Filleting fish on the ice could be trouble

This is third hand,… but I heard a group was ticketed for filleting walleyes on the ice at lake of the woods last weekend in a sleeper house. The warden said the fish should have been kept “in the round” because there is a length slot limit. I suppose that makes sense as a fish slightly out of the slot could be quickly filleted and kept. Apparently, filleting them on shore with an identifying piece of skin on them is ok,…if you take them to your cabin or home. I suppose that means you better not take them back out on the ice in your truck. It also means you better not fillet anymore fish than u eat immediately eat. Further,…it could be viewed as technically wrong to eat fish on the lake (or shore lunch) as you’d have filleted fish in your possession at least for a brief while. What good sized walleye lake doesnt have a slot anymore so this affects alot of us. I hope this doesn’t turn into having to keep fish in the round for all transportation,…that would be a headache. Possession laws need to be revamped in my opinion.

That’s been the law for sometime. If you clean fish on the ice the pan better be hot and you eat everything you clean.

I’ve stayed up on Lake of the Woods and could smell the deep fryer oil in the breeze after sundown in those big community holes. I doubt they were making chicken strips. I don’t think this is a well-advertised law.

Everytime I go to a lake and camp we clean our catch and eat them right on the ice.

It makes sense because there is no way to prove the size but that defeats the other rules I suppose. What’s the difference when you eat them on shore next to the lake

Like Andrew says,
Just make sure youre frying pan is hot and you will be ok

Nothing wrong with filleting and frying right away. Just can’t fillet fish and store. Has always been like that since it was illegal to even fillet and cook on the lake, legally you had to go to shore not that many years ago. They were pretty lax about the law unless you were shoving the guts down the hole. Just make sure if you are cleaning and cooking fish on the lake to keep the guts with you to count as your possession limit until midnight.

It’s very simple. Keep the carcass so it can be identified and measured. From the DNR regulations booklet:

When I’m on waters with size restrictions different from statewide regulations,
can I eat fish that I caught and kept?
You may do so if:
•
You are on the ice, docked or moored to shore, and you are in the act of preparing
and using the fish for a meal, you can fillet the fish but must retain the intact
carcass, which must contain the head, dorsal fin and tail.
•
You also may prepare a meal of fish using fillets packaged by a licensed fish packer.
•
Any fish caught and eaten on the same day count toward your daily bag limit.

Page 34 of the fishing reg’s, second and third paragraph’s.
This has been the rule ever since there was a slot put on LOTW. It is the same for Leech, Winnie, Rainy, Upper Red and every other lake with a slot for the last 10-20 years.

Pretty simple. While on the ice, keep fish in the round until you are going to cook them. Fillet only what you are going to eat. Keep those carcasses so they can be measurable by a CO until the end of that day since they count towards your limit.

Once you are off the ice and on shore, then you can fillet the fish and leave a patch of skin on for transport home, and dispose of the carcasses.

What are you supposed to do with the guts/carcasses at the end of the day? Your are legally able to catch and keep more (up to your possession limit) the next day.

I don’t remember reading about what you’re supposed to do here.

The carcass is part of your daily limit and must be counted as such. When you leave the ice you take it with you or you can be ticketed for wanton waste and or littering. And if you spend the night in that camper you’d best find some way to get the carcass off the ice the morning of the second day or the co will/could consider it a part of that day’s take.

so how do resorts get by with throwing there fish cleaning huts guts out on the ice????? you can tell where they are………..the crows and eagles give it away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also Saugers if traveling can only be gutted if flitted they count as eyes also.

From page 35
> Sauger without head and tail intact will be counted as walleye unless they are packaged by a licensed fish packer.

glenn57 wrote:

so how do resorts get by with throwing there fish cleaning huts guts out on the ice????? you can tell where they are………..the crows and eagles give it away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They don’t “get by” with it. It’s illegal. If you see it, report it.
I take the carcasses back to the resort (or access if that’s the case) I drive out from first thing in the morning and put him in a dumpster/garbage. It can be a PITA but it’s gotta be done. Some outfitters will come out and pick them up from you in the AM if you are renting a sleeper from them.

xplorer wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
so how do resorts get by with throwing there fish cleaning huts guts out on the ice????? you can tell where they are………..the crows and eagles give it away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They don’t “get by” with it. It’s illegal. If you see it, report it.
I take the carcasses back to the resort (or access if that’s the case) I drive out from first thing in the morning and put him in a dumpster/garbage. It can be a PITA but it’s gotta be done. Some outfitters will come out and pick them up from you in the AM if you are renting a sleeper from them.

the birds gotta eat too!!!!!!!!! i see no harm in it!!!!!!

You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested.

gim wrote:

You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested.

oh i release ALOT OF fish mr negative nelly. matter of fact ALOT of those fish i dont even bring topside……i just keep looking and watching them…………………….from my spearhole!

gim wrote:

You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested.

I’m not a big fan of cheeks.

glenn57 wrote:

the birds gotta eat too!!!!!!!!! i see no harm in it!!!!!!

Right. Take them home then and toss them in your garden and feed the birds there. lol

“You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested.”….Grant Ruis

Plenty of people release fish because they aren’t fish eaters. Plenty too enjoy a meal and I’m sure there are a lot that like to eat fish that release them because they don’t want to mess with cleaning fish when they get home. If the release thing works for you good. Maybe others it doesn’t work so well for.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
the birds gotta eat too!!!!!!!!! i see no harm in it!!!!!!

Right. Take them home then and toss them in your garden and feed the birds there. lol

“You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested.”….Grant Ruis

Plenty of people release fish because they aren’t fish eaters. Plenty too enjoy a meal and I’m sure there are a lot that like to eat fish that release them because they don’t want to mess with cleaning fish when they get home. If the release thing works for you good. Maybe others it doesn’t work so well for.

i do in the summer……but buried!!!!!!!! up north there gone in 2 days. they seem to disregard the crappies though!!!!!!!

gim wrote:

You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested

I live in SE Wisconsin and am on Leech, Winnie, Red, Mille Lacs, and LOW quite a bit. Usually about 2 1/2 weeks out of the ice season. I have to pay the ridiculously high price for a non resident license every time I go. I go there because the regulations are better, and are better enforced. Here in WI the limits are too high and the sizes are too generous for the size of a lot of the lakes here. I hardly ever bring back fish, maybe two or three at most in that entire time.

Most people you find on here are not the meat hunters that pillage a resource. Plus as long as they are not going over the legal limits that their license affords them then I see nothing wrong.

Always such a ray of sunshine Grant.

gim wrote:

You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested.

How’s the view from up there?

gim wrote:

You guys ever hear of releasing the fish? It’s an amazing concept. The fish is released alive instead of being harvested.

I think I did once, not sure…you cut the cheeks out first, right?

Great contribution to the discussion.

Grant,
Pass the popcorn please. Got any Coronas

I’m running out of popcorn guys.

PS cut the cheek out first?? There’s more to cleaning a walleye??

Brian Klawitter wrote:

I’m running out of popcorn guys.

PS cut the cheek out first?? There’s more to cleaning a walleye??

i’d bet miss mustang at the harbor bar could pop ya some!!!!!!!

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Grant,
Pass the popcorn please. Got any Coronas

Forget the popcorn, pass the fried walleye roe!

404 ERROR wrote:

I think I did once, not sure…you cut the cheeks out first, right?

Don’t you cut the wings out, too? Fish don’t even fly. They don’t need them.

Double post, sorry.