Why leave fish on ice?

[mjgonehunting]

Just curious,why is it that some guys see the need to leave unwanted fish on the ice?
I know yellow perch are left as junk fish in Mane ( though they are sought after here in NY) .
But after the Horne Pond Derby I saw both Cusk and Pickeral left on the ice.
If you don't want them,why waste them?
It certainly doesn't help us project a good image!

[Ohiocatfish]

Even at small sizes cusk have some great meat on them....and they're easy to clean!! I'll agree that is wasteful. Pickerel on the other hand are pretty tough at small nuisance sizes to clean to eat.

[Spider1]

I know a lot of guys that will throw pickerel to the side for the eagles and crows. They say they eat fish... yeah, so? I know one guy that actually cuts there gills and sends them back down the hole I really don't get that. I don't fish with him any more cuz it ticked me off too much. Anything I don't intend to eat or use as bait goes back in the water. Yeah, so they eat fish. They were here first and they are part of a healthy fishery. Not to mention that they taste good

[slaying shack]

Around my home lake we have 13 pairs of eagles and it is great fun to have them come up close and grab the fish to eat. Not so great if you have a nice trout on the ice but still spectacular. Some are huge when they get close. I ask those that are fishing with me or  around me if they want the fish before I would just leave them. Mostly always yellow perch or pickerel.

[esox_xtm]

Even at small sizes cusk have some great meat on them....and they're easy to clean!! I'll agree that is wasteful. Pickerel on the other hand are pretty tough at small nuisance sizes to clan to eat.

Here in WI small pike have actually been overharvested to the point there is a bag and minimum size limit in the southern part of the state. Nuisance to clean? Not if you put 'em in a pickle jar..... EZPZ. And I like pickled fish.

I've never left fish on the ice or shoreline. If I don't want 'em they get released. I've seen literal piles (some over 3' high) of carp left to rot on the bankside. Now I don't eat carp but they sure grow great tomatoes. 

[Alex Delarge]

Just curious,why is it that some guys see the need to leave unwanted fish on the ice?
I know yellow perch are left as junk fish in Mane ( though they are sought after here in NY) .
But after the Horne Pond Derby I saw both Cusk and Pickeral left on the ice.
If you don't want them,why waste them?
It certainly doesn't help us project a good image!

I feel that if DIF&W have no size or bag limit on a certain fish species in a certain body of water they want to manage to eradicate or control that species for various reasons. If I don't eat them, I won't take it home to stink my trash 'til garbage day. By culling a few, intentionally or not, I feel I'm aiding in the management of our fishery. You should be thanking us.
This is a classic case of someone coming to MAINE cause he liked it so much... the first thing he wanted to do when he got here was change things.
Your welcome.

[hardwater diehard]

Not sure its good for our sport to leave fish laying on the ice ...between ice skaters , cross county skiers ,dog walkers etc .Think it sends a bad message ...I know I don't want to be the guy having a "conversation" with a passerby that sees another's  pile of fish on the ice ...if you insist on harvesting fish for unwanted consumption ...do so if you must ..but please dispose of it off the ice .Don't forget some anglers target those "junk" fish too .Be a  conscientious  sportsman .

[Fish Wayniac]

If you look close you can see a brook trout in one of the pickerel's mouth.Saw the tail when getting my hook. Pulled the brookie out more to show.Yes I kept 2 brook trout for the frying pan and left the toothy critters on the ice for the eagles or the coyote's.I want to get more trout on my hooks. I don't feel bad for doing this.Each to there own.

[RapShack]

I feel that if DIF&W have no size or bag limit on a certain fish species in a certain body of water they want to manage to eradicate or control that species for various reasons. If I don't eat them, I won't take it home to stink my trash 'til garbage day. By culling a few, intentionally or not, I feel I'm aiding in the management of our fishery. You should be thanking us.
This is a classic case of someone coming to MAINE cause he liked it so much... the first thing he wanted to do when he got here was change things.
Your welcome.

[woodchip]

When you see skinny fish on the ice there is a reason. Too many in the lake not enough feed, Protect the lake feed the Eagles and RAVENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NickM]

I thought it was wasteful to leave them on the ice, until I kept and cleaned a couple of yellow perch I caught last year. Hardly any meat on them. I'd say 95% of the fish was wasted. I agree that it doesn't present a good image to leave the fish on the ice, but I do get why you want to take certain species out, especially if the fish are stunted from over crowding.

If there are other people around, maybe ask them if they eat it. I'd gladly take someone's unwanted cusk or pickerel. If I caught a bass in an S-13 water, I'd gladly give it to those of you who are into eating it.

Just a note on "feeding the eagles". Sometimes there really are eagles watching and waiting because they know that sometimes they get fed. I think some folks from other parts of the country don't realize that. It is pretty cool to watch them too.

