Fish cleaning

[catchinon]

This may be old news to many of you but some of was new to me. And we can all need a reminder from time to time.

From the DWR Fishing reports:

Cleaning fish: Biologists now believe the disposal of fish parts, especially the head and skeleton, is one of the primary reasons whirling disease has spread to new waters. To avoid moving whirling disease and other undesired organisms, you should clean fish at home and send the parts to a landfill. If that isn't possible, please clean the fish and bury the parts at least 100 yards away from the water's edge. Do not move fish or fish parts from one water to another.
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[Tin-Can]

What about cleaning fish at the water where it was caught? Does whirling disease occur in fish other than trout? I've only seen it in some trout at East Canyon or Rockport.
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[catchinon]

Good questions--I hope someone who knows more will chime in.
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[Vivid-Dawn]

I always clean mine at home. Hot water seems to clean off the slime of trout better, and I use big pliers for skinning catfish.
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[catchinon]

It's good to hear from you. I have followed this forum sporadically for a few years before I joined and feel like I know you and others a bit. I always like to hear what you have to say. I love it when women participate in areas that are male-dominated; I guess you could call me a feminist that way.
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[Anglinarcher]

[quote catchinon]Good questions--I hope someone who knows more will chime in.[/quote]


http://stopaquatichitchhikers.org/hitchh...g-disease/


The above link will take you to where you can learn more about it. It is a disease that kills salmanoids like salmon, trout, whitefish, greyling, etc. My observations are that some trout are more impacted then others.

For example, when it hit Montana, it was knocking the devil out of the rainbow in many of their famed trout rivers. But, the Cutthroat and Brown had some resistance, and fish that spawned in the rocky creeks without mud and grew to a larger size before entering the main river had resistance, so the great rivers are still great.

Trout managers have learned how to raise the trout to larger sizes before planting them in infested waters, and in time certain strains seem to be more resistant. Still, slowing the spread is sure worth the effort. Yes, if the trout are infected at larger sizes they are less likely to be physically impacted, but are still carriers.

Cleaning your fish at the water you caught them is perfectly fine. Cleaning your fish in some other water is taboo. Cleaning your fish at home, then dropping them in a dumpster for a week before pick-up is also a taboo (I freeze mine in a bag and drop them in the dumpster the night before pick-up).

The whole issue of when and where to clean fish is a somewhat hotly contested issue. In Washington state many years ago a coastal city cleaned up all of the dead salmon after spawning to make their river look better. Biologist sued the city and a judge made them put the dead fish back. It seams the dead fish provide the nutrients the next generation of life depends on.

My suggestion, when it is legal to do so, is to clean your fish on the site you caught them, then dispose of the remains in such a manner that the air bags and remains will not float back to shore. When not legal, then clean them at home and .............




[fishon]
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[Tin-Can]

Hey Steve, thanks for the detailed answer. I had thought that whirling disease was just in trout (salmanoids). I don't specifically fish for trout or salmanoids that often. And I usually release any I catch. But I have caught several days limits at East Canyon or Hyrum in years past and ones I kept, I cleaned at the cleaning stations at those lakes. Much rather just bring home the fillets in a zip lock on ice in the cooler than have to deal with the remains at home. That's same tactic I use for any fish I intend to keep. Now the only exception to that is Carp I may "field dress" at the water where caught to use for Cat bait.[]


P.S. the new fire ext. fit perfectly........[fishin]
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[Anglinarcher]

Excellent with the fire ext.

[fish_hntr]

I can't really think of why someone would clean their fish at another body of water where they were not caught? Cleaning station or at home just seems to easy to not get it done.
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[catchinon]

True on that, but I plan to fish 3 different places today so I can see the logic in that warning (for idiots or simply uninformed people). I can imagine a scenario where people might hit several lakes in a day, say in the Uintas.
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