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Author Topic: cleaning and keeping fish  (Read 4897 times)

Offline Ric66

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cleaning and keeping fish
« on: Dec 01, 2022, 08:55 AM »
I'll be staying in a hotel in February at Sylvan Beach for 3 days. Wondering what people do with their catch at the end of each day. Do you clean them or just keep them whole and leave them in the car (if it's cold enough obviously) and then when you return home clean them? And where do you clean them? Doubt the hotel will like the idea of me cleaning fish in the room. I do have a vacuum sealer I thought about bringing along.
Funny how you don't think about these things until later.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,

Bob

Offline Arkangel

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #1 on: Dec 01, 2022, 11:31 AM »
Hey Bob...

...bring along a poly fillet board and fillet on the ice...?

Pending local regulations, you may have to leave the skin attached.

Leave the gull some lunch or dispose remains down the hole.

Bag them up and skin at home (temperature dependent).

...just an idea... :tipup:

~ArkAngel
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it's not the fish they are after ~ Henry David Thoreau

Offline BeenPerchin315

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #2 on: Dec 01, 2022, 11:54 AM »
Hey Bob...

...bring along a poly fillet board and fillet on the ice...?

Pending local regulations, you may have to leave the skin attached.

Leave the gull some lunch or dispose remains down the hole.

Bag them up and skin at home (temperature dependent).

...just an idea... :tipup:

~ArkAngel
If I remember correct you can have 3days bag limit. May be only 2 days.
And for cleaning on the ice not everyone chooses to buy a battery knife for 2x what an HD corded job. Just saying.
Disclaimer:
I make statements based on my experiences in the location I fished only. Check ice conditions for yourself.
Stay safe. Tight lines.

Offline Arkangel

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #3 on: Dec 01, 2022, 12:01 PM »
...oh, I meant clean by standard fillet knife not battery or corded...

~ArkAngel
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it's not the fish they are after ~ Henry David Thoreau

Offline 62&done

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #4 on: Dec 01, 2022, 12:18 PM »
My equipment consists of a standard fillet Knife. One plywood board 6 x 20"  A plastic bag to put fillets in and a bucket of snow to pack them in   I have been on a 3 day trip with no issues just change out the snow occasionally if it gets warm   Dump all entrails back to where they came from There are scavengers down there that will be more than happy to clean things up      JUST NOT NEAR THE SHORE !

   tip :    leave the skin on for identification

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #5 on: Dec 01, 2022, 05:18 PM »
...oh, I meant clean by standard fillet knife not battery or corded...

~ArkAngel

Thast what I use too - I guess thats old school now - hahaha

Offline bosco2

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #6 on: Dec 01, 2022, 07:04 PM »
Bleed 'em on the ice. Then  head 'em, gut em',  and keep them on ice. Finish the job when you get home.

Offline WARRIOR_ON_ICE

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #7 on: Dec 01, 2022, 07:14 PM »
I have cleaned fish in motel rooms MANY MANY times now and have had zero negative contact by the motel staff. I am careful though and so should everyone be, about giving the motel a reason to charge you for an extra cleaning charge or other admonishments. Please see the to-do list below, and if you follow this you should not have any problemds