[An-Dy]

If you want to learn more about how people feel about the argument of leaving pike on the ice, go see Maine ice fishing Facebook page. They have this argument at least a couple times a week. How I feel, specifically about pike is that, they should be released in lakes like sabattus or the Belgrade lakes where the trout fishery is long gone and it is now a pike fishery. However, I'd ice a pike if I caught it in a trout pond

[Seamonkey84]

I also feel it's wasteful and an eye sore, but I kinda get it. I've fished a pond where the perch were stunted, and there was an eagle and some Ravens around. I threw some on the ice for them without feeling guilty, but I won't be leaving a pile. At least people should try to leave them in an area not readily visible from homes and the road/trails, but still open enough for the Eagles and crows can easily see them.
What irritates me (and I know I'm in the minority with this) is people don't treat their fish prey humanely like they do game animals. Just take the time to knock a fish out before tossing it on the ice to suffocate slowly or freeze to death. I personally always give them a couple whacks on the head with the back of my knife or poke the knife into the brain cavity. Sometimes I'll also cut the gills to bleed it out in a bucket of icy water.  It's better for the meat, and it it makes me feel better. People do this when hunting any other game, why are fish not treated with the same respect.

Eta: however, the idea of frozen perch skeet shooting has its appeal lol, in places that would be safe of course.

[Adkrs]

So yall are leaving pike on the ice because the fish body of water are "stunted". So you're effectively taking the predators of the "stunted" fish and pulling them out of the ecosystem, thereby giving the "stunted" fish free reign to keep on "stuntin'". You'll never be able to fish out the "stunters" without the help of predators. But whatever floats your boat. Is there not a waste law in Maine? At least use them for fertilizer or something.

[Seamonkey84]

In Maine the waton waste law doesn't apply to fish. Hence the subject coming up often. If only everyone would just pick up after themselves (a few for our national bird is ok) and put them to some sort of use it would be ideal.
 We kill pikes because that's what fish and game wants us to do, they are an invasive species here. I know they are game fish to some people, but I won't be releasing any alive. Pickerels are native here, I'll let them go as they are our natural top predator.

[Alex Delarge]

(Image removed from quote.)

At least I can create a thought on my own and you have to search the net to find someone who may possibly say what you are thinking. I would like to try to read your mind but I hate short stories. Probably another flatlander from NY.

[SirCranksalot]

I'm not saying that nobody does it here, but in Ont that's illegal.

[An-Dy]

In Maine the waton waste law doesn't apply to fish. Hence the subject coming up often. If only everyone would just pick up after themselves (a few for our national bird is ok) and put them to some sort of use it would be ideal.
 We kill pikes because that's what fish and game wants us to do, they are an invasive species here. I know they are game fish to some people, but I won't be releasing any alive. Pickerels are native here, I'll let them go as they are our natural top predator.

Why fish them if you want to get rid of them? Especially from ponds like sabattus or belgrades where they've been there for so long that there's no going back to trout?

[woodchip]

In places like Sabbattus, high mercury content in fish  they are not recommended for human consumption How many fish have to be removed from the lake to make them healthy to eat???   

[Icetrout15]

Yellow perch pickerels always get left on the ice no use for the junk all the trout I get a cut the line or take the hook out in the water unless they r bleeding outta the gills then I keep them but for yellows n pickerels those r for the Eagles not a waste junk fish anyways

[jacksmelt71]

when i catch y. perch when I'm trying to get smelts in my shack , they go on the ice because they're  a invasive and are outcompeting the smelts and gamefish. if I'm out on a pond flagging and i get a bunch of perch, i leave some for the eagles then drill a hole 3/4 thru the ice and bury the rest so it doesn't look as bad. come spring they go out with the ice and feed the minnows in the lake.

[woodchip]

In the heavy metal lakes lug them off and use them for coyote bait.

[An-Dy]

In places like Sabbattus, high mercury content in fish  they are not recommended for human consumption How many fish have to be removed from the lake to make them healthy to eat???

I'm not saying eat them, throw them back...

[Seamonkey84]

Why fish them if you want to get rid of them? Especially from ponds like sabattus or belgrades where they've been there for so long that there's no going back to trout?

I don't fish for them, but if I was to ever catch one in one of my usual places (not those with a pike fishery) I'm not going to release it.

[An-Dy]

I don't fish for them, but if I was to ever catch one in one of my usual places (not those with a pike fishery) I'm not going to release it.

I agree with that. I wouldn't release them in a non pike fishery either.

[woodchip]

If you throw back a fish high in Mercury How's that going to help lessen the heavy metal in the pond??

[SirCranksalot]

This is a very peculiar thread!! I guess the rules vary quite a bit. If they are an invasive species, such as the goby are here, then you are req'd to kill it. Otherwise there is no such thing as a 'junk' fish. One fellow up here got filmed, charged and publicly shamed on social media for killing as muskie that he deemed to be a 'junk fish'. 

I understand that in some US states rainbows are invasive and must not be retunred to the water. In many areas they are considered prime, of course.

[Adkrs]

If you throw back a fish high in Mercury How's that going to help lessen the heavy metal in the pond??

 

[Adkrs]

I understand that in some US states rainbows are invasive and must not be retunred to the water. In many areas they are considered prime, of course.

It's my understanding all rainbows and browns are invasive and were brought over from europe.

[Seamonkey84]

Rainbows are from the west coast, Browns are from Europe. Maine landlocked salmon and brook trout have also been introduced all over the world lol. Brook trout are considered invasives on most of the west coast