Tip for new anglers

[cisco]

After cleaning too many fish in the beastly heat and humidity (bugs, bugs, bugs) we've had since last Friday, I advise all new anglers to avoid getting a reputation for being good at cleaning fish. Don't learn how -- make a mess of it. Otherwise, you'll end up being the guy everyone expects to clean the fish. After enough years, all the praise ("you do such a good job") in the world will fail to compensate for the nuisance.

[Hans]

You don't need to clean them if you return them to the water.

Hans
--
"There is nothing; absolutely nothing; half so much worth doing,
as simply messing about in boats." :-)

[WAeyes]

I'm sure he knows that, but if he and his party enjoy eating fish.................

[Greg P.]

Cisco,
I can definitely see your point. I have been the sole fish cleaning expert on many, many fishing trips. Most of the time I don’t mind, but some times the bugs, the heat, and ‘How bout some help here’…

My approach to this problem is to always encourage my fellow fisherpeople to watch, learn, and give it a try. It may take a while for them to achieve any level of proficiency, but it is all a part of fishing. I can usually fillet 2 –3 fish to their 1, and I don’t chew up fillets, or lose much meat. Some people just don’t care to put that much effort into it, some people just don’t have the coordination, and some people are just plain too lazy. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy their company, or that I won’t clean their fish, but I will encourage those individuals to release more of their catch. If I find someone who is simply taking advantage of my generosity, I simply do not call them up when I am planning a fishing trip, this is rare.

I have shown at least 10 + people how to catch, clean, prepare, cook, and enjoy eating fish. I find it all part of fishing: to share the knowledge, to encourage participation and appreciation, to instill a sense of conscientious conservation, and above all to be a courteous outdoorsperson.

And NO, I do not keep everything I catch, nor do I encourage people I fish with to do so. But I do enjoy a nice meal of walleyes/crappies every so often, and so do the people I fish with. I rarely have trouble finding people to fish/camp/hunt and enjoy the outdoors with, and that’s worth something in itself.

Keep up the good work, and may your fillet knife always give you the edge you are looking for,
Greg P.

[cisco]

Greg --

Great, thoughtful reply. I don't keep "everything" I or "we" catch, either. But, many lakes where I live need to have some fish removed -- for example, the lake I fished today is one the DNR recommends keeping small northern. Thus, I was "on the knife" doing pike with a dew point over 70. As for other keeping, or harvesting, I do keep my share of Lake Michigan trout and salmon (it is largely put and take anyway - with coho in the lake 2 yrs max and kings there only 3 yrs) and I'll keep some walleye in the teens (never over 19inches), and I'll often keep a mess of panfish for a good fish feed.

I never have to worry about possession because I never freeze any fish. We eat them fresh (and legal) or not at all. In Ontario I always get the conservation license because I don't try to take fish home. I just get tired of being the guy in parties I'm in who always cleans the fish.

[Greg P.]

Cisco,
I did catch the sarchasim in your original note. I thought it was a funny observations, and I couldn't help saying something. Sounds like you and I are very much alike when it comes to catching and filleting fish.

Lots of good people on this board. Have fun and hope to see you or your kind on the water more often.

Best of luck,
Greg P.

[bob oh]

Cisco,

You can also teach them how to take their catch to the fish cleaner and pay to have them cleaned!!!!:-)
Bob

[4-given]

I tell those watching, "The first 1000 were the hardest", then encourage them to pick up a knife and dig in.... I took a couple and their two boys perch fishing. Neither of them had ever cleaned fish. She was the first to pick up a knife and try. After she had done half a dozen or so he was shamed into giving it a try.

[Chad]

Sounds like you need to get an electric knife!!

[cisco]

My best knife is made by Don Canney - Leech Lake fillet knife. My panfish, small walleye knife is a Normark, and my Lake Michigan knives are old butcher shop sale items -- high quality steel the butchers no longer want (sharpened and steeled so often the blade is too small). If anyone is looking for great knives at bargain prices, check with a meat market or butcher shop.

[Bruce]

#####, you've described me. My close fishing buddy really IS good at fileting. He's taught me how to use the (electric) filet knife, and I',m proficient at it. BUT, he's the master, and when we have more than a few to filet, I (of course :-)) defer to the best....