`1.) Keep the fish you are going to clean in your vehicle until you are ready to start cleaning them.
2.) Find the biggest table or desk surface in the motel room for your operation.
3.) Bring plenty of old newspaper and plastic garbage bags, and quart or even gallon  ziploc bags for your fillets on your trip. The plastic bags especially, because usually the lobbies of motels have local free newspapers that you can take to clean fish on if you don't bring your own.
4.) Line the table or desk completely with the newspaper.
5.) After all the fish are cleaned, make sure to wrap up the newspaper and I always stuff it into the garbage bags I bring AND PUT IT IN MY CAR - DON'T THROW IT AWAY IN THE MOTEL'S TRASH AS THIS COULD DRAW ATTENTION
6.) Get down on your hands and knees to look for scales and fish parts on the floor when you are done.
7.) Bring a can of deodorant spray, and spray the room liberally right before you check out in case you believe there are lingering fish odors. I do this but honestly I don't think it is necessary because fresh fish do not have odor, cleran them the same day they are caught and no problem
8.) Depending on the outdoor temperature where you are staying, and whether you want your cleaned fish to be frozen or to remain unfrozen until you get home with them, always watch the Weather channel before turning in for the night at the motel, and depending on what they are predicting for an overnight low temp will dictate whether you put the ziploc bags of fish in your car overnight or in the motel refrigerator.
9.) To keep the minnows alive in your bait bucket, change out the water with cold tap water before turning in for the night. If the outside temp is going to drop to below around 25 degrees, don't keep the bait bucket in your car, instead keep it in the bathtub of the room but add a bunch of ice cubes from the motel's ice machine or else the water may get too warm and kill all the minnows overnight.
The Ultimate Warrior is possessed with great power from the heavens above ! Against the mighty lake trout and pike and schools of crappie, the power of the WARRIOR will always ......... PREVAIL !!!

Offline filetandrelease

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #8 on: Dec 02, 2022, 04:05 AM »
 Your allowed 2 days possession in NY ,but your allowed a limit a day  another option I’ve used is put snow in the bucket  or grain bag  with fish , bury in a snow bank they won’t freeze , or knock off fillets out on the ice and dump carcasses down the hole , just make sure your at least a 100’ from shore , that’s also the law
 If You have any questions call officer Jeff Hull he is on that end of the lake ,
 315-405-6576 ,
 
 
 

Offline WARRIOR_ON_ICE

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #9 on: Dec 02, 2022, 06:07 AM »
Your allowed 2 days possession in NY ,but your allowed a limit a day  another option I’ve used is put snow in the bucket  or grain bag  with fish , bury in a snow bank they won’t freeze , or knock off fillets out on the ice and dump carcasses down the hole , just make sure your at least a 100’ from shore , that’s also the law
 If You have any questions call officer Jeff Hull he is on that end of the lake ,
 315-405-6576 ,

Filetandrelease, the regs. say you should not be disposing of fish waste in the water, so putting it down the hole in the ice is a violation of that. The 100 feet from shore reg. means you need to be at least that far from shore when you dispose the waste in the other direction - on the land.
The Ultimate Warrior is possessed with great power from the heavens above ! Against the mighty lake trout and pike and schools of crappie, the power of the WARRIOR will always ......... PREVAIL !!!

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #10 on: Dec 02, 2022, 07:21 AM »
Filetandrelease, the regs. say you should not be disposing of fish waste in the water, so putting it down the hole in the ice is a violation of that. The 100 feet from shore reg. means you need to be at least that far from shore when you dispose the waste in the other direction - on the land.

I don't know about that - you could be correct, I'm no lawyer, but the way its written is "It is illegal to discard any fish carcass, or parts thereof, into the freshwaters of the state within 100 feet of shore or upon any public or private lands contiguous to and within 100 feet of such water".  To me that says 100 ft from shore either way - if not they wouldn't have said OR right ??

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #11 on: Dec 02, 2022, 07:24 AM »
Your allowed 2 days possession in NY ,but your allowed a limit a day  another option I’ve used is put snow in the bucket  or grain bag  with fish , bury in a snow bank they won’t freeze , or knock off fillets out on the ice and dump carcasses down the hole , just make sure your at least a 100’ from shore , that’s also the law
 If You have any questions call officer Jeff Hull he is on that end of the lake ,
 315-405-6576 ,

I always thought that too but when I just looked it up it says ....."No more than two days' legal take of non-salable fish may be transported unless a permit is obtained from a DEC Regional Office, or the fish are frozen, processed, and packaged for storage."  The "or the fish are frozen, processed, and packaged for storage." makes it sound like its unlimited right ??

