Transporting slot fish

[roughrider]

I need someone else to confirm this rule,can you transport filleted eyes from a slot lake over land with only a skin for each fillet or do the fish have to be whole,only guted and gilled.I freeze them gutted whole length,but have read where guys filleted their catch and were checked and the CO's added inches for head and tail to determine length.The rule reads length must be readily measurable at all times except when being transported overland,or eaten immediately.I've been checked and they measured my fish frozen,I'd like to fillet them before I transport them but I need conformation,thanks.

[balsl6]

I think there is a page in the Ontario Regulations that talks about this, but i cannot find it? It seems to me that they have to be whole bodied??
Maybe someone else can find it?

Good Luck

[AVS]

The way I understand it, you can fillet the fish being taken home that are under the slot.
BUT
If you keep your 1 over the slot it needs to be whole! gutted of course

[alanexpup]

They can all be filleted. if you are that worried then dont. we always did them all and were stopped at the road side check and had no problems. I guess they know proportionately how much to add for head and tail. just remember you have to squeze the tail for the right length its hard to do that frozen.

[roughrider]

Come on guys,can I get some common ground on this issue?

[roughrider]

Come on guys,can I get some common ground on this issue?

[chrism]

Goes like this:
You can fillet all fish for transport. You must leave attatched one square inch of scales on those fillets in order to identify.
If you freeze - freeze flat, one fish (2 fillets) in bag, wrapped, or whatever you bring them home in - do not freeze in bulk.
Simple as that!

chrism

[chrism]

Goes like this:
You can fillet all fish for transport. You must leave attatched one square inch of scales on those fillets in order to identify.
If you freeze - freeze flat, one fish (2 fillets) in bag, wrapped, or whatever you bring them home in - do not freeze in bulk.
Simple as that!

chrism

[bigfish1965]

Packaging Fish for Transport or Storage
Many anglers travel long distances or cross international borders to enjoy the adventure of fishing in Ontario. We want to make sure that if you are packaging fish for the trip home, you are doing it according to regulations that help us monitor and enforce laws in place to protect fisheries resources.

1. Fish caught and retained may be gilled and gutted but fish length must be readily measurable at all times for fish taken from waterbodies where size limits are in effect, unless the fish:

are being prepared for immediate consumption;
are prepared at an overnight accommodation for storage;
are being transported on the water from a temporary overnight accommodation to that person's primary residence and that person is NOT engaged in sport fishing; or;
are being transported overland.
2. In addition, when packaging all fish for transport or storage, anglers must ensure that a Conservation Officer can determine:

the number of fish that you have;
the species that you have in your possession.


When Packaging Fish, Anglers Should:
Leave a large patch of the skin on all fillets for identification;
Pack or freeze fish separately and flat so that they can be counted and identified (clear plastic bags or clear plastic wrap is preferred).

From MNR http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/fishing/p917.html

[bigfish1965]

Packaging Fish for Transport or Storage
Many anglers travel long distances or cross international borders to enjoy the adventure of fishing in Ontario. We want to make sure that if you are packaging fish for the trip home, you are doing it according to regulations that help us monitor and enforce laws in place to protect fisheries resources.

1. Fish caught and retained may be gilled and gutted but fish length must be readily measurable at all times for fish taken from waterbodies where size limits are in effect, unless the fish:

are being prepared for immediate consumption;
are prepared at an overnight accommodation for storage;
are being transported on the water from a temporary overnight accommodation to that person's primary residence and that person is NOT engaged in sport fishing; or;
are being transported overland.
2. In addition, when packaging all fish for transport or storage, anglers must ensure that a Conservation Officer can determine:

the number of fish that you have;
the species that you have in your possession.


When Packaging Fish, Anglers Should:
Leave a large patch of the skin on all fillets for identification;
Pack or freeze fish separately and flat so that they can be counted and identified (clear plastic bags or clear plastic wrap is preferred).

From MNR http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/fishing/p917.html

[jerry bark]

here is what i did, and will do again:

fillet each fish and skin until just the last 1/2 inch of skin is still attached, then cut the skin to leave a 2 inch piece of skin with 1/2 inch attached to the fillet.

put each fish in a ziplock freezer bag with writing stripe, 1 fish per bag. write the type of fish, size of fish angler and date caught on the stripe.

freeze so that the two pieces are separate and clearly visible to be the only pieces in the bag.

when we got checked the CO sorted by angler and species then counted up and we were back on the road in less than five minutes. i truly believe that if you make things easy for them they will not hassle you. i don't think they want to write tickets or harass anglers who follow the rules.

be nice to them, it gives them a reason to be nice to you.

good luck

jerry, leaving for canada monday!

[jerry bark]

here is what i did, and will do again:

fillet each fish and skin until just the last 1/2 inch of skin is still attached, then cut the skin to leave a 2 inch piece of skin with 1/2 inch attached to the fillet.

put each fish in a ziplock freezer bag with writing stripe, 1 fish per bag. write the type of fish, size of fish angler and date caught on the stripe.

freeze so that the two pieces are separate and clearly visible to be the only pieces in the bag.

when we got checked the CO sorted by angler and species then counted up and we were back on the road in less than five minutes. i truly believe that if you make things easy for them they will not hassle you. i don't think they want to write tickets or harass anglers who follow the rules.

be nice to them, it gives them a reason to be nice to you.

good luck

jerry, leaving for canada monday!

[Bud Fll]

Why would you bring the over slot fish home anyway? I already know the regs. say you can. I'm just wondering why that extra 2in. of fillet is more important than leaving the fish in the lake to spawn and help the lake you probably plan on fishing again. This is merely a question I'm not trying to get under anybody skin.

[Bud Fll]

Why would you bring the over slot fish home anyway? I already know the regs. say you can. I'm just wondering why that extra 2in. of fillet is more important than leaving the fish in the lake to spawn and help the lake you probably plan on fishing again. This is merely a question I'm not trying to get under anybody skin.

[roughrider]

Thanks for the excellent answers,I feel more secure about filleting fish which is alot easier than gutting and cleaning again. Why bring over the slot fish home? When they are my catch,they go back,If I want a mount,they get measured and photographed for reproduction,when someone on my boat wants to keep the biggest fish they ever caught,and its in season,thats up to them,and if you throw them back ,thats up to you.Thanks for the input.

[alanexpup]

Also from other post about LOTW the whopper you are throwing back to conserve only get netted up by the local indians under their ancestrol rights clause for resale to the local fish wholesaler. So tell me who are you really helping?