Cleaning fish, frozen or thawed?

I've always thawed them. Never even tried them frozen. Usually thaw them in a bucket of water for a few hours. Unfortunately they fit in the bucket with room to spare this year.

I try not to let them freeze in the first place. Keep them in a pail in the fish house and transport them in a warm vehicle in the same pail with some snow on top to keep them fresh.

If you have a frozen northern pike the best thing to do with them is take them in the house and put them in a sink full of warm water and let them thaw that way.

(Ok, so I had a smile on my face when I typed that last part!)

I always let them thaw. when I used a regular knife I wouldn't even think of attempting it until they were thawed and with my electric now, if they are froze I end up making mush of them or cuting through the skin making more work than necessary. I have the luxury of a heated shop to let them sit in for a couple of hours and they are usually good to go then.

With northerns I never worry, seems like they never die. Came home fishing one morning and left some out in the garage, came back that evening, atleast 10 hours later, and no kidding here, one was still flapping his gills and living. They were not in water either, just laying in a cardboard box!! Stubborn they are!!!

 I usually will drill and extra hole and put each of the fish on a stringer down that hole and tied off to whatever.  They also make those livewell nets that go down a hole.  Then on the way home put the fish in a bucket with some water and a lid.  Fish are usually still alive when I get home.

I just don't let them freeze.  keep them in a bucket in the ice house and clean them while still fresh & even alive right when I get home.  easier to clean that way and then they don't taste like mud either.  when they freeze & thaw before cleaning it crystalizes & damages the cell structure and mixes the blood & other body fluids into the meat.

I shake my head every time I see perch bricks laying outside on the ice.  Just toss em in a bucket right beside you.

Trying to filet a frozen fish is like trying pee into a 40mph wind.  It doesn't work to well.

Frozen solid sucks, but with pike I will often let them lay on the ice until the outside layer (slime) freezes and them take the fillets off. I usually wait to skin the fillets and debone until I get home though.

I like to fillet them when they're 1/2 frozen, but I don't run an electric knife.

My wife gets a little disturbed when I put them in the sink. Make sure you run some bleach down the drain afterwards!

Bowhuntin Said:
I try not to let them freeze in the first place. Keep them in a pail in the fish house and transport them in a warm vehicle in the same pail with some snow on top to keep them fresh.

If you have a frozen northern pike the best thing to do with them is take them in the house and put them in a sink full of warm water and let them thaw that way.

(Ok, so I had a smile on my face when I typed that last part!)

Why freeze them in the first place? I do as MSA does. Just throw them in a bucket. or even on the floor of the house.

usually in a perfect row like this. haha

Another great thing to do when this ice is a little thicker is to drill through the ice until the auger tip just puts a small hole through the bottom of the ice.  It will fill with water and the fish cant get out.

A sharp knife and not froze solid but just enough to make them firm.   

I personally don't like putting them in a bucket of water as I have a hard time holding onto slimey/slippery fish while I'm cleaning them.  Throw them on the ice or in an empty bucket and don't let them get frozen solid. 

I agree with half frozen; unless I intend to keep the rib meat, which isn't all that often.

Yep, I saw through the spine when frozem too. Ugh.
As close to frozen as possible, even in summer I sometimes ice them overnight, clean em next morning - with hot coffee and a surgeon's refreshed mind (aka not buzzed) ha ha!