Cleaned and cooked fish

[-JR-]

Lets says you go fishing with a couple of budies for the day and you clean a few fish and cook them for supper at the lake. You have a few cooked filets left over. And you are traveling home now.
What should you do:
1)Travel home with them and maybe get charged for having them.
2) Throw them out and get charged for wasting wildlife.

[nicemustang]

Why can't you take them home? I don't understand, are they illegal fish?

[Cal]

Because you can no longer identify the species and size. Sometimes you just gotta do whats right even though some blanket law might get you in trouble with the right moron enforcing it, I take them home.

[BigRackLover]

I take them home if I have extra, but usually I just keep enough for fresh meals.

[nicemustang]

Then in that case, keep the fish carcass and guts in a garbage bag and take that with you as well.

How many people get stopped on the way home and ask to see your fish?

[deanmc]

Quoted from the regulations:

REMEMBER: When cleaning fish away from your permanent residence, DO NOT REMOVE evidence of species and, if size limits apply, evidence of length as described above, unless the fish are to be consumed immediately.

I would say if you are held to the letter of the law you could be charged, and from my experience with most officials you will likely be charged. But I have done it also.

[deanmc]

Originally Posted by nicemustang

Then in that case, keep the fish carcass and guts in a garbage bag and take that with you as well.

How many people get stopped on the way home and ask to see your fish?

You need to be able to id the size for many species.

[fitzy]

Originally Posted by deanmc

You need to be able to id the size for many species.

I've been stopped a couple times, I always tell them if I have left over fish, I hardly ever take my limit though so its not much of a problem.

Although if your a dick they will find a way to nail you.

[great white whaler]

u will never b question on that one.

[sco22]

You absolutely will be questioned and I have been. We were at Slave Lake and went through a big F&W check stop. We have some left over walleye, probably about 3 fish worth. They were cooked and in the fridge. We could not identify and the fish were seized. We were not however fined but given a fairly long review of the rules. Basically he said people will take fish that are not legal size, cook them and there is no way to prove the size.

I am sure a lot of people do it and don't say anything. At this checkstop they actually looked in out fridge and coolers. It was after we said we had fish in the fridge so I don't know if they would have searched had we said we had nothing.

Plain and simple, fillet only when you eat it and only enough to eat. Haven't done that since.

Cheers.

[-JR-]

Might be better off going to costco and just buying some walleye fillets when heading out to a lake,Like to see what the Fish cops will do when they see some nice clean filets in a costco wrapped package in your frezzer.

[fitzy]

true and I know enough cops and co's that your way better off being up front with them and tell the truth. The few times I've heard of guys being stopped with fish cooked they were under limit with just a few pieces of fish in the cooler. Co's let them go with a warning and never too the fish.

[deanmc]

Originally Posted by -JR-

Might be better off going to costco and just buying some walleye fillets when heading out to a lake,Like to see what the Fish cops will do when they see some nice clean filets in a costco wrapped package in your frezzer.