Anybody flown home with fish?

[Southern Elk]

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?

 

[jejack26]

I always have used a cooler as a. Check ed bag, it's always worked from Mexico to alaska

 

[Southern Elk]

Did you add dry ice? It needs to stay frozen for 12 hours or so.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

May also be worthwhile to have it priority shipped. In some cases, it could beat you home though.

 

[Bambistew]

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

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Always done fish box from Alaska to south Dakota.

I also add as much dry ice as they will allow, five pounds for Alaska air from memory.

Always arrived home still frozen, even in 100 degree weather

 

[Bighollow]

Save the money and be a cheap skate. Just freeze them and pack them in your carry on backpack. Place the backpack under the seat in front of you and tell the guy sitting next to you it smells kinda fishy in here. Next time they’ll consider booking First Class.

 

[Salmonchaser]

We send folks home every week with fifty pound boxes. Inexpensive 48 quart ice chest packed with frozen fillets weighs about fifty pounds and makes it to Florida and Boston.

 

[Southern Elk]

Do you tape the cooler shut and will TSA cut it open to look in it? And if they do, will the tape it back up?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Do you tape the cooler shut and will TSA cut it open to look in it? And if they do, will the tape it back up?

Yes, they will cut it open and look and they tape it or strap it back up. Depending on the TSA crew if It isn’t taped when they get it they may not tape it afterwards. We tape them and let TSA bellyache about having to cut the tape.

 

[d-edward]

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

Same. I also usually wrap with some newspaper or put all the meat in a black trash bag inside the box.

One other thing to consider is that with a well insulated fish box, you can pack the fillets nice and tight and fill the entire container. No lost weight or capacity to your 40 lb. maximum from a heavier cooler or the dry ice/freezer packs.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Do you tape the cooler shut and will TSA cut it open to look in it? And if they do, will the tape it back up?

TSA can be the worst, but usually they're good about tapping it back up. Other option is a cheap strap that can be opens

Now did they steal a box of nutrigrain bars in the cooler they searched in 2006 while heading to deer hunt? Yes, yes they did, but I don't hold a grudge...

 

[jdf]

Froze alaska filets solid. Flew home with them as carry-on. No issues at all

 

[Bigjay73]

I wouldn't ship them, that gets pretty expensive. Fly them home like others have said. I checked mine last week for $40, a lady I fished with shipped hers home for almost $300

 

[7Bartman]

I've done it quite a few times. I have a soft-sided cooler (polar bear 24-pack) that will hold quite a bit of fish. If possible, I freeze the fish and use the cooler as a carry-on (no weight restrictions). If not above 50lbs I will sometimes check the bag as it stays pretty cool at 30k feet. Have had a slight bit of thawing, but no problems in the least bit.

 

[KB_]

I was really hoping this thread would gonna be about bringing a fish on a plane as a support animal.

Imagine that. A fish in a bowl flying 32,000ft in the air. What a world.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Cooler with Frozen fish made it from Mexico to MT in 48 hours with just a tiny bit of thaw. No dry ice or anything else. Just frozen fish.

 

[MarvB]

I was really hoping this thread would gonna be about bringing a fish on a plane as a support animal.

....and don’t think for a minute that someone hasn’t tried it....

 

[96ags]

It really is a lot easier than you would think.

Like a lot of folks have said, a soft sided cooler full of frozen filets if possible will travel very well.

 

[Wallydeuce]

I flew from Charlotte North Carolina to home with a fish. She was in the middle seat. It was a long flight.