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #12 on: Dec 02, 2022, 08:43 AM »
Yup. Minnows here dead or alive can't go in the water. I take 'em home and make Anchovies out of 'em. They're great in a lime jello salad.  :roflmao:

hahahaha - I wish I read that BEFORE I ate breakfast - hahahaha

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #13 on: Dec 02, 2022, 08:49 AM »
Illegal here too. Even worms/crawlers must go into a garbage can, year round.

When I'm filleting my crappie in the summer I do it on our dock and throw bits and pieces (not the whole carcass) on the rocks by shore (in the water) - they last less than a minute with all the crayfish we have.  Fun to watch them come and get dinner .....my worms go in my mulch pile when I'm done with them for the year - dead or alive  ;D. Same thing in the winter when I clean the fish at home.

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #14 on: Dec 02, 2022, 09:04 AM »
Thats nuts - so  Ilhan Omar isn't the only crazy in Minn. - hahaha

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #15 on: Dec 02, 2022, 12:14 PM »
I know on the ice the eagles, crows and sea gulls can't wait for us to leave, and you can see tracks in the snow the next day where the 'yotes and foxes get what the birds left.......like natures cleaning service.

Offline trapper2000

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #16 on: Dec 02, 2022, 03:59 PM »
100 foot  from shore ....down  da hole  or feed the  gulls

Offline Ric66

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #17 on: Dec 02, 2022, 05:30 PM »
So if I understand, I can clean the fish on the ice as long as my hotel is 100ft from the hole, but I need to do it with a non battery operated fillet knife and I am not in the state MN? I don't know why I had so much trouble with this.....

Seriously, thanks for all the replies. Maybe I won't catch anything and it'll be a moot point.
In case I do catch some, I'll probably just clean them in the hotel room, in the hot tub...

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #18 on: Dec 02, 2022, 07:51 PM »
So if I understand, I can clean the fish on the ice as long as my hotel is 100ft from the hole, but I need to do it with a non battery operated fillet knife and I am not in the state MN? I don't know why I had so much trouble with this.....

Seriously, thanks for all the replies. Maybe I won't catch anything and it'll be a moot point.
In case I do catch some, I'll probably just clean them in the hotel room, in the hot tub...

Depending when you come, and how windy it, is you might find yourself on a piece of ice that breakaway from shore - you could be 100 ft away from shore at one point and too close when it starts floating - so keep your tape measure handy.... ;D ;D ;D

Offline filetandrelease

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #19 on: Dec 02, 2022, 10:21 PM »
 Ric you caught fish up here last year I’m sure this coming ice season will be no different ,
 I called region 7 and asked for clarification on the disposal of fish waste , they are checking with Albany ,as they couldn’t give an answer do to the wording ,poorly written , and that was from a biologist I’ve talked to many times , and others at the office whom I don’t know
 I know several wardens , he mentioned  I should give 1 of them a call
 
 

Offline WARRIOR_ON_ICE

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #20 on: Dec 03, 2022, 06:34 AM »
Ric you caught fish up here last year I’m sure this coming ice season will be no different ,
 I called region 7 and asked for clarification on the disposal of fish waste , they are checking with Albany ,as they couldn’t give an answer do to the wording ,poorly written , and that was from a biologist I’ve talked to many times , and others at the office whom I don’t know
 I know several wardens , he mentioned  I should give 1 of them a call

Thanks for that effort, and let us know on here what the verdict is- either fish waste IS or IS NOT allowed to be dumped into the water. It doesn't matter for me , personally, because I don't clean fish until I get home or to a motel, but I can see why others would want precise clarification of the law.
The Ultimate Warrior is possessed with great power from the heavens above ! Against the mighty lake trout and pike and schools of crappie, the power of the WARRIOR will always ......... PREVAIL !!!

