You should let excess water out with the opening of the bag up, not down. This insures there is no bubbles trapped in the bag. I then roll it on a cutting board like yours, with cutting board at an angle helps, and fold it with crappie end uphill, open end up, you can then see if bubbles are out, not bubbles, you are good, it goes right in the freezer like that, I freeze 3 at a time (6 fillets).



If some bubble are at the top where the opening is, that is ok, but you do not want any in the bottom half (where the crappie is), that is where folding it on a cutting board at an angle helps..

Have ya'll tried putting a small amount of sea salt with the filets ?? A teaspoon per bag . Keeps them fresher longer , along with water removal .

Vacuum sealer is the only way to freeze fish, once you get a vacuum sealer you’ll never try anything else, takes a little longer to prep it, but it takes up very little space, it lasts forever, and the filets taste way fresher than when they’re frozen in water or in ziploc bags. Just make sure filets are dry.

Thanks for your comment.

What kind do you use? I had a food saver, I was not impressed. Used it for several years and gave up on it. It did not do good with liquid in it.. It had to small of a liquid catch, that fill up too easy. And it did not get all the bubbles out. I try to minimize the water in the bag the way I do mine.

TRY THIS method: Flash Freeze them individually on a pan lined with wax or a non stick paper making sure they are not touching. After they are frozen hard remove the filets to a ziplock freezer bag and store.Just like a bag of frozen chicken wings you get as many out that you want to cook then re seal the ziplock and put back in your freezer.

I would suspect that would get freezer burn after a while.

just like anything else over an extended period. I`ve had some that kept well for three to four months that fried up nicely. How long you plan on keeping fish in YOUR freezer?

The vacuum packing/sealing method personally is the way to go. If you eat fish on a regular basis, you’ll never have to worry @ freezer burn again,ever!

Ideally a year. I’ll stop fishing this month and will not crappie fish again till next spring. So I need enough to last me all winter. My 2021 catch I gave it all away to friends, I was still eating my 2020 catch. I’m all caught up now thought. But you freeze it good in water, no air bubbles, it will last years and years..no freezer burn.

Just keep em in the lake till you need em! They never freezer burn that way!!

Slewfoot That`s Good captn. I guess it never crossed my mind that other anglers could have spouses or Kids to feed. When I bring Crappie home it`s only myself that i`m feeding so I don`t try to keep as many of them very long so the flash freeze method works for me very well.I don`t try to limit out any more unless I fishing for my neighbor she loves crappie but she`s disable. What ever floats your boat & makes ya Happy do it! It`s all GOOD

I like your method of freezing on a pan! We used to do that to butterlied and battered shrimp at a restaurant I worked at and then scrape em off the cookie sheet and toss in ziplock bags till we cooked em. They never lasted more than a week though. Take out what you need and enjoy!

We had a vacuum sealer. Cost of bags plus extra stuff while travelling moved us back to the simpler freezer bag approach.