How long are crappies good for in the freezer???

[KrappieKilla]

I have some buddys coming up from Iowa next weekend and I will be taking them on some metro lakes to try and show them a good time and get a fish fry out of it. This being said I always C&R my fish so I don't know the answer to this question.

This week I have been fishing some local lakes and keeping crappie (9.5" + only) so that just in case we got skunked next weekend (you know how metro lakes can be), me and my friends can still have a fish fry. Will these keep fine in the freezer for 1.5-2 weeks? let me know your thoughts, thank you

[KrabbyPatties]

As long as you package them well so they don't get freezer burn, they should last much longer than that. When I freeze fish, I put the fillets in the bottom of a plastic container, then I run enough cold water to cover the fillets entirely and set the container in the freezer. No freezer burn, no problem. I never have fish stick around for months, but I would expect them to be good for months if I did.

[tearin' lips]

As long as you put water in the bag they will be fine for that long. I usually prefer to eat my fish fresh or the day after, but the few times that I do freeze fish they are fine for a week or two until I can eat them.

[Rippinlip]

Vacuum sealer and I can keep them good for a year.

I rarely freeze fish for very long or at all, but I froze some perch from Mille Lacs last year over the New Year's weekend and they were delicious over Memorial day this year.

[sunniewally]

i put themm in a freezer bag fill it with water, close it up and freeze it. good for a month or better

[PurpleCatMan]

To add to this question, what is the best way to thaw frozen filets?

[dfeste]

The best way to thaw them is to place them in the fridge 3 or 4 days before you want to use them. If you don't have that much time you can place the bag they are in into a container of cold water and they will thaw in a few hours. I have always just used the kitchen sink.

[Coon]

i eat em a year old or more when froze in water. with that being said, i think crappys are better ate fresh as i think there pretty mushy compared to gills and perch.

[Stick in Mud]

Like others have said, they'll keep a long, long time if you put them in water before freezing them. Two weeks won't be a problem.

[Spearing Machine]

i eat em a year old or more when froze in water. with that being said, i think crappys are better ate fresh as i think there pretty mushy compared to gills and perch.

Ziplock quart bag, just cover the fillets with water and squeeze out all air in the bag and freeze. I've ate fish that is a year or year and half old and it tastes like I just filleted it out. You wont have a problem!

[Jeremy airjer W]

Vacuum sealed they will last up to a year.

[theicehooker]

Yah with water in the bag so that the fillets dont get freezer burned will easily last a year. The guys that say a month or two........easily. I eat fillets a month or two later with no water in the bag. Of course the reason for that is the intention of eating them the next week.

[whateverisbiting]

We get a lot of fish in Canada so it lasts almost until the following year. As long as they are covered in water they will last at least a year. Best to freeze them in smaller packs so you can thaw them in warm water in minutes. I have also thawed larger packs in the fridge and refroze them and they still do well. Any brown on the fish is freezer burn that tastes awful, so if you see any brown, trim it off.

[Ringtailhunter]

I fillet them, clean them in cold water. Mix a table spoon of sea salt with water enough to cover the fish in a freezer bag, lay it flat getting the air out and just stack them in the freezer. About every 6 months we clean out the freezer and have a fish fry. We thaw them out by putting them in the fridge.

[Scott827]

I just had crappie fillets vacuum sealed April of this year and they were fine. I used to freeze them in water and they would keep a long time also.

[highlife4me]

I have no idea how people can keep bags of crappies for several months or even a year when we can only keep 10 fish per person.

[rusty rapala]

I agree Highlife. Unfortunatley I believe people think it's OK to have multiple daily limits stocked in their freezer, instead of the limit that should only be in their possesion.

[KrabbyPatties]

I have no idea how people can keep bags of crappies for several months or even a year when we can only keep 10 fish per person.

The original poster referred to crappies specifically, but the people keeping fish for months may not be--the answer to the freshness question would still be the same. It would be quite easy to have a lot of fish in your freezer and be legal if you target multiple species.

Also, not everyone on this forum is from MN or fishes in MN. In some states, you can have multiple daily limits in possession and in some states, the limits on crappies and other fish are much higher.

[Ringtailhunter]

I have no idea how people can keep bags of crappies for several months or even a year when we can only keep 10 fish per person.

I have 5 legal fishers in my house. I fish for quite a few other species not only crappie. I'm not a specialist.

[Ringtailhunter]

I have no idea how people can keep bags of crappies for several months or even a year when we can only keep 10 fish per person.

[TyGuy02]

+1 on the sea salt. It's not as much of an issue with crappies, but I also keep small pike in the freezer and some salt will take some of the "fishy" taste away since not everyone likes the strong taste of pike. But like everyone else has said is all you need to know. I also label the bags (#fish, species, date) so that I know I'll be legal, and sometimes looking at a block of ice in the freezer can be hard to tell how much is really there. Multiple small bags are good too so that you don't need to thaw out a large bag if you only want a few. 6 months to a year is my time-limit, but rarely goes that long.

[Bryce]

Just packed away a couple meals of walleyes. Found a bag in the corner marked perch from 2008. Still well frozen in ice but the ice next to the bag is frosty. Have no doubt they will taste as good this week as the day they were first froze since I know they were properly cared for. They are on the menu list as I think I have pushed this to the limit. 5 perch in a bag makes a meal for me in the wife so internet wardens need not get their panties in a bunch.