, except what we're eating that night. If done this way, your vacuum sealed fish will last up to 2 years or more, just about as fresh as the day you caught them. We do this with all of our fish, yellowtail, halibut, tuna, etc.
We have a huge chest freezer at home, full of clams, lobsters, and the different fish species, plus a bag of crushed ice ready to use, and at least 12 frozen 2-litre bottles in it, at any given time. The crushed ice comes in handy because it comes in direct contact with the length of the fish, while the bottles keep it very chilled. Waiting a day to filet firms up the meat, making it so much easier to filet.
You'll save mucho dollars using the frozen bottle idea. One note, when filling the bottles leave about 2" of air at the top, then squeeze out the air and put the cap on. Ice expands when freezing, and you don't need the bottles bursting in your freezer.

[bus kid]

Originally Posted by Aaron&Julie

We bleed them right away while they're still kicking, and bring a large cooler with eight 2-litre frozen water bottles (the large soda types). Then the fish goes right into the cooler when we hit the beach, and when we get home we gut 'em ASAP, then throw a couple more 2-litre frozen in, along with a large bad of crushed ice. We wait a day, then filet it, keeping the filets cool in another smaller cooler with a couple more frozen bottles. When we're done fileting, we vacuum pack ASAP, except what we're eating that night. If done this way, your vacuum sealed fish will last up to 2 years or more, just about as fresh as the day you caught them. We do this with all of our fish, yellowtail, halibut, tuna, etc.
We have a huge chest freezer at home, full of clams, lobsters, and the different fish species, plus a bag of crushed ice ready to use, and at least 12 frozen 2-litre bottles in it, at any given time. The crushed ice comes in handy because it comes in direct contact with the length of the fish, while the bottles keep it very chilled. Waiting a day to filet firms up the meat, making it so much easier to filet.
You'll save mucho dollars using the frozen bottle idea. One note, when filling the bottles leave about 2" of air at the top, then squeeze out the air and put the cap on. Ice expands when freezing, and you don't need the bottles bursting in your freezer.

X2


BS without photos of so claimed fish,on a scale next to a tape, with GPS#'s, time caught, depth, Bait, hook,line, rod and reel combo,gaff, game clip, and kayak.

Congrats.

[ctfphoto]

A&J, thank you very much, I really appreciate the info.

This is my first WSB and PB on a kayak which I have been doing for about one year now.

I will post photos on another thread.

I checked out the other wsb thread and my fish is a lot smaller at 37" but it is my first so I am psyched.

Originally Posted by ctfphoto

A&J, thank you very much, I really appreciate the info.

This is my first WSB and PB on a kayak which I have been doing for about one year now.

I will post photos on another thread.

I checked out the other wsb thread and my fish is a lot smaller at 37" but it is my first so I am psyched.

I was the one who told you to ice it while we were on the water.

What's the matter you don't trust me?

[bus kid]

Originally Posted by Drake

What's the matter you don't trust me?

I trust you because your Next door to the guy who lives next door to my ex! and you are going to catch the Loch Ness monster before the summer is over!

Originally Posted by bus kid

I trust you because your Next door to the guy who lives next door to my ex! and you are going to catch the Loch Ness monster before the summer is over!

[ctfphoto]

Originally Posted by Drake

I was the one who told you to ice it while we were on the water.

What's the matter you don't trust me?

Yes, and I thank you for that. Sorry dude, (I actually did trust you) I just like confirmation on important things.

[mtnbykr2]

Originally Posted by ctfphoto

Yes, and I thank you for that. Sorry dude, (I actually did trust you) I just like confirmation on important things.

Congrats on your PB, I would have asked alot of questions too, don't wanna
mess that fish up...enjoy

[wiredantz]

Originally Posted by Aaron&Julie

We bleed them right away while they're still kicking, and bring a large cooler with eight 2-litre frozen water bottles (the large soda types). Then the fish goes right into the cooler when we hit the beach, and when we get home we gut 'em ASAP, then throw a couple more 2-litre frozen in, along with a large bad of crushed ice. We wait a day, then filet it, keeping the filets cool in another smaller cooler with a couple more frozen bottles. When we're done fileting, we vacuum pack ASAP, except what we're eating that night. If done this way, your vacuum sealed fish will last up to 2 years or more, just about as fresh as the day you caught them. We do this with all of our fish, yellowtail, halibut, tuna, etc.
We have a huge chest freezer at home, full of clams, lobsters, and the different fish species, plus a bag of crushed ice ready to use, and at least 12 frozen 2-litre bottles in it, at any given time. The crushed ice comes in handy because it comes in direct contact with the length of the fish, while the bottles keep it very chilled. Waiting a day to filet firms up the meat, making it so much easier to filet.
You'll save mucho dollars using the frozen bottle idea. One note, when filling the bottles leave about 2" of air at the top, then squeeze out the air and put the cap on. Ice expands when freezing, and you don't need the bottles bursting in your freezer.

wth... my fish never last that long....

