New Rules for Freezing Stripers...

[Roccus7]

As I was rummaging through the freezer Monday I found some Sept, 2019 striped bass fillets. I hesitantly defrosted them because I haven't been having much luck with stripers frozen more than 3 months. When the were defrosted I noticed that formaldehyde-like smell, but I decided to cut away ALL the brown meat and all the belly flaps since they had some fat on them and after patting dry the remaining white meat, I could bury my nose into them without any trace of "fishy" smells. They fried up nicely for fantastic tacos for dinner last night!!

OK, so here are my rules of striper care when they're destined to be frozen...

1. BLEED THEM - I bleed all my fish, even cod...
   
   
2. After filleting and skinning, cut away ALL bloody meat - this is a new rule. A few years go when we had a 20 - 26" slot limit, I left the skin on so I could grill them, BUT that bunch was ruined by only 2 months in the freezer.
   
   
3. Vacuum seal and freeze - been doing this for years too, but Santa brought me a new, way more efficient vacuum sealer this past Xmas.

 

[Rodprof]

I have been doing it your way for years with all the fish I freeze. However, these days, with the slot limit, not much gets into the freezer, especially striped bass and sea bass.

 

[Chinacat]

I also bleed everything I'm keeping whether we are eating eating it fresh or freezing with the vacuum sealer
I always take a bucket of clean saltwater back to the dock. Once cleaned, all fillets go into the saltwater bucket . No "freshwater" goes near the fillets until ready to cook whether fresh or after defrosting
Before vacuum packing i pat all fillets down with paper towels to get as much excess surface moisture off of them.
I find different fish hold up better than others. For instance fluke and seabass, 6+ months no problem.
porgies and striped bass, not as long
I believe the saltwater bath helps and almost acts as a brine in preserving them

I'm not expert but my system works for me....

 

[george]

I also bleed everything I'm keeping whether we are eating eating it fresh or freezing with the vacuum sealer
I always take a bucket of clean saltwater back to the dock. Once cleaned, all fillets go into the saltwater bucket . No "freshwater" goes near the fillets until ready to cook whether fresh or after defrosting
Before vacuum packing i pat all fillets down with paper towels to get as much excess surface moisture off of them.
I find different fish hold up better than others. For instance fluke and seabass, 6+ months no problem.
porgies and striped bass, not as long
I believe the saltwater bath helps and almost acts as a brine in preserving them

I'm not expert but my system works for me....

This is the process that Pete - Lep - uses on our fluke trips. First we cut the fish in the proper spot and place it on a tub of salt water to allow the fish to bleed out. After that we move them from the bucket into a cooler that packed with ice packs. We bring back a bucket of saltwater - you really don't want to use marina water for this - and before filleting, we place some of the ice packs into the saltwater to keep that water cold and then we place the fillets into the bucket of ice-cold salt water as they are cut. The only time the fish sees freshwater is when it's being prepared for cooking.

It's amazing how much better the fish tastes and holds up.

 

[Roccus7]

This is the process that Pete - Lep - uses on our fluke trips. The only time the fish sees freshwater is when it's being prepared for cooking.

It's amazing how much better the fish tastes and holds up.

Oh yes, I have the on-board "bleed bucket" and the sealed 1L plastic bottles with water from the freezer in the cooler with a few buckets of sea water. I like to leave the fish in the cooler with some additional ice bottles added for a good 4 hrs before I pull out the filleting knives. So much easier to fillet a stiff fish.

Another advantage of living on clean water is when we cook lobster. I run down to the dock with a 5 gal pal for sea water. I used to grab some rockweed too, but I've been overruled on that...

 

[live bait]

I do the same, & if I'm not using the live well for my favorite striper bait, I will cut the fish & put them in the live well with the pump going to bleed them out, then they go on the ice. I try & do all my filleting on the boat & save the racks for a fish police inspection if necessary. Since I trailer the boat, I try not to fillet at home, I have enough fish scales & raccoons in the driveway.
John

 

[Rodprof]

Several times from May to September I bring home all the racks from fluke, sea bass and striped bass to make fish stock. I then freeze the stock in quart containers to use in the fall and winter to make chowders and seafood soups.

The only caveat is to make the stock outside on a propane or gas burner. Don’t try to prepare the stock indoors, the aroma of the stock will linger indoors for days.

 

[Old Mud]

All good advise here. Don't forget to save some racks in the spring for when you plant your vegetable garden.

 

[Rodprof]

All good advise here. Don't forget to save some racks in the spring for when you plant your vegetable garden.

I save the bluefish racks for that.

 

[Old Mud]

The Indians used Cod. Just saying.

 

[Roccus7]

The Indians used Cod. Just saying.

That and alewives and pogies. Interesting mix from a culinary perspective...

 

[Old Mud]

That and alewives and pogies. Interesting mix from a culinary perspective...

But they didn't use lobsters or eat them for that matter.

 

[Rodprof]

I fished Cuttyhunk Island off Martha’s Vineyards in the early 1970’s for trophy stripers. There is a museum on the island that was the Cuttyhunk Anglers Club. It was founded in the late 1800’s and catered to wealthy fishermen. They fished off piers built at certain spots around the island. The m primary bait was fresh lobsters which were abundant back then and not considered for human consumption.

 

[Roccus7]

Got a keeper yesterday and since I was going to freeze it, it went got the full treatment. It was bled immediately after the ruler check and I kept it overnight in a fridge to firm it up...

One fillet trimmed skin side up, one more to go. Look how much red meat was trimmed:

Finished product ready for the vacuum sealer. My grandmother would be screaming about all the "waste!!"

 

[Rodprof]

I had the same issue the last two trips. They are feeding primarily on bunker and mackerel now. The bluefish are even worse. We caught several 10-15 lb choppers and it was mostly red meat.

 

[Capt13]

I fished Cuttyhunk Island off Martha’s Vineyards in the early 1970’s for trophy stripers. There is a museum on the island that was the Cuttyhunk Anglers Club. It was founded in the late 1800’s and catered to wealthy fishermen. They fished off piers built at certain spots around the island. The m primary bait was fresh lobsters which were abundant back then and not considered for human consumption.

I remember reading those accounts ..... tossing out live lobsters for bait no less ! Amazing !!