Quick Question WSB Icing or Fielting
 

Would like to know ASAP :)

...Know what?

I would ice that beast for at least 24 hours before sticking the knife in her.

If that's the question?

I bleed, then ice it. I gut then fillet at home.then freeze it

What is best, is there a preference?

I have been told both and need to know like now ...

Yes, this is the question. I did gut him and he if fully iced now.

I may cut off a small chunk for dinner tho ...

But your saying to wait 24 hrs for the bulk of the fish, correct?

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

Thank you very much,

So I should NOT cut off a small chunk for tonight because I do not want to expose the remainder to the ice /turning to water.

Should I salt the gut cavity as it did gut it or no need as that really isn't exposed meat.

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? :confused:

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. :D

Congrats.

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?

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!

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.

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

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

Awesome fish report!!