Just had a discussion with the chef here. He had a fish fest going for lunch in our cafeteria with salmon, haddock, grouper, and ironically, bluefish, all of which had the word "fresh" in front of it. So I axed him, "Is it really fresh? I always heard 60 minutes from the shore and it ain't fresh fish anymore." I could even go so far as to say it might be considered fresh if it was eaten within 24 hours of being caught. He had no idea where it all even came from originally, nor that it was flash frozen fresh.
So Cheferson, RickB, or anyone else out there know what constitutes fresh fish? And where are they catching bluefish this time of year in such identical, tiny, little filets?

Fresh or "old" can be 60 minutes or 4 days.......it's all in how it is kept...

A fish laying on the beach in the hot sun, or allowed to lay in water for any length of time can be "old" in an hour....

On the other hand, a well handled and iced fish can be fresh 4+ days later...

There have been times in my jaunts down your way that I caught and kept fish on Day 2 of a 6 day trip.....iced them well, being sure to keep them out of the "melt", drove back 300 miles on Day 6, and filleted them when I got back home, ate them on day 7, and they were as fresh as if I caught them in my backyard 20 minutes beforehand.

What Steve said--it's all in how you handle 'em. Whole fish that have been bled and gutted and laid in ice will last over a week; fillets last a little less. And the oily fish, like bluefish and mackerel will "turn" much fast than a fish like a bass or cod.

I'm a big fan of bleeding my fish that are to come home with me. On the striper up inside the gill plate there is a vein. When the bass is still alive (this may sound barbarous), I cut the vein with a knife and hang the fish in the water. The fish will pump its blood through this vein. I then ice the fish in a cooler for about twenty-four hours, and when I go to fillet it I have a very fine fillet.

Ok Monkeys here it is:
"Fresh" fish is any fish that has not been previously frozen...It hasd nothing to do with the relative number of days the fish has been dead.
Several factors effect fish:
#1) Fish decays much faster if it has been filleted. Also, if a fish is gutted and iced down inside and out, especially in saltwater ice, it may last several days to a week and still be deliscious. Draining the melted water is key because it breaks down the mytochomatta inside the flesh and helps spoilage bacteria enterr the flesh more quickly. Remember, dead fish don't swim.
#2) Fillets may be stored in refrigerated areas with ice bags on top of them for 3-4 more days and still taste good.
#3) By "Tasting Good" I'm referring to "Appealing" to the general public. Many people serve low quality food, so by all means, the quality is nothing like day boat fish.
#4) If I'm going to eat fish that I have caught, they go on ice right away and are gutted as soon as they are dead.
#5) I only eat fish in restaurants if I know the chef or manager.
Ok, scare anybody...Y'all don't have to be as paranoid as me...just never eat fish that smells ammoniated!!!
Later,
Rick

Rick is right if you want to be technical about what it can be called. But the other are right is you mean really fresh fish. Its all in the handling from the moment the exit the water.

its all fresh until it goes bad then its BAD .

So then to partially hijack my own thread, do you subscribe to the idea I've heard that when you visit your local fish monger. the fresher fish shouldn't smell fishy, but should have a more briney, "oceany" smell? I use this when I buy fish. If nothing else, it let's the guy behind the counter know someone's checking.

Nail on the head my friend.
Rick

also clear eyes and a nice smile do it for me .

I rarely buy "fresh fish" I would rather eat self caught fish;) when I can. Its hard for me to trust the seafood industry!

To check for freshness on whole fish, always look for clear eyes and also bright red gills. Once its been cleaned i always give it a sniff, shouldnt smell real fishy and definetly not ammoniated like rick said, except for shark which has a natural amonnia smell when its fresh. Also i always feel the fillets, shouldnt have a slimy feel to it, also the firmness. It should be firm to the touch, not mushy. Its definetly all about how its been handled , like the other guys have said. Handled from the time its caught, transported to retailer/wholesaler and if you left it in your car for an hour on the ride home unrefridgerated.

backing up what rick said.....the first thing i do when served is to do the wave of the hand towards me....like getting the aroma of a fine wine....and if i sense the slightest hint of amonia i send it back and order steak or leave altogether to somewhere else.

The best restaurant i ever went to had wood grilled fish so fresh it was amazing because you looked though a glass wall and watched it being fileted and then cooked over wood coals.