Food and Drink

Whether it's freshwater or saltwater fish, in order to maintain the freshness and the flavor of a fresh caught fish it must be handled properly to avoid spoilage. There are ways to properly prepare and maintain the quality of freshly caught fish so you can enjoy a delicious fish dinner.
As soon as the fish lands avoid any contact with hard surfaces to prevent bruising. It should be washed immediately by hosing or bucket rinsing in order to remove the slime and possible bacteria that can cause the fish to spoil. Never use water from close proximity marinas, municipal or industrial discharges. In order to ensure that your water is fresh for cleaning the fish, it's best to bring your own fresh water. Always use chlorinated water per quart of water for the final rinsing.

After rinsing the fish, chill it in ice or a cooler to prevent deterioration in less than an hour. With a little advance planning, proper icing can be accomplished with the use of some relatively cheap equipment. Fish should be stored in coolers and should be well chilled. It should be 3" deep, thus, covering a pound of fish with pound of ice.

Clean the fresh caught fish as soon as possible. Fresh fish tissues are sterile but not their scales, which contains many types of bacteria. When cleaning fresh fish, avoid rough treatment because wounds in the flesh can allow the spread of bacteria. Gutting the fish does not have to be necessarily long. It is wise to cut the belly, as it leaves no blood or viscera in the body. Make sure not to soak cleaned fish fillets in a prolonged freshwater as this could reduce the meat texture and flavor.

The eating quality and nutritional value of fish can be maintained up to 5 days if properly cleaned. Washing of the hands before touching the fish is also important. No matter what fish and the cooking technique used, one golden rule is to be followed always. Whether the fresh fish is whole or not, cook it 10 minutes for every inch measured. 15 minutes should be allotted to fish enclosed in foil or sauce baked. Double the cooking time for frozen fish.

When cooking fresh caught fish, be sure to allow extra time if the fish is to be baked in aluminum foil. Also, allow extra cooking time for the penetration of the heat. That should be an additional 5 minutes for fresh fish and 10 for frozen. In thawing frozen fish, slowly thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. For more information on cooking fish and seafood visit  Great Tasting Seafood Recipes For informatio on fishing and outdoor gear visit Rugged Gear