clean that night or take home?

[SDFlagChaser]

for those of you that make multiple day trips, do you clean your catch after each night or just leave them all frozen and clean once you get back home?   I'm making a two day trip and thinking about bringing my.knife and just cleaning my fish in the hotel room that night.

[BlueDuck]

Only my opinion, but Id do as you suggested and clean them each day. 

[Chris338378]

If they're frozen they'll be fine over night.  The other issue is if you're stopped by a fish warden he might think you caught over your limit and you'll have to explain why you have all the fish.  For that reason I'd clean them at the end of each day.

[eriksat1]

I prefer to not let them freeze just put in a bucket of slush water.

[Huntindave]

for those of you that make multiple day trips, do you clean your catch after each night or just leave them all frozen and clean once you get back home?   I'm making a two day trip and thinking about bringing my.knife and just cleaning my fish in the hotel room that night.

Most hotels do not allow you to clean fish in the room.

If they're frozen they'll be fine over night.  The other issue is if you're stopped by a fish warden he might think you caught over your limit and you'll have to explain why you have all the fish.  For that reason I'd clean them at the end of each day.

Cleaned or not, In Iowa, those fish still count towards your possession limit.

[SDFlagChaser]

Most hotels do not allow you to clean fish in the room.
Cleaned or not, In Iowa, those fish still count towards your possession limit.

I will not be announcing to them that I am cleaning fish in my room. 

[Huntindave]

I will not be announcing to them that I am cleaning fish in my room.

You won't have too, they will know.  Doesn't matter how careful you think you are, they will know.

[Osage]

Clean them,I tried other options,but didn't really care for keeping them for the next day.In my state,cleaning fish is allowed right at the waters edge ( or on the ice,but the remains must be disposed of via the garbage.Fish remains left on the ice,dumped down the hole,or tossed into the water is considered stream littering.
  I would suggest cleaning your fish and bagging the fillets,and remains after each night on location.Another reason I suggest keeping the remains,wardens around here will count fillets,I've never seen a fish produce more than two fillets,but if you end up with pieces of fillets,they may try and fine you for too many,if you have the remains,you can at least prove the count..........I'm a realist

[Bigfish2869]

There is no rule about cleaning fish in your hotel room. Long as you don't leave the guts all over the floor. They would not know. Even if they did what are they going to do ? Take away your Birthday? I don't think so. I've done it multiple times and never been approached about it a single time. People do way worse things in hotel rooms than cleaning some fish haha

[robbiej]

Personally, if not releasing, I clean mine as soon as I pull them out of the hole. Much easier

[Huntindave]

There is no rule about cleaning fish in your hotel room. Long as you don't leave the guts all over the floor. They would not know. Even if they did what are they going to do ? Take away your Birthday? I don't think so. I've done it multiple times and never been approached about it a single time. People do way worse things in hotel rooms than cleaning some fish haha

As a business owner, the inn keeper is free to set what ever room usage rules he chooses (within the confines of the laws).  Also as an innkeeper, the law has provided him with several different options in what he can do to enforce those rules and collect on real or perceived damages.  You probably don't want to challenge a determined inn keeper in that regard.  Look up some of your state laws in regards to hotel and motels, it might surprise you.

Nothing says the innkeeper has to impose any restrictions at all or that he has to enforce those restrictions, but the law certainly is on his side if he chooses to do so.

[UFCreel]

I have cleaned fish in the room before. No problem. What they did notice was one time we made a pork roast and sauerkraut and potatoes in a crock pot in the morning. When we got back there was a note under the door. Contact the desk. So went down there and the gal said it sure smelled good and we should offer her a plate. We did. She told us to come back often. Days Inn

[bb400guy]

At the very least, gut them on the ice.  I'd clean the whole fish, fillet off, then skinned, but not deboned (that can be done when you're preparing them to be eaten).  Maybe leave a little piece of skin on each fillet depending on the regulations where you are.  Remains back down the hole (they're organic and part of the food chain, IMO it's better for them to be in the lake than in a dumpster).

[fishermantim]

At the very least, gut them on the ice.  I'd clean the whole fish, fillet off, then skinned, but not deboned (that can be done when you're preparing them to be eaten).  Maybe leave a little piece of skin on each fillet depending on the regulations where you are.  Remains back down the hole (they're organic and part of the food chain, IMO it's better for them to be in the lake than in a dumpster).

Tossing the remains back down the hole sounds like an "eco-friendly" approach, but it's not that friendly.
Sure, the remains are biodegradable, but it takes much longer when the water is cold and the general scavengers that would benefit from the scraps are not as active either.

If everyone decided to do the same thing you'd end up with a pond/lake bottom covered with rotting fish carcasses, and rotting fish will seriously decrease the O2 levels of that waterway.

Better off disposing of the racks elsewhere.

[OneMoreFish]

For me, if they are frozen and I plan on going back out the next day I will wait and do them all at once. I usually just stuff some snow in the bag and keep them on ice. If it's going to warm up though they get cleaned when I get home.

[RIVERRAT2]

For me, if they are frozen and I plan on going back out the next day I will wait and do them all at once. I usually just stuff some snow in the bag and keep them on ice. If it's going to warm up though they get cleaned when I get home.

2X THAT, but now i find it easy just to put them back in the water,but that is just me
 
RAT

[Bigfish2869]

UFCreel that's exactly what I'm talking about. You wouldn't know and it wouldn't cause damage hahaha good luck this year

[elk hunter]

If fishing a long weekend I let them freeze and clean them all at once if I am keeping them at all

[Bass Thumb]

I know people that freeze their fish whole and keep them in the freezer, then just remove a few at a time for a meal.

I've done it. Had 30 sunnies in the freezer, which is my possession limit. When I wanted a meal, took 4-5 out, thawed them, filleted them, and fried them up. Couldn't tell the difference.

[3300]

many times they freeze on the ice. so keep them frozen until you are ready to clean them. the skin helps protect against freezer burn.

if not frozen, take some ice shavings and put them on top while on the ice and use shavings when you bag them. put those shavings in first and on top of the fish. use a few bags to try to keep water at bay.

i hardly ever clean the same night i fish. only if i am hungry for them that night and get home in time for dinner which never happens it seems.

[fullThrottle]

Just tell them your Chinese and eat raw fish. What can they say lol don't eat ?

[Osage]

 I caught 4 rainbows today,I kept them in the water untill I started for the house,they were froze stiff before I arrived at the car.They are presently on the front porch untill mamma gets the supper dishes done,then I'm going to fillet them........this will be the first time I've filayed frozen fish.

[Unclegillhunter]

Don't think it is kool to clean them in a motel room, but then a lot of folks do things that I don't think is kool. If you aren't going to clean them the day you catch them I don't reckon letting them set frozen over night.
Keep it safe! JDL