Ive too have always used the zip lock + water-air maneuver.
Just have to not be "bag stingy" and overload with water or fish as they can expand and bust the seal.

Couple different ways I've done it:

For vacuum sealing...lay your fillets nice and flat in the bag with one end sealed...throw in the freezer like that overnight, then pull 'em out and vacuum seal it.

For the water/ziploc route...lay your fillets out nice and flat in the bag, then freeze. Come back in the next day and put water in the bag...works easiest to just completely submerge the bag in a sink full of water...easier to see the air bubbles that need removed.

I don't see the use of milk cartons mentioned.

I used 1/2 gal. and quart size cartons. Filled with fish and lightly salted water and re-folded the top.

Pretty easy to store and retrieve.

I very seldom keep any fish anymore.

Don't catch that many either.

J.B.

I use the water / air trick but I put about 2 cap fulls of lemon juice in the quart bags. I do this with shark also. Works great for me.

I used to do the freezer bag and water thing but I found a new kind of freezer bag a few months ago. It is a ziplock bag that comes with a little hand pump to suck out the air thru a vent on the bag. I have a foodsaver system but have had a few bags fail in the freezer, but this type of bag has yet to let me down. I carry them with me in my fish cleaning kit. The pump is very small and since you seal the bag before you suck the air out, it seems to work better for me.

One more thing. Since there is no big chunk of ice to thaw, I can take fish out of the freezer when I get home from work, and toss them in a sink of cold water and they will be ready to fry in no time.

+6 or 7 on water in the bag, remove air, and freeze. It's that simple.

thanks for the info guys

A tip from a duck and goose guide. I've had to work in the old picking house and use the old vaccum seal method. Paper towels are your answer. Dry the fish or game off before use use the sealer. It should have a dry and moisture setting. Use the moisture setting. If the fish have been toweled dried, it should work. I love my vaccum sealer. Use to use the ziplock, they work great also. To me, the sealer gets the air out that causes freezer burn and will let your fish last longer in the freezer. Salt is great, but if your on a low sodium diet, can cause some problems.

i will second the water method. its how fish is preserved and shipped around the world.

Great advice! I can't begin to tell you how many zip-locked baggies I have had sliding out of the freezer upon opening due to the odd shapes! I'll try the "Country Crock" tub route. Fish will easily be stacked in the freezer now.

holy dead thread resurrection batman!

If I were you Tom, i'd just put some water in there and let as much air out of the bag as possible. I dont know if anyone has mentioned this yet.

J/K

Been waiting 2 years for that info, thanks zack!!

That's what friends are for

Glad I could help haha!

-Zach