Filleting after Ice fishing

[MN BassFisher]

So I hardly keep fish but I accumilated one northern, and like 10 smaller crappies/sunnies to fillet up. The first day out I just threw them on the ice, brought them home, put them in a cooler and brought them inside for the night. Cleaned them in the morning. The next time out I kept a bucket with water in my shack and threw them in there, cleaned them up when I got home. Except the northern, I threw it outside til it froze then added it to the bucket. I guess I just wanted to see how others kept there fish that they were going to eat. And also, how others keep there northerns. Mine froze, then thawed out, and there was a TON of slime. I know some slime is inevitable but any tips or tricks from the more experienced would be great! Thanks!

[bobbymalone]

i've heard to keep them in bag rather than on the ice to lessen the slime, although I haven't seen much of a difference.

I bought one of those fillet boards with the big clamp on one end to hold the tail. It's not a magic tool by any means but it does give an extra hand to deal with slimy fish.

[Getanet]

I don't really eat northerns, but I watched a video of a guy once filleting the Y-bone out. His tip to get rid of the slime was to roll the northern up in a piece of newspaper, let it sit for a few seconds, then unroll.

It didn't get rid of all the slime, but it got ride of most of it.

[MJ1657]

I try to keep northerns from freezing but if I can't I put them in the sink and run hot water over them to thaw them out.

A regular dinner fork works good for helping hold onto fish when cleaning them.

[fishfearme]

I always fillet on newspaper so slime is really never a problem.

[vman11]

We don't let pike freeze either. Like mentioned, slime becomes crazy. Newspaper is probably the best thing we've come up with. We use one piece per fish and wrap the carcass up in the paper and throw away between fish.

I don't freeze my fish before cleaning if I can help it either. After I'm done I'll bring the pail into the vehicle with me. I also like cleaning them as soon as possible. I've had fish become sort of "rubbery" and hard to clean if left for too long.

[bobbymalone]

run hot water over them

always heard that hot water and fresh fish or wild game shouldn't mix.

[thatoneguy]

+1 for wrapping the pike in newspaper, and also filleting them on newspaper. Helps a ton with the slime.

[RiverFish]

I don't keep northerns, but I keep my crappies and walleyes in an ice livewell.

Basically a bag with floats on the top that lets you keep the fish alive while fishing.

I don't know if that would help the slime off or not.

I keep my fish alive/not frozen, I hate cleaing frozen or really cold fish.

[blackdog1101]

One thing I "think" I've stumbled on, but want to try more to verify, is to kill the fish while it's still alive. I did this with a northern I caught on my last outing. I cut the thin band of flesh & cartilige at the base of the gills, and the fish bled out quickly. When I filleted the fish that night it was not slimy. I'm wonderign if it died before it had enough time to form a layer of slime.

Like I say, I don't know if this works all the time, or if it was a one time coincidence, but I plan to try it again and see if it works again.

[RiverFish]

I think this was debated on HSO before and I don't know what the consesus was, but this is from the MN fishing regulations:

"Depositing fish entrails or fish parts into public waters or onto lake or stream shores is prohibited." Page 11 from fishing regulations.

Does fish blood count as fish parts?

[Stcloudangler]

I don't know why it would. Whats the difference between fish blood and minnow guts?

Try a gunny sack to keep the fish slime down. After a while though, the bag gets nasty and you gotta either wash it or get a new one...

[fishfearme]

I think this was debated on HSO before and I don't know what the consesus was, but this is from the MN fishing regulations:

"Depositing fish entrails or fish parts into public waters or onto lake or stream shores is prohibited." Page 11 from fishing regulations.

Does fish blood count as fish parts?

Um... let me think here a minute...... NO! Blood is not fish parts. So If I hook a fish and it is bleeding, do I need to clean off the ice?

[reinhard1]

when i worked in the meat dept. for years i was always asked is it ok to thaw fish and if after a day or so i decide on another meal and put the thawed fish back in the freezer for another day would that be ok. i always said no it is not ok for bacteria builds and you are adding more on the next thawing period. well you go fishing, its cold, your far from home and its a long drive back. you get home, they are froze, what do you do? if the fish are froze on the ice, leave them in the car on the way home with a little snow but in the heated area of your vehicle. they should be thawed or close when you get home and it is your job then to clean them. if you are tired, put the fish in a sealed bag in the fridge till the next day and then clean. but clean them as soon as you can. it is not a good idea to-freeze-thaw-freeze and then thaw again with fish as a general rule. i usualy keep my fish that i keep in a bucket in my shelter with some snow. and bring them home that way and clean them when i get home. good luck.

[tip_upclyma]

I always keep fish I am going to keep to eat in a bucket with water. This is mainly because I like the option of letting the guy go if he is the only one I catch worth cleaning. Nothing worse then having to clean two crappies.

Newspaper helps the slime....and I also see vids of guys squweeging their cleaning area in fish cleaning houses

[candiru]

I have a cooler dedicated to keeping fish. I usually have a little water in it. Cut the gills and let them bleed out. Keeps the fish from freezing and doubles as a seat.

[TooTallTom]

One thing...is to kill the fish while it's still alive.

That probably works better than killing them after they've died...

[OnAFly]

I was thinking the same thing

[MN BassFisher]

Wow, thanks for all the feedback!!!

[tps11]

+1 for the ice well. Fish are alive when you leave the lake, put them in a bucket, keep them in the vehicle, and you will not have frozen fish to deal with.

[jBohmer]

I must say that I have had zero luck killing a fish when it is dead. When they are alive works better. Not too many things in life that are that assured!

[BobT]

I usually don't have much trouble with northern slime. Rinse well in cold water and I'm good to go. I use one of those boards with the clamp shown earlier and won't go without it if I can help it. When skinning I almost prefer to have some of the slime as it makes it easier for me to slide the skin on the board. That might be because I don't move my knife to skin the fillet. I slide the skin back and forth and hold the knife steady. It's how I was taught and it works well for me.

[fishfearme]

One thing...is to kill the fish while it's still alive.

That probably works better than killing them after they've died...

That's some funny stuff right there.

A bucket with slush from your ice hole has always worked good for me, for keeping the fish fresh.

[TruthWalleyes]

I keep mine in a bucket with water/snow, it's enough to keep them alive and fresh for the cleaning table when i get home.

[vman11]

I have a cooler dedicated to keeping fish. I usually have a little water in it. Cut the gills and let them bleed out. Keeps the fish from freezing and doubles as a seat.

I've had good luck clipping the gills of live walleye and pike in the livewell after open water trips. Doing this while they are alive pumps all of the blood out of the fillet. You will be suprised on how clean the fillet is after removing it from the bone.

I purchased an ice well for my wheelhouse and I'm excited to try it out this winter as I've heard good reviews.