Eating Fish On The Ice Question

[crappie55409]

so i ice fish a lot but i dont often eat the fish on the ice and im wondering how this works in minnesota. I plan on doing a few week long fishing trips where i will be wanting to clean and eat fish on the ice. please dont chime in about throwing guts down the hole or in the garbage at the landing cause im not that kind of outdoorsman. So say im ice fishing with a buddy and we catch 6 walleye, well within the legal limit of possession for two anglers in a day. What needs to be done in order to eat them that day and when does the next limit begin? I've heard that you need to keep some of the fish carcass in tact so a DNR agent can identify the species. If we catch those 6, fillet them and eat them for dinner does our limit start new again the next day, as in at midnight? What do you need to do to properly dispose of the fish?

Thanks for any input on the matter. Im not looking to slaughter a ton of fish and eat my limit and then some everyday i just want to make sure i understand the rules while being able to enjoy some of the catch on the ice for those week long trips

[TruthWalleyes]

The consumed fish count against your limit until you go onland and dispose of the carcasses.

So let's say today you catch 4x2ppl. You fillet and eat 4 for supper. You leave the carcasses in a way that they can be measured..I.e. Lay them on the ice to freeze and put into a bag. Tomorrow morning or that night you go to the local pub for a beer or to the resort. Throw away your 4 carcasses. Go back fishing. You can possess another 4 fish. (Or whatever the daily limit per person is on that lake)

It goes without saying, but someone will... You cannot catch your limit and eat it the same day. Dispose of it the same day, and start keeping more. You have to wait till midnight to put one in the bucket.

[ZachD]

What he said ^

(from the regs)

When fish are consumed on the ice or on a watercraft that is docked or moored

to shore, the carcass of a fish with size limits (other than statewide size limits)

must be retained in such a way that the carcass may be readily unpacked,

unwrapped, and separated so that the carcass may be examined, measured,

and counted to ensure compliance with size restrictions for that day. The fish

carcasses must be retained with head, dorsal fin, and tail intact, and the carcass

will be counted and included in a person's daily possession limit.