Cleaning fish in ice houses?

[kais24]

I noticed in the Lake of the woods forum on this HSOforum someone saying they didn't know if it's illegal or not to clean and eat fish in an ice house. Are there any CO's out there or anyone who would know if this is illegal?

Thanks

[korn_fish]

Im no CO, but I would have to say that it is OK to do so unless shore lunch is illegal also.

You just have to remember that what you eat counts as part of your daily limit and if you have the carcasses of the fish that you eat, there shouldn't be an issue of them counting the fish.

I could be wrong, as I have never fished LOW, but it doesn't make sense that a person couldn't

[PerchJerker]

I don't remember for sure, but it seems to me that when we stayed in sleeper houses on Mille Lacs we were told we couldn't have cleaned fish with us. I thought it was because they wanted to be able to check to see if the fish were in the slot limit.

[opsirc]

if you are on a lake that has lenght limits, the fish must be undressed. page 13 game laws.

[huntnfish]

I was in a sleeper on LOW the weekend after Christmas and had a CO come to the house. He said that they will give you the benefit of the doubt if you are in a sleeper because that is why most people rent the sleepers. The only fish that he looked at were the ones that we had filleted out to take home with us. The ones that we had filleted to eat he didn't even look at.

[This message has been edited by huntnfish (edited 01-09-2004).]

[Ole1855]

I just got off the phone with the DNR, I asked them what the regulation was for cleaning and eating fish on the lake while ice fishing, their response was; you cannot clean and eat fish on any lake that has a "slot" size. I told them I was concerned with LOW and the response was, they have a restriction on walleye with only one over 19.5" and on northern, all fish between 30-40" must be returned only 1 over 40" in possession. Since there is a "slot" and it doesn't matter what species of fish the "slot" is on, all fish must remain in tact on the ice.

I am just relaying what the DNR's answer was, I don't want to start an arguement.

Ole