Storing trout / freezing

Rockhound

Eight Pointer
How do you guys store an abundance of trout? I'm very new to this, heck, haven't even caught a keeper yet, but that's exactly my goal is catching trout for eating. So if you are not going to eat fresh and same day, how do you store?

Read a bit online, some folks say freeze whole, others say gut then freeze, and will standard vac sealer be the right tool?

Thanks.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
trout is one fish that I eat fresh,,,,I'd eat trout everyday till what I kept was gone before I'd freeze it

now when I was in Washington state I'd smoke some,,,,delicious that way as well
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
I gut them and put them in a ziploc bag and fill with water.

This is exactly how I've been doing it for over 30 years and my dad and grandpaw before me. I remember when I was small using milk jugs cut tops off and freezing in water also use old bread bags yes we grew up little poor. The fish tasted great all through the winter
 

Rockhound

Eight Pointer
This is exactly how I've been doing it for over 30 years and my dad and grandpaw before me. I remember when I was small using milk jugs cut tops off and freezing in water also use old bread bags yes we grew up little poor. The fish tasted great all through the winter

Wow, interesting!!

Thanks for recommendations duders.
 

wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I used to freeze them in water but would end up filling the freezer with football-sized bags!!😩

I use vacuum sealing 100% now and they'll stay good for a couple years, probably more if I'd let them.
 

cloningerba

Old Mossy Horns
Gut em, clean em, dry them off. Lightly freeze before you vacuum seal them. they stack wonderful in the freezer and are as close to fresh as you can get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Boojum

Ten Pointer
Gut and vacuum seal. I will never freeze another fish in water. The vac-seal works 100x better.
 

PPosey

Twelve Pointer
Water works but taste and texture is better with the vacuum packer,, I gut and remove heads, pat the fish dry and lightly dust them with corn meal, it keeps them from sticking together. then make a nice neat row of them in the bag and vacuum pack. if you put them head to tale they stack well and make a nice flat package, Thaw them still sealed in the bag in cold water.
 

Troutbum82

Twelve Pointer
trout is one fish that I eat fresh,,,,I'd eat trout everyday till what I kept was gone before I'd freeze it

now when I was in Washington state I'd smoke some,,,,delicious that way as well

THIS! I eat what I catch and if I need more I go catch more. I love them fresh but that's it.
 

Cootmeurer

Six Pointer
Used to live near the Cumberland River in KY and at times had an over abundance of trout. I would remove guts and gills, leaving head on, then vacuum seal and freeze.

Then, truth be known, I gave most away to farm owners that let me hunt. Don't really care for trout unless it is smoked.
 
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