Thread: When do you clean your fish?

Originally Posted by "G"

Ice the fish down...go home and fillet them the nest day....makes it a lot easier

^^^^what he said^^^


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I too put mine on ice and filet next day. Much firmer and easier for me.

I almost always work the next day so for me its from lake to live well, plug til I get home and fillet soon as I park, put em in saltwater couple hours or overnight. Clean up and cover the boat.
It's a little messy but gets the job done in the time I have plus I hate dealing with ice.

What's the deal with putting them in saltwater?

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Saltwater over night???


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

I've read a few people putting them in saltwater for a while or freezing them in water. Is it to get any fishyness out?

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Originally Posted by BAFishBarn

I've read a few people putting them in saltwater for a while or freezing them in water. Is it to get any fishyness out?

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Same question was asked back in 2008 .... here's my "reply" (copied)

"soaking in salt water is to dissolve the blood. I've done both ways, and don't really notice a difference. I learned to soak them in saltwater, from my Grandmother ... and I think it was her dislike of "bloody" meat that prompted her to use this method.
The filets will tend to get a little "slimy", if left to soak very long. Rinse them good, before freezing, and that shouldn't affect their taste.
On the ones that I didn't soak, or the freshly caught/cleaned ones, and those with some blood remnants still in/on the meat ... (even after a rinse job) ... they did not taste any different than the soaked ones."

Sounds like the majority ice them down before cleaning. I will have to give that a try. I ALWAYS clean my catch as soon as I get home. The only reason I can think of is because that is the way my dad does it, so natural that is how I was taught. I also soak the filets in salt water for two days (water is changed each day) before they are bagged and frozen, but again, that is how I was taught.