Cleaning fish in lakes?

What do you mean by "cleaning fish in lakes"?
I don't quite understand.

I think they mean cleaning the insides of the fish.

when lake fishing i always clean mine at shore :thumbup: i try to remember to do this "everytime" i come in from the water during the day but sometimes i forget and drag my fish back into the lake to be cleaned later :wallbash:

The entrails that you leave in the shallows get used up by the bugs living in the water, so nothing is wasted and it all goes back to the life cycle of the lake. I don't see that as a "con" at all. Some might find the entrails as visually unappealing, but that's a personal issue and has nothing to do with the well being of the water.

The only regulations that I can think of is that you have to leave the fish with the head and tail intact so that they are easily countable, measurable and identifiable in order for the CO's to enforce the regulations. So you can't fillet your catch on the water to take home.

The rare fish I kill in a lake, I will try to clean as soon as I kill it. I make sure to puncture the air bladder and drop the innards and head in deep water. Nothing disgusts me more than going down to the shore to jump in the boat and seeing guts from a couple dozen fish bobbing in shallow water. It is also a great way to get an up close look at a bear, sometime during the night.

Thanks for the replies.

Good point about bears, Proff...didn't think about that "con". :cheers:

I usually throw mine around the noisiest camp at the lake :happy: . After just one night it is pretty quiet.

flyguy said:

I usually throw mine around the noisiest camp at the lake :happy: . After just one night it is pretty quiet.

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You should actually try to tuck it under the tent, or in the camper.

stone said:

The only regulations that I can think of is that you have to leave the fish with the head and tail intact so that they are easily countable, measurable and identifiable in order for the CO's to enforce the regulations. So you can't fillet your catch on the water to take home.

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I believe that its ok to cut the head off the fish as long as the entire length (after cutting the head off) is still over the legal limit. Maybe someone here knows? And wouldnt this thread be better in general or freshwater discussion so all members and lurkers can read it?

also dont forget that you cant put them on your fish chain ALIVE they must be killed first. This didnt used to be the way but its the rule now.

I have not once left my guts by the shore i toss them out in to the lake when i clean them, air bladders punctured also so they sink. :thumbup:

I usually like to clean my lake caught fish at shore, but I'll extra vigilant about popping the air bladder and hucking the guts into deeper water from now on.

What do you guys think is the best way to handle cleaning a fish during salmon spawning season on the river, especially when there are so many bears around? I noticed last year that a bear showed up as soon as I bled the fish, and took a lot of interest when I was cleaning it. The guts were pretty well out of reach, but I'm sure the bear went rooting around for them after we'd left. Any info is appreciated.

Fishing along remote rivers in the fall when both the fishers and the bears are storing up for the winter can be a bit dicey at times. The best thing to do is clean your fish AWAY from your camp and downstream. Be sure to wash your hands really well and do not leave your cooler or "fishy smelling" clothes anywhere near where you sleep. Best to keep all your food/fish, and coolers well away from the fire and your tent. This will usually ensure the bears will be looking elsewhere for the fish they missed early in the day...Sleeping or camping around fish guts anytime of the year is just plain dumb. I usually do my cooking well away from the main camp when bears are active in the area. THe only thing you want near your tent is a tarp to keep the rain off.. Even in a camper or trailer, a bear can be a very unwelcome guest if you have unprotected food or your clothes smell like fish.....Stay clean and ............live to camp another day!!............Ortho 8)

It's all biodegradable and "edible" to the fauna so it's not a big deal. Just make sure one is following the regs...

Frozen salmon carcasses are being mulched by wood-chippers and sprayed into rivers to restore some of the lost nutrients after they are washed away by seasonal melts and not replenished because of vastly reduced salmon returns as part of a variety of river restoration projects up and down the coast here. By all means, throw the guts in the rivers - the biomass is needed. The bugs and bacteria will have any guts unrecognisable within days. (I know the post was originally abut lakes - same applies, many wash into our river systems)