Anybody flown home with fish?

[SFC B]

Flew from LA to CO a couple of years ago with a load of fish. Frozen solid, packed full in a heavy styro foam cooler and all was good.

 

[NoWiser]

If I just have a few pounds I’ll either take them in a small cooler as my carry-on or I’ll put them in a couple ziplocks, wrap in news paper, and put in the middle of my checked bag surrounded by clothes, which work to insulate them. Both ways have worked great.

 

[3855WIN]

I would like to bring some frozen crappie fillets home on an upcoming trip. Any idea what would be the best way to do that?

Message me when you arrive at JAN for your departure flight. If I’m working, I’d like to take a break and say hello.

 

[Southern Elk]

Happy to report that I made it home with almost 30lbs of crappie fillets. No issues at all. TSA didn’t even cut the duct tape to look inside the cooler.

 

[Meat1nthefreezer]

I use a cooler or a insulated fish box, and make sure its all frozen solid. I don't use dry ice. Just took 50lbs of salmon back to MT a couple weeks ago, and do so almost ever year. It had frost on it 12 hours later and it was 95 deg out

Good tip. Thanks.

 

[surby]

I’ve flown plenty of times with salmon and walleye. Vacuum seal it and freeze it solid. Used a bag with portable ice blocks and was good to go.

 

[ringer]

I have fished Alaska 28 times and always sent my fish in a cooler after it was vacuum packed and hard frozen. Never a problem. A 48 quart cheap cooler is about 50 pounds loaded. I keep a cooler with the luggage straps and clips that are glued on with epoxy so they can just open the clips to check it.

 

[stk]

I have fished Alaska 28 times and always sent my fish in a cooler after it was vacuum packed and hard frozen. Never a problem. A 48 quart cheap cooler is about 50 pounds loaded. I keep a cooler with the luggage straps and clips that are glued on with epoxy so they can just open the clips to check it.

Did it this spring but it was a foam cooler placed in a box. Travel home took about 48 hours from when I picked the frozen fish up. Not a problem at all.

If you don't have enough fish to fill a cooler, I'd freeze it and put it in a yeti-style soft hopper. I expect that would work very well.

 

[Sytes]

Happy to report that I made it home with almost 30lbs of crappie fillets. No issues at all. TSA didn’t even cut the duct tape to look inside the cooler.

Good to hear. Glad all worked well.

What method did you follow?

Also for any here: while in Mexico early this year, we thought of fishing though passed. We kept ourselves booked solid with scuba/snorkel, etc excursions.
Does the fishing outfit vacuum seal the cuts or is there a cheap vacation method to seal?

 

[ringer]

In the old days we would take ziploc bags. Put the fish in them then down in a bucket of water until all the air was out then seal them. Worked for many years for us.

 

[Southern Elk]

Good to hear. Glad all worked well.

What method did you follow?

Also for any here: while in Mexico early this year, we thought of fishing though passed. We kept ourselves booked solid with scuba/snorkel, etc excursions.
Does the fishing outfit vacuum seal the cuts or is there a cheap vacation method to seal?

The fish was vacuum sealed and frozen. I bought a cheap cooler, put the frozen fish in it, and taped it shut. I also put a strap around the cooler in case they cut the tape. I checked it and picked it up with the rest of our luggage. It had been in the cooler for 14 hours once I got it home. The bags around the edges of the cooler had started to thaw slightly but I don’t think it will be a problem. The ones in the middle were still frozen solid.