Question for you guys who go down to the coast allot - I go maybe once a year if Im lucky.

What of the Lesser Fish is freezable and will be good when ready to cook?

I have caught some sand trout before and they cooked up fine - but the ones I didnt cook - I froze....wrong idea as the flesh was mush.

How do the following hold up to freezing?

Croaker
Whiting
Specs
Reds

Of course the later two were not "lesser"..but thought I would ask as I was on a roll.

I've never had any problems with the 4 on the list...I've only eaten the sand trout fresh. I heard they don't do well in a freezer. I've also found that for me they don't handle being on ice as well as other fish. Seems like the ones I caught earlier in the day are mushier than the ones late in the day. This is just my experience. I'm sure someone has something different to say.

I cannot speak for croaker but I do know that sand trout tend to mush on you, I tend to only keep ones I catch late in the outing so they are still firm when I fillet them. The specks and reds I have never had trouble with freezing.

Depends on how your freezing them. are you putting water in bag without air? Maybe a dumb question but i have seen a few people that dont.

yeah i freeze mine in water too, keeps much longer and doesnt get freezer burnt

whiting are bad about getting mushy if left in an ice chest too long, but it doesnt seem to hurt the taste, just the texture

Eat white trout immediately...