Filleting your fish

[fishsmith]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Assuming it isn't being weighed for a tourney...
Bleed them right away, gut them. rinse em out. pack them in ice. fillet the next day... huge difference in meat quality!

I could't agree more, save more meat and 10x easier to fillet the next day, and as stated bleed em right away.


A trick I learned this year was to not completely remove the fillet from the first side you cut, leave it there, to give better leverage for filleting the other side.

[nightfighter]

I had a very positive phone call with a captain of the EPO. I have made him aware of the site, and the discussion regarding the interpretation of regulations. When he gets a clearance from their public relations, I would not be surprised to see him, or someone else from DMF, to weigh in here.

[Sweetwater]

I'd like to hear from some of the charter guys out there. What do you do when your charter passengers want to take fish home. I'm assuming you fillet them at the dock rather than a) sending them home with whole fish or b) driving to your house and filleting them there.

How does this work?

[Rip Runner]

I have always seen it as don't clean fish out at sea. This is because people could catch thier limit,clean them, hide them, and continue catching more fish. Cleaning fish at the dock has never....never...never been a problem. I have 6 other charter boats next to me and we all have cutting tables and clean our fish at the dock just like every other charter outfit I know. I have had conversations with the Green police when cleaning fish tons of times and thier boat is located about 30 feet from mine. It's cleaning fish while you are still at sea that you need to worry about. I have always considered the dock back at home and fishing is considered done.

I would never clean a fish at sea, the green police have enough power to take your boat and all your gear if they decide too.

For shore fisherman I would see it much the same way. I wouldn't have a cleaned fish in the cooler next to me while I'm still casting for more fish. If your rods & tackle were back in the truck and it was obvious you were cleaning your fish before going home, I think you would be much better off. However I would clean them back at home.

[Rockport24]

they link to the law that Ross posted here, but here is the write-up from the Mass DMF site, not that it specifically singles out charter captains cleaning fish for clients:

Bass must be kept whole, with head, tail and body intact - no mutilation permitted (other than evisceration). The discard of dead, legal size striped bass is prohibited. To prohibit the practice of high-grading, recreational fishermen may not retain legal-sized striped bass and release said fish in favor of another larger legal-sized striped bass captured subsequently. It shall be unlawful to keep striped bass alive in the water by attaching a line or chain to the fish or placing the fish in a live well or holding car. Striped bass are measured from the tip of the snout or jaw (mouth closed) to the farthest extremity of the tail. Note: Permitted party/charter vessel operators may fillet striped bass for their customers. See 322 CMR 6.07 (4)(g) for details.