# Cleaning fish



## Nickolai M Miotto (Jan 8, 2019)

Is it legal to clean a fish and discard the remains back into the water? Watching some fishing shows from Wisconsin and i have seen it multiple times were they did this? Was curious about michigan. 

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## fishdip (Dec 29, 2010)

No,its illegal here.


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## KJC (Mar 26, 2005)

fishdip said:


> No,its illegal here.


Never understood the reasoning. You can use fish, or fish parts for bait.


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## Nickolai M Miotto (Jan 8, 2019)

KJC said:


> Never understood the reasoning. You can use fish, or fish parts for bait.


Yeah.. i have read that the parts are food for bottom feeders and insects. Was just curious. 

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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Probably if it was legal, jackasses would be dumping buckets of fish heads and guts in the water making a mess. And they would start doing it for mass baiting to draw fish in. Quasi commercial guys would have a field day.


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## KJC (Mar 26, 2005)

Petronius said:


> Probably if it was legal, jackasses would be dumping buckets of fish heads and guts in the water making a mess. And they would start doing it for mass baiting to draw fish in. Quasi commercial guys would have a field day.


I believe it's called "chumming".


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## Curt (Jan 5, 2011)

It makes more sense to me to discard them out in a field where crows, ravens, eagles and other scavengers can make use of them.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Can you imagine the stinking mess in many of our popular fishing spots if fish parts were allowed to be disposed of in the water .I have seen what happens when the fish cleaning station At Aune Osborn in SSM is down a few days ...people can be disgusting .


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Many yrs ago Dad would go to the fish market for fish for dinner.
Hed pick out the ones he wanted and then they be taken behind to a cleaning area. There were holes just like an outhouse and the cleanings were dropped into the river.
That was in the 50s in Ohio. I doubt it today. Actually I dont even know of a fish market /comm fisherman any more.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Curt said:


> It makes more sense to me to discard them out in a field where crows, ravens, eagles and other scavengers can make use of them.


That just draws in skunks in my area.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Thirty pointer said:


> Can you imagine the stinking mess in many of our popular fishing spots if fish parts were allowed to be disposed of in the water .I have seen what happens when the fish cleaning station At Aune Osborn in SSM is down a few days ...people can be disgusting .


Canadiens have been doing this forever. Completely legal to discard in the lake on the queens side. They even have regulations in their guide for how to do it properly.


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## Old Whaler (Sep 11, 2010)

Seems like it would make it easy for poachers to hide their excess take.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

If I remember right that went into effect when the whirling disease showed up in Michigan. They said fish parts would spread it to other streams. Now I'm getting old so I could be wrong.


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Old Whaler said:


> Seems like it would make it easy for poachers to hide their excess take.


Poachers will do this anyway if that is what they want to do. If they are going to fillet a fish to make it easier to poach more they wouldnt stop from doing it because it is illegal.


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