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Captain's corner

By BRENT GASKILL

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 1, 2001

Properly icing your catch is essential to enjoying fresh fish. The quality of fillets is determined when a fish is landed.

Encapsulating the fish in ice is necessary to maintain freshness. Simply laying it on top of the ice does not completely chill the meat. Seafood tends to decompose more rapidly than other meats; it is important to always carry plenty of ice.

One of the best ways to quickly drop the temperature of fish is to put it in slurry, a mixture of ice and seawater. A slurry is colder than ice and completely chills and preserves the fillets.

Never lay your catch on the dock while cleaning fish. It may look impressive, but the fish begin to rot. Snap a quick picture and return them to the cooler. Once the fish are cleaned, place the meat in a plastic bag on ice.

-- Capt. Brent Gaskill charters the Summer Vacation out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 867-1751 or by e-mail at gaskill@tampabay.rr.com.

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