Storing the catch in the cooler, keep melted water or drain it? I keep seeing conflicting opinions when it comes to managing an ice box or cooler to store the catch. Some people say...

KG Loc: Treasure Coast, Florida

I keep seeing conflicting opinions when it comes to managing an ice box or cooler to store the catch.
Some people say it's best to drain the water to only have ice, because ice water spoils the taste of the fish.
Others say to keep the water in, or even add some salt water, to make an ice slurry, so that fish cools down quicker.

What do you guys think is the best approach?

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

If the fish is prone to overheating during the fight then gut it and pack it with ice. In any case you'll want to drain off the melted water.

KG Loc: Treasure Coast, Florida

Papa D wrote:

In any case you'll want to drain off the melted water.

Why? That's my question.

Papa D Loc: Mantweeka, Ca

Sitting in melted ice water alters the flavor and texture of the flesh.

KG Loc: Treasure Coast, Florida

Papa D wrote:

Sitting in melted ice water alters the flavor and texture of the flesh.

I read that. But how does it happen? If the fish is ungutted and pulled from the water and placed in ice slurry with melted water in it, how does it mess up the flesh texture and flavor?

Jeremy Loc: America

KG wrote:

I read that. But how does it happen? If the fish is ungutted and pulled from the water and placed in ice slurry with melted water in it, how does it mess up the flesh texture and flavor?

I use lots of ice with it melting and draining so the fish are cooling down more. Melting ice transfer heat into to water so letting drain will keep the fish cooler. If the fish are fileted and don't have any skin on them then definitely don't want them in water. It can get bacteria growing. You just want the fish as cold as possible and cleaned ASAP blood and guts in them can ruin the high quality flavor. Keeping them cold increase the quality the sooner they are cleaned and chilled the higher the quality. Fry or cook fish as soon as you get off the water sometime. Save some of the same fish and fry it after it is in your refrigerator a week later. Freeze it and eat it later you will taste a difference.

fungifunguy Loc: Pennsylvania

Drain the water.
The water is 32 degrees.....or warmer.
The ice is 32 degrees or probably colder, possibly much colder....therefore keeps fish fresher.

Bigmark Loc: Lower Alabama

I have always found it best to keep the water drained if possible on all fish and game. In some cases you can't drain the fish, depending on the situation. Both fish and game will lose the natural colors and some flavor. Fish will also get cloudy eyes. Leaving the water on or off, you can still eat them.

Bigmark

JackM Loc: North East Florida

Adding salt to the ice will make the water colder by a few degrees. If you're saltwater fishing you have a ready source of salt. I bleed my catch but don't gut it and cover it with ice which has had saltwater added to it.

KG Loc: Treasure Coast, Florida

Jeremy wrote:

Melting ice transfer heat into to water so letting drain will keep the fish cooler.

You see, that's the part that doesn't make sense to me. Assuming we don't want to freeze the fish but to cool it down to just above the freezing point, it makes more sense to suspend it in ice slurry.

Ice is colder than ice slurry, but ice doesn't surround the fish completely. Ice slurry does. And heat transfer through water is a lot faster than through air gaps that form between ice and fish.

So to me it seems like ice slurry would cool the fish faster than just ice.

fungifunguy wrote:

The ice is 32 degrees or probably colder, possibly much colder....therefore keeps fish fresher.

Yes. Same thing. I don't need to freeze the fish. I want to cool it down. So I don't need it below 32 deg. But I do need the fish to get to that 32 deg as quickly as possible. And heat transfer through water is really fast.

Bigmark wrote:

Both fish and game will lose the natural colors and some flavor. Fish will also get cloudy eyes.

Yeah, this is what I read too. Cloudy eyes and worse flavor. But why does that happen? Fish is naturally in the water. So why does it "go bad" (or rather slightly worse) if still kept in water but that's close to freezing temp?

Jeremy Loc: America

JackM wrote:

Adding salt to the ice will make the water colder by a few degrees. If you're saltwater fishing you have a ready source of salt. I bleed my catch but don't gut it and cover it with ice which has had saltwater added to it.

Your saying salt water freezes at a few degrees colder. Yeah. I think good advice here is just that. Some appear to not take good advice so I gotta say to each his own. Water can carry bacteria but I think we all gave our advice. Let whoever caught fresh fish let them go bad or soak them and do whatever their going to do. Everyone gave suggestions. We need to go fishing and keep our fish as cold as possible.

TimHall Loc: Detroit, Mi; Mayville, NY

Jeremy wrote:

I use lots of ice with it melting and draining so ... (show quote)

you will not lose taste if you freeze the filets in bags of water, provided you had put them on ice promptly when you caught them.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

KG wrote:

Yeah, this is what I read too. Cloudy eyes and worse flavor. But why does that happen? Fish is naturally in the water. So why does it "go bad" (or rather slightly worse) if still kept in water but that's close to freezing temp?

Once the fish dies, it starts decomposing, just like people do. The bacteria in the water speed up the process.

KG Loc: Treasure Coast, Florida

Fredfish wrote:

Once the fish dies, it starts decomposing, just like people do. The bacteria in the water speed up the process.

Yes, but the lower the temperature the slower the process. That's why refrigeration works.

So if the water is near freezing point (in an ice slurry), why would bacteria in it speed up the process compared to bits of water still left on the fish when it's placed in the cooler?

Jeremy Loc: America

TimHall wrote:

you will not lose taste if you freeze the filets in bags of water, provided you had put them on ice promptly when you caught them.

YUP. I use to freeze fresh Salmon whole. Gutted. Kept adding fresh cold water to a garbage bag. Yeah whn you freeze them in submerged water is actually best way to store fish in the skin. Just takes up a lot of freezer space.

Leaving fish in water un frozen is a whole other thing.