This is how it goes...


Babe, I CAUGHT A BIG ONE. i caught a huge one !!!

Bring it home in ice and a cooler...

take off scales, gut it... dunk in water with lemon to BBQ grill
BAm.. people show up... even the ones you dont know and your left with just a ziplock bag at the end.

[dos ballenas]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

i always use freshwater with lemon juice then straight to the BBQ if i am going to eat it on the spot. I also use freshwater to rinse off all the scales when i am cleaning it. Am i doing it the wrong way?

if you're gonna eat it right away then that is fine.

washing off the slime and stuff (before making any cuts into the fish) is a good idea... I do this too.

But if you're gonna freeze it or leave it in the fridge for a while make sure you don't hit the fillets with ANY fresh water... it will make it last a lot longer in the fridge, and taste better frozen....

I rinse the fish to get all the slime off. Fillet the fish. Skin the fish. Then take paper towels and dry before vac seal

[jorluivil]

Awesome fish report!!

[ctfphoto]

Thanks for all the tips, the fillets came out perfect.

[mtnbykr2]

Originally Posted by dos ballenas

if you're gonna eat it right away then that is fine.

washing off the slime and stuff (before making any cuts into the fish) is a good idea... I do this too.

But if you're gonna freeze it or leave it in the fridge for a while make sure you don't hit the fillets with ANY fresh water... it will make it last a lot longer in the fridge, and taste better frozen....

I rinse the fish to get all the slime off. Fillet the fish. Skin the fish. Then take paper towels and dry before vac seal

This is great info, I did not know that...thanks

[Aaron&Julie]

Originally Posted by dos ballenas

Then take paper towels and dry before vac seal

Ditto here, with rinsing slime, sand and blood off, in addition to using paper towels.
We also take about a 1/4 inch of a paper towel that is as wide as your bag opening is, roll it up, stick in the bag opening all the way across the bag and about 1/2 inch behind where the seal will occur, to ensure catching any additional juices before they get into the sealing mechanism, potentially ruining your fish sealer. Doesn't matter if your sealer has a wet/dry selection, if the juices get past the bag opening they will end up in the trough, or worse. This is an absolute must with the Pismo clams we freeze.

[taggermike]

I don't have a ice chest big enough for a nice wsb or yt. So I ice in the car on the way home and fillet right when I get there. Deffinately wipe slime off the fish befor cutting and clean board of any gut contents befor continueing to fillet. I don't tend to use plastic bags. Enstead I lay out a big cookie sheet, line it with wax paper and then a thick layer of paper towells. Then add layers of fish and paper towells followed by a cover of seran wrap. I like to change the paper towells daily. In my house there is a sorta under ground "mike has fish" comunication network through the family so fish never makes it to the freezer. Mike

[ctfphoto]

You guys just cost me 175 bucks, thanks ........ lol

Ten dollars on ice and 165 bucks for a vacuum sealer and extra bags .....

Do you know how fast ice melts in Lakeside when it's 100 degrees .... I finally gave up and brought the fish (on ice) into the man cave with Air Conditioning .....

[Aaron&Julie]

Originally Posted by ctfphoto

You guys just cost me 175 bucks, thanks ........ lol

Ten dollars on ice and 165 bucks for a vacuum sealer and extra bags .....

LOL
The vacuum sealer is one of the best fishing expenses you'll ever do.
The ice is nice, just to be safe for when needed. Water in 2-litre bottles, then frozen, will save you from buying ice that often.

[bus kid]

Originally Posted by ctfphoto

You guys just cost me 175 bucks, thanks ........ lol

Ten dollars on ice and 165 bucks for a vacuum sealer and extra bags .....

Do you know how fast ice melts in Lakeside when it's 100 degrees .... I finally gave up and brought the fish (on ice) into the man cave with Air Conditioning .....

wsb fillets are any where from $16.00 - $20.00 a pound,
looks like you saved some money to me!

http://www.giovannisfishmarket.com/f...te-FILLET.aspx

[Hunters Pa]

Before I had a vac sealer I used ziplocs and a big bowl of water. Zip most of teh way, submerge most of teh way with the zipper part out of the water and manipulate the fish until mosy of the bubbles are out.

I have also had success by wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and then putting in a ziplock, excluding as much air as possible.

That said, I still prefer the vac sealer.