Advice: you caught a fish, now what?

[r_dawg1021]

In all my years of fishing I've always been a catch and release type fisherman. That's mostly because it has always been trout\bass\carp, and not really anything that I'd feel like cooking up for the wife and kid. This year I've decided that I'll be reeling in a nice steelhead or salmon, and the thought that keeps going through my head is "Now what?". I'll be banking it and not in a boat, so I suppose that complicates the checklist a lot more.

Materials:

• Knife
• Bag (Burlap?)
• Cooler full of ice (Is that too much confidence?)

Process:

1. Catch the fish
2. Take photo and be proud
3. Bonk
4. Bleed out (This is where I get fuzzy)
5. Cut gill to gill and let blood commence
6. Throw in bag
7. Put on ice in truck
8. Continue fishing
9. Go home and fillet
10. Post a photo report at OFF. (Thanks Anatoliy)

I honestly just haven't seen enough fish caught to see the process that folks take once they land a fish when bank fishing. When I had a boat I had the tank on board and could just throw them in there, but on the bank it's a different story. People don't use fish stringers for steelhead and salmon do they? I'm typically moving a lot when I banking, so the thought of catching a fish and then carrying it around for hours is not really appealing.

This may seem like a silly question, but the logistics to me are a little unclear, and I know everyone has their own little routine they go through after landing a fish. Anyone open to sharing their process?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Admin]

I would add

10. Post a photo report at OFF.

 

[eugene1]

Hey dawg,

That process will work just fine. Another option, and I kind of cringe to mention it, but down here in California bankies and boaters will just put the majestic nook or steelie on a stringer and tie the other end to the boat or a tree. The fish just kind of swim around until time to leave then you bleed it out. Not sure if it's legal up in OR though?

Best,

 

[rogerdodger]

Process:

1. Catch the fish
2. Take photo and be proud
3. Bonk
4. Bleed out (This is where I get fuzzy)
5. Cut gill to gill and let blood commence
6. Throw in bag
7. Put on ice in truck
8. Continue fishing
9. Go home and fillet
10. Post a photo report at OFF. (Thanks Anatoliy)

swap 3 and 4, no need for 5.

bleeding: a good approach is to immediately cut several gills on each side, just go in under the gill plate with scissors and snip a couple, the blood passing through will start pumping out, from the boat we lower the fish back into the water in the net, after a minute or two, bonk the fish and keep it cool. an insulated soft sided shopping bag (Trader Joes sells a few sizes) with ice block things works great and could be with you by the water...cooler in the car for drive home sounds good...

this is a fantastic video on how to fillet a big fish, I wish that I was even close to this good at it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Z-12nj6pE&list=FLrb0GEsjMzL5zFYGeqviAkw&index=4

cheers, roger

[/QUOTE]

 

[DYJ]

Bonk it hard enough to knock it out and cut the gills right away. Let it bleed out in the water to prevent blood clotting. If I am on the bank I will use a stringer and keep the fish in the water. In my boat we try to get 'em on some ice in a cooler or kill bag after bleeding. Ink your tag and continue fishing. I'll gut hens to get the eggs out and into a clean bag, before the trip home.

 

[hydropsyche]

I ran into this yesterday. Caught a steelhead no fin got it in the grass measured 22" bonked it cut the gills then photo sent to proud father, looked for pen uh oh, looked for chart to tag fish uh oh, ran to my car nice older gentleman stoked i got a fish helped me with tagging. Fished the next few hours with fish in 50ish degree stream, gutted it then thrown on ice for the hour long car ride home. Just printed off stream tagging chart put in zip lock with knife, tape measure, licence and pen. Hopefully it will happen again soon.

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

Another option is to fillet while your still on the river and dispose of the guts and carcass into the river. This has a couple benefits. The river will greatly benefit with a decomposing fish in the river. Also you will benefit with not having to make a mess in the kitchen while cleaning and filleting the fish at home. Just make sure to look behind you and make sure there isn't a game cop before you toss the carcass in the river. Stupid rule, and it's not even enforced fully.

 

[eugene1]

I saw on ifish that it is now legal to dump the carcass back into the river in Oregon. Good idea!

Another option is to fillet while your still on the river and dispose of the guts and carcass into the river. This has a couple benefits. The river will greatly benefit with a decomposing fish in the river. Also you will benefit with not having to make a mess in the kitchen while cleaning and filleting the fish at home. Just make sure to look behind you and make sure there isn't a game cop before you toss the carcass in the river. Stupid rule, and it's not even enforced fully.

 

[troutdude]

Umm...guys...in the Oregon Reg book, on page 10 under General restrictions...it reads as follows:

"The following activities are UNlawful"...

"15. Dispose of a dead animal (fish) carcasses, or parts thereof, in Oregon waters."

So according to the 2103 regs, it is NOT legal to dump any part of a fish back into the water. If this rule has changed; is that information available online?

 

[eugene1]

House Bill 2697 Relating to fish carcasses

House Bill 2697 Relating to fish carcasses

General regs are out of date on this one troutdude.

