# Cleaning fish in winter



## jimbo

It took me a long time, but I realized last winter that one of the few reason we got the newspaper was to clean fish on them in the winter. So we canceled it. Now with winter coming up, I've been thinking what else to use.
I will be scaling & filleting on a workbench in the basement. Without newspaper, fish slime will soak into the wood and smell.
Any ideas?


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## Pier Pressure

I use pizza boxes. Open the box, clean fish on the lid and put carcasses and skins in the box. When done, close the box and freeze it until trash day. In the winter it could go straight into the trash.


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## hommer23

Try wax paper, if it slides to much use a couple spring clips to hold it in place.


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## Waif

Recycling centers have lots of paper....One insulation company keeps a trailer in a local lot for newspapers.
Local free " papers" are often on racks in grocery or convienence stores near the doors.


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## JBhunter45

Cabela's flyers, seriously.


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## jimbo

we dont buy pizzas or get enough fliers.
i may try finding a large rubber mat somewhere that I can wipe down & rinse off in the utility tub


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## Buddwiser

jimbo said:


> we dont buy pizzas or get enough fliers.
> i may try finding a large rubber mat somewhere that I can wipe down & rinse off in the utility tub


Meijers or any of the large grocery stores will have large mats in their home/kitchen sections. If not, try car floor mats in the auto departments.


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## sureshot006

never had a problem cleaning fish in winter on the fillet table outside. But that's just because, hypothermia is better than the verbal and potentially physical punishment I would endure if I scaled a fish in the house.


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## ridgewalker

My wife has threatened me for cleaning them in the kitchen but she has never followed through with her rants. I think that she likes to eat fish too badly to do that. 

I use cardboard when newspaper is not available. When I know ahead of time, i save those weekly ad papers that always seem to be around the driveway.


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## martini77

I clean them right in the kitchen using a large plastic cutting board dedicated to just fish. the carcasses go straight into a double bag of plastic grocery bags then into the trash can outside. cutting board into the dishwasher and bleach counter after and all is good.


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## Jimbo 09

Usually dump the fish in the kitchen sink. Use a fillet board or a piece of plywood to cut on and drop the guts back in the 5 gallon bucket.


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## RichP

JBhunter45 said:


> Cabela's flyers, seriously.


Right. Seems like I get a huge bundle of junkmail fliers on Monday as well, so when not recycling those, it's good to find an alternative use like cleaning fish.

I don't scale fish in the winter, I just do skinless filets and cut them when they're still stiff from the cold, so not a lot of slime.


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## 6Speed

martini77 said:


> I clean them right in the kitchen using a large plastic cutting board dedicated to just fish. the carcasses go straight into a double bag of plastic grocery bags then into the trash can outside. cutting board into the dishwasher and bleach counter after and all is good.


This is how I do it and always have. My wife knows if I get a scale or two on the wall I'll clean it up. In the summer I put the bagged guts in a freezer until trash day and I have a magnet on the back door I flip over saying I have fish guts in the freezer so I don't forget.

The beauty of a great marriage is that my wife would never, ever tell me where I had to clean fish or do anything at all for that matter. I'd never tell her where or when to do her girl stuff either. Sounds like you boys may need to have a family meeting and get this fixed. There's probably some more controlling issues that need work besides fish cleaning locations...

With that all said, I hope you put the toilet seat down when you're done wizzin. It's just a courtesy for the ladies. Plus you don't wanna get up in the middle of the night with the trots and fall into the potty either!


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## Big Skip

I save cardboard and lay it on the freezer in the garage to clean mine.


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## plugger

I let my wife clean my fish wherever she wants as long as she cleans up well when she's done.


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## msfcarp

sureshot006 said:


> never had a problem cleaning fish in winter on the fillet table outside. But that's just because, hypothermia is better than the verbal and potentially physical punishment I would endure if I scaled a fish in the house.


Bleach is your friend lol! Your wife sounds like mine! I mostly clean fish in my shop but when I do use the kitchen I am diligent with my cleanup, but I don’t scale either!


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## sureshot006

msfcarp said:


> Bleach is your friend lol! Your wife sounds like mine! I mostly clean fish in my shop but when I do use the kitchen I am diligent with my cleanup, but I don’t scale either!


Man I could wipe down and inspect the area like I was looking for a lost diamond to make sure I got every last scale and she would walk by and say "what did you do?!?!" Umm... Nothing? "There's a fish scale here I know what you did!" Lmao

I guess I should stick to catfish


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## Mr. Botek

I see a few mention the slime on fish. As someone whose only fishing through the ice is with a spear for pike, I know slime, and how to prevent it being a problem.

Put your catch in a burlap sack. The burlap soaks up the slime and your fish will be clean handling. When the sack gets too saturated with slime, pitch it and get a new one. 

Without the slime, fish cleaning is far less messy. I can do all of my pike on the kitchen counter on a pre-cut piece of luaun or thin plywood.


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## Lund Explorer

plugger said:


> I let my wife clean my fish wherever she wants as long as she cleans up well when she's done.


That's close to the arrangement I've got with mine. I stand out on the ice, I scale and filet the results, she gets to clean up the mess afterwards. She likes eating bluegills as much as I do, and she knows the neighbor would get the end result if she didn't pitch in with the effort.


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## wateroperator

martini77 said:


> I clean them right in the kitchen using a large plastic cutting board dedicated to just fish. the carcasses go straight into a double bag of plastic grocery bags then into the trash can outside. cutting board into the dishwasher and bleach counter after and all is good.


Exactly what I do also.


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## jimbo

My wife