Frozen whole fish

[BigVLover]

I'm looking for the best way to thaw fish that have been frozen before cleaning. Any creative ideas would be appreciated.

[tsande00]

I try to keep them from freezing in the first place by putting them in a 5 gallong pale full of snow for insulation. I've kept fish alive all weekend using this method.

Once they are already frozen though it's usually a slimy disaster...at least from my experience. I put them under luke warm water which worked OK but maybe they wouldn't' get so slimy if a guy just let them thaw naturally...not sure.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

The best way to thaw frozen whole fish is to put them in the sink and cover them with COLD water. It takes a while if they are frozen solid but will not wreck them like warm water will.

Best way is to not let them freeze in the first place. I keep them inside my portable in a bucket or if I am in my permanent house I keep them in a bucket of cold water inside the house.

If you are outside do as suggested earlier, put them in a bucket and cover them with snow. That will at least slow down the freezing!

Cliff

[Steve Foss]

With the deep snows this winter, another way to keep them from freezing is to kick a trench down to the ice, put the fish against the ice and mound snow over the top. It takes many hours to freeze a fish that way.

I also use the cold water trick Cliff mentioned. I actually like to clean them just before they are thawed. I bit of freeze makes them just stiff enough to make cleaning easier.

[Wanderer]

Put em in the fridge Sunday night when you get home and clean them Monday night after work. A brief cold water bath in the sink over dinner should have them in good shape for the knife.