Offline filetandrelease

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #21 on: Dec 03, 2022, 06:38 AM »

 No problem , I to take my fish home to clean
 

Offline KingPerch

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #22 on: Dec 03, 2022, 06:55 AM »
6.?No person taking or assisting in the taking of fish in other than the marine and coastal district, as described in section 13-0103 of this chapter shall discard any fish carcass or parts thereof into the waters of this state or upon any public lands contiguous to and within one hundred feet of such waters or upon any private lands contiguous to and within one hundred feet of such waters unless such lands are owned by such person or unless such person enters or remains with the permission of the owner of record or his representative or agent. ?The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to prohibit: ?the return to the water of live fish or fish required to be returned to the water pursuant to section 11-1301 or 11-1303 of this chapter or rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto; ?the use of fish or parts thereof as bait; ?the discarding of fish carcasses or parts thereof into waters not within one hundred feet of any shore; ?the proper disposal of fish carcasses or parts thereof into suitable garbage or refuse collection systems or by burial; ?or the incidental cleaning of fish for consumption except that no wastes resulting from such cleaning of fish may be disposed of in waters or lands contiguous to and within one hundred feet of any public boat launching sites or public docking facilities or on such sites or facilities except by proper disposal into suitable garbage or refuse collection systems or by burial.
“Saving the perch population, one walleye at a time”-reeleyz 2021

Don’t worry Freddie, Hot bite is at 11:00!!😜

Offline KingPerch

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #23 on: Dec 03, 2022, 07:00 AM »
The way I’m reading this is… fish remains cannot be disposed of within 100’ from both directions of any said shoreline. Whether on land or in the water. It seems there is a 100’ buffer for disposal. If we own the land that is connected to a waterway, we can’t even bury remains within 100’. Correct me if I’m wrong…..
“Saving the perch population, one walleye at a time”-reeleyz 2021

Don’t worry Freddie, Hot bite is at 11:00!!😜

Offline trapper2000

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #24 on: Dec 03, 2022, 11:32 AM »
100 foot out i feed the  gulls  and   scavengers if i'm closer i'm a licensed trapper i'm  pre baiting mink and coon  sets  ;D

remember you  can't  clean a game  fish  the have to be able to  measure  it and  tell what it is........i think small walleyes  could  pass as perch ???????

Offline hangemhigh

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #25 on: Dec 03, 2022, 01:26 PM »
100 foot out i feed the  gulls  and   scavengers if i'm closer i'm a licensed trapper i'm  pre baiting mink and coon  sets  ;D

remember you  can't  clean a game  fish  the have to be able to  measure  it and  tell what it is........i think small walleyes  could  pass as perch ???????

I don't catch small walleyes.  ;D ;D ;D   Hope you had a good summer .....(frogger)

Offline reeleyz

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #26 on: Dec 03, 2022, 03:05 PM »
I think the 100’ rule is to keep people from pulling up to a public launch or public pier and tossing in a bucket of guts.

And trapper is right about cleaning fish on the ice (or in a boat) you need proof of length so dumping the remains back down the hole with no proof of length could be an issue.

I would fillet them after you get off the ice to be safe.

Also as a side note, Do not toss guts into a DIFFERENT body of water than where they were caught. That is a big NO NO.

Fred - one of your favorite lakes for catching smelt never had smelt until, as my cousin claims, that he cleaned a bunch of smelt and tossed them into that lake. Seems like a stretch but he caught them during the smelt run. Right time of year, bucket full of remains of males and females mixed together. It’s possible and it has changed that lake forever.

Offline filetandrelease

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #27 on: Dec 04, 2022, 08:30 AM »

 X2 on the smelt Bruce ,  , never underestimate nature ,
 

Offline 62&done

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #28 on: Dec 04, 2022, 01:16 PM »
Yes sir, Trapp is right about the minimum length rule. A 16" walleye or even a 9 " bluegill, or an 11" crappie would be fine to walk off the ice with after it has been gilled and gutted. But once you cut his head off you might get into a sticky situation. I fish a small body of water where I see the ECO regularly and I intend to ask him what HIS personal opinion might be. I'm sure I already know what it will be.

Offline trapper2000

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Re: cleaning and keeping fish
« Reply #29 on: Dec 04, 2022, 05:37 PM »
theres  only a  min  size on  bluegills in a  few  lakes  .....  once we  have  stunted  fish and  over populated waters  the insanity will end

 



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