And here: Tracking House Bill 2697 in the Oregon Legislature

It was signed into law and went effective May 16, 2013.

Looks like it was unanimous in both the OR House and OR Senate, about time.

Toss 'em if you got 'em,

Umm...guys...in the Oregon Reg book, on page 10 under General restrictions...it reads as follows:

"The following activities are UNlawful"...

"15. Dispose of a dead animal (fish) carcasses, or parts thereof, in Oregon waters."

So according to the 2103 regs, it is NOT legal to dump any part of a fish back into the water. If this rule has changed; is that information available online?

 

[troutdude]

Okay. Thanks. Had not hear about that, until now.

 

[rogerdodger]

excellent post Eugene1, it is worth noting that they narrowly defined when it is allowed as follows:

{ + (b)(A) In a prosecution under this subsection, it is a
defense that: (meaning if (i), (ii), and (iii) conditions are met, you are OK)
(i) The dead animal carcass that is discarded is a fish
carcass;
(ii) The person returned the fish carcass to the water from
which the person caught the fish; and
(iii) The person retained proof of compliance with any
provisions regarding angling prescribed by the State Fish and
Wildlife Commission pursuant to ORS 496.162.
(B) As used in this paragraph, 'fish carcass' means entrails,
gills, head, skin, fins and backbone. + }

item (iii) would make it important to always retain the adipose fin region, even if you fillet the fish and discard almost everything else, so as to identify native or hatchery to prove you correctly identified it on your tag. this would apply even in locations where both native and hatchery are OK to retain. and for salmon, I would think it best to also retain the head and tail as best proof of species..and length would be necessary as proof of jack/adult status, so I would only gut any jack and leave the head and tail on.

 

[troutmasta]

Net em. Bonk em. Bleed em. Tag em.

Dont take ice youll jinx yourself. Those fish are good in this cold weather for hours after they are dead.

Tie em up keep fishing. Fillet when youre home.

I cut nice fillets with the propper setup at home. I wouldnt be hackin on the bank.

 

[DYJ]

I dispose of all my carcasses back into the water.... via crab traps.

 

[troutdude]

excellent post Eugene1, it is worth noting that they narrowly defined when it is allowed as follows:

{ + (b)(A) In a prosecution under this subsection, it is a
defense that: (meaning if (i), (ii), and (iii) conditions are met, you are OK)
(i) The dead animal carcass that is discarded is a fish
carcass;
(ii) The person returned the fish carcass to the water from
which the person caught the fish; and
(iii) The person retained proof of compliance with any
provisions regarding angling prescribed by the State Fish and
Wildlife Commission pursuant to ORS 496.162.
(B) As used in this paragraph, 'fish carcass' means entrails,
gills, head, skin, fins and backbone. + }

item (iii) would make it important to always retain the adipose fin region, even if you fillet the fish and discard almost everything else, so as to identify native or hatchery to prove you correctly identified it on your tag. this would apply even in locations where both native and hatchery are OK to retain. and for salmon, I would think it best to also retain the head and tail as best proof of species..and length would be necessary as proof of jack/adult status, so I would only gut any jack and leave the head and tail on.

Siskel, Ebert, and TD give this reply two thumbs up!!!

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[DrTheopolis]

It's legal to gut the fish and chuck the guts in the wateer.

It's not legal to fillet, or otherwise mutilate the fish in the field.

That's my understanding, anyway.

It's nice the regs are so straightforward, eh?

 

[rogerdodger]

Net em. Bonk em. Bleed em. Tag em..

I have only caught trout from shore, so a quick whack on a rock and into a creel/bag or lay them in the shade...do you bonk first just to control them before bleeding? on the boat, they are well worn out and we want the blood to pump out as much as possible, so no bonk, we cut the gills quick and back in the water to bleed, then bonk them after to humanely end it, and into a soft sided bag with blue ice packs since it is often sunny and hot out on the boat...

I cut nice fillets with the propper setup at home. I wouldnt be hackin on the bank.

x2 I can see taking out the guts and rinsing the blood, like we do with trout on hiking trips, but properly fillet and process the fish at home...

 

[rogerdodger]

It's legal to gut the fish and chuck the guts in the wateer.

It's not legal to fillet, or otherwise mutilate the fish in the field.

That's my understanding, anyway.

It's nice the regs are so straightforward, eh?

here it is, under General, Game Fish, Restrictions: Unlawful to: "4. Possess in the field game fish dressed or mutilated so that size, species, or fin clip cannot be determined until the angler has reached their automobile or principle means of land transportation and has completed their daily angling:"

so while the state law would allow discarding the head/tail/backbone, that would make size undeterminable and so the Regs. take precidence since the state law requires compliance with the regs. as part of discarding any parts, so only gutting seems allowed. I think the regs. are straightforward, they just have layers...like onions and parfaits...

roger

 

[r_dawg1021]

Lots of good stuff here from everyone! I appreciate the feedback this is exactly what I was looking for. It looks like a few others have learned a few things as well:thumb:

Thanks!

 

[joem]

land, slit gills, tag it, when its bled out clean it off in the water for a picture, until its dead keep fishing, then stringer in the water works fine