How do I ?

[kam]

I just caught a 15# Mackinaw (Lake Trout).  What is the best way to freeze it for now?

[George Roof]

I like to lay out a length of plastic freezer wrap twice the length of the fish.  I lay the fish in the center and then fold the plastic over the fish.  Then I lay the fish on a piece of cardboard larger than the fish. Lay the fish on it and wrap it all in freezer wrap.  This reduces frost free freezers from freeze drying.  It also keeps the slime on the fish skin to keep it moist.

[kam]

Thanks George, I took care of it just as you said.  I'm trying to upload a pic of it but I can't figure out how to reduce its size.
Bert

[FishArt]

I like to lay out a length of plastic freezer wrap twice the length of the fish.  I lay the fish in the center and then fold the plastic over the fish.  Then I lay the fish on a piece of cardboard larger than the fish. Lay the fish on it and wrap it all in freezer wrap.  This reduces frost free freezers from freeze drying.  It also keeps the slime on the fish skin to keep it moist.

George, just curious - what's the purpose of the cardboard?

[George Roof]

Protect the caudal fin.  I hate digging a fish out of the freezer only to find the tail fin has been turned into a potato chip that the grocery boy put under the gallon of milk.

[FishArt]

Protect the caudal fin.  I hate digging a fish out of the freezer only to find the tail fin has been turned into a potato chip that the grocery boy put under the gallon of milk.

Yeah, but the fix is EXTRA MONEY in your pocket George. Everybody loves more money - lol!

Honestly, I really haven't seen too many damaged fins or tails from freezer or "getting to the freezer" issues. My personal preference is first and foremost to keep it simple because many customers are on vacation and you can only hope some will do SOMETHING to protect their trophy. I usually just recommend an old (or NEW, doesn't matter - lol!), wet towel wrapped tightly then into a garbage bag and into the freezer. K.I.S.S. But, IF my customers WANT to take on the better version (IMO), that would be to do the Saran Wrap deal as you mentioned, but w/o the cardboard or board. Again, I'm not too concerned about fin or tail damage from the freezer. I'm more concerned with scale loss and freezer burn. I'd instruct them to use MORE Saran Wrap and wind it around the fish tightly. My concerns with your minimal layer of Saran Wrap, cardboard and then more layers of Saran Wrap is the air pockets between the first, thin layer of Saran Wrap and the cardboard. Several layers of Saran Wrap, tightly wound IMO is the best way to prevent long term freezer burn. And it will offer some protection at the tail too. Make it thicker here if you think it's an issue. Just a different opinion on how to do it. Neither is wrong. We can only hope our customers take some care of their fish prior to getting it to us. I usually just promote the soaking wet towel method and garbage bag. The only drawback I see from this method is the possibility of leaving towel marks on the cheek. A very, very minor issue if you're casting the head. Insterad, they could use an old sheet or something else with no pattern. I'm just happy if I don't open up a grab bag and find a fish with cuts in it or tons of freezer burn or (get this) prop marks! Yes, a recent customer brought me one of his three fish to be mounted that he forgot to tell me about these marks! I called and asked if he had this fish on a stringer and the stringer got caught in the prop? He sheepishly answered "thats exactly what happened"! Needless to say, he only went home with two of his three mounts....

[George Roof]

Marty, in line with the original question, I agree with you about the cardboard.  HOWEVER, most of my fish AREN'T cold water fish.  Bass are pretty sturdy,but crappie, bluegills, perch and even chain pickerel have a much thinner tail and they don't usually have their fins replaced like I do the salmonids. Old habits are hard to break.  LOL

[Clew]

Hey Marty
Do you end up with as many towels that I do
I wash them and my wife confiscates the good ones,
LOL

[FishArt]

Hey Marty
Do you end up with as many towels that I do
I wash them and my wife confiscates the good ones,
LOL

My wife would KILL me if I even thought about putting one of those stanky towels in her new front loader! I wring 'em and pitch 'em for the landfill. No "Green" shop here - lol!

[Clew]

It only took Helen a week after we got married to tell me to get my own washing machine
she came in and found a deer hide in it,
You can imagine where I slept for awhile

LOL

[CrabCrazy]

i fold cardboard over the tail, wrap in a wet towel then wrap in saran wrap...over kill i know

[3bears]

I too like a wet towel wrapped around a fish and then froze. It puts a layer of protection on them. Haven't had any freezer burn issues either. It seems that a number of ice fishing guides learned Georges way. It seems to work fine. I take the cardboard off and then wrap them in a wet towel before putting them in my freezer. To each their own. 3bears

[CrabCrazy]

i take towells when fishing...if i catch something i want i wrap in a wet towel then in ice chest to protect it from flopping around

[FishArt]

The only thing I don't like about the cardboad or sometimes customers will use a 1"x8" or some other size board is it takes up more space in my freezer. Yes, no plural there! I only have one freezer now because I've found that having only one freezer helps me keep on top of my backlog. Other than freezer space consumption it's fine with me. One thing I've noticed the customers that DO take the time to wrap their fish the way I or others recommend usually take care of their fish from the time they catch it to the time it makes it to the freezer. The loosey-goosey wrapped fish are the ones you need to worry about!