Vacuum packed or frozen in water?

Which method keeps crappie fresher longer; vacuum sealed or frozen in a bag of water(ice)? What is a good brand or model of vacuum packing do y'all recommend?

Frozen in water for as long as I can remember.

This...my great Uncle Clarence (rip) bought a vacuum sealer when they first came out...gave it away, said that fish don’t keep in them near as long as in water...

Frozen in water in my opinion. It keeps the air away that's creates freezer burn. Water is cheap too!!!

Freezing uncleaned whole fish is best for me.

I prefer the vaccum seal method. I don’t have issue with freezer burn. The benefit is that after you seal them you can flatten the packages and stack them in the freezer. Being flat they thaw much quicker than a block of ice. I do the same when I grind a deer. Just a personal preference

I agree! Vacuum sealer works great for me! pat the filets dry on paper towels then seal in packs! they last forever and thaw very quick. It is more expensive than water freezing though.

I am in the same boat as the 2 previous posts. I vacuum seal all my fish. They lay nice and flat in the freezer, thaw quicker, and I have redfish in the freezer from 2 years ago, and look just like they did the day I froze them.

I used to freeze in water, but converted over when I started processing my own venison...and never looked back.

Vacuum packed , for the two reasons already listed.
MO

Me too.
Foodsaver bags and vacuum packer. Just be sure to let the filets freeze some before you seal them because the vacuum packer will suck that fish juice into it and it wont seal as well and you'll be throwing that thing in the trash once it starts stinking.

Water. If filled right, bags lay flat so not an issue for me.

I use the sealer on the "half shell " fillets
Water on the rest

+1 Sometimes if the seal does not look real good, I will seal again about a half inch above the first seal.

I pre-freeze mine about 25 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

May seem like it is an ordeal but it is not when you considered will keep for years also the package is nice and flat

Started vacuum packing a year ago. Much prefer over freezing in water. Do smaller packs with 6 fillets since just wife and I. Fillets seem to come out firmer also. Like the fact i can stack. Might have to try pre freezing idea.

I fold up a paper towel and put it right inside the seal of the bag...so the towel is inside with the fillets...absorbs the water that is extracted during the vacuum

Unless i`m having them that day,I just put em in a plastic ( Minyards) bag and freeze em.I`ve been appling this method for years and have never experienced freezer burn.Freeze them in their own skin + thaw & clean.What`s the big deal?

Frozen in water for sure. I will vacuum pack venison and other read meats. Fish and chicken get frozen in water. As long as you have freezer space water is much better choice. I have eaten trout that were frozen in water for 2 years and they were fine. I just throw the fillets in a qt freezer zip lok and partially zipper it. Then I squeeze until I get all the air out making sure the fillets are completely submerged. Way easier than vacuum packing.

I use both methods and they both work well. I prefer Ziploc freezer bags and water only because it's faster. When vacuum sealing I use Foodsaver model #FM 2100 it has a tray to capture moisture. Makes it easy to clean. Also you can buy FoodVac bags on Amazon much cheaper than Foodsaver bags. Been freezing fish in water for 50 years. Fill Ziploc bag with fish and water make sure you get all the air out of Ziploc bag before sealing. I do this by sealing bag in bowl under water.

lol that does not sound easier than vacuum packing !

Yes it works great. Foodsaver has bags with this build in. Much cheaper doing it yourself.

Have always freezed in water. Has always worked well for me.

Plus one

Frozen in water has never failed us for many years. The trick is to only freeze enough for a meal and get all the air out before you seal the bag.

No difference in quality frozen in water vs a good vacuum seal for past a year to me. But if you're keeping over a year, maybe it's time to start catch and release...

No doubt freezing in water is the quickest and cheapest route, but it takes way too long to thaw out. It's much easier to deal with vacuum sealed fish later.

Vacuum packed , for the two reasons already listed

VP for me. I never keep fish more than about 4 months. If it is that old I give it to friends who are glad to get it.

+2