How do you clean fish?

[Agordon]

I'm planning to fish for some Crappie soon, and I was wondering what the best way to clean the fish would be if there isn't a cleaning station, due to not being allowed to clean fish in the water. Do you dig a hole and bury the guts in there or just put them in plastic bags, then throw them away? I don't have a yard to clean them in, and I doubt that the place I live allows fish cleaning inside.

 

[flyguy202011]

release the fish....

 

[eugene1]

These are my preferred disposal methods:

1. Dig hole in garden and bury fish with a heavy stepping stone on top. I have a yard though, but I also have a raccoon who likes to dig it up as of late...
2. Yard waste. "If it grows it goes" it says. Ideally I cover it up with the grass clippings or leaves. Crab shells get really stinky over the course of 2 weeks though, so...
3. Garbage bag sealed up and into the trash if yard debris day is a ways out.

Maybe clean your fish near the water and throw the guts and carcass into the woods away from the water for the critters to get?

Here is the reg from odfw:

General Restrictions:

The following activities are unlawful:
15. Dispose of dead animal (fish) carcasses, or parts thereof, in Oregon waters.

Best,

 

[tomriker]

If that's the reg, how do we get away with using fish parts on crab pots? Technically aren't we desposing of the carcass as well as using it for bait?

 

[Agordon]

Never thought about the crab pots like that. Maybe I just need to bring some Crayfish traps with me!

 

[osmosis]

I have always had a problem with this law.
No rational reason to keep from supporting a systems life cycle other than those foolish enough to leave them on the edge of river stinking.
Bums me out. However I happen to know several boat ramps with fillet stations - that then load the carcass and gut dumpster onto the tractor and straight into the river.

 

[eugene1]

If that's the reg, how do we get away with using fish parts on crab pots? Technically aren't we desposing of the carcass as well as using it for bait?

I guess using fish carcasses for crab bait falls under the another reg:


General Restrictions:
The following activities are unlawful:
10. Wasting fish, shellfish or marine intertidal invertebrates.

So if you use the fish guts and carcass for bait you are good to go. I think in WA that tossing fish carks into the river is legal, which makes sense to me as the nutrients are needed.

Best,

 

[TTFishon]

I put my fish cleaning waste in a plastic bag, seal it, and put in the freezer until garbage day. Then put it in the outside garbage can and let the refuse peeps take it away.

 

[rippin fish lips]

I throw my scraps back in the river...

 

[DYJ]

I throw my scraps back in the river...

OMG! you law breaker! :lol:

I mostly target Steelhead. The gut's go back in the water, the carcass gets frozen for crab bait. Even before I used em for crab bait I still froze them until garbage day to avoid having the garbage can stinkin up the whole yard

 

[rippin fish lips]

OMG! you law breaker! :lol:

I mostly target Steelhead. The gut's go back in the water, the carcass gets frozen for crab bait. Even before I used em for crab bait I still froze them until garbage day to avoid having the garbage can stinkin up the whole yard

I guess he doesn't like how throw it back in the river, When it is good for the system. I had 1 state trooper harass me about throwing the guts in the river. I told him they are good for the river and that i had tossed them in the current so no one would step on him. He saiod a few more things then got on his way after checking my tag. I use a lot of my scraps for crab as well... lol

 

[Irishrover]

It really is one of those goofy laws. They used to haul whole salmon from hatcheries and dump them in streams to help out the food chain. The only place were it is a pain and creates a problem is at some of the coastal docks were seal then think they can get a free meal. South beach marina in Newport, or West Basin in Astoria are examples of that. But dumping guts or more in the Clackamas just helps the eco system.

 

[osmosis]

ODFW does "stream enhancement" by throwing carcasses in the river regularly still. They have invited anyone that wants to participate to do so on the clackamas and at times on the Molalla.

 

[alm21]

ODFW does "stream enhancement" by throwing carcasses in the river regularly still. They have invited anyone that wants to participate to do so on the clackamas and at times on the Molalla.

Exactly why that law blows! I understand why we shouldn't fillet the fish at the river bank due to poaching but we should be able to gut it there. Imagine the positive impact on the ecosystem if the carcasses/guts were left at the banks. I'd rather smell dead fish than look at litter. I was on the call list but had a conflict last Thursday. Hoping to help out down the road. *sorry for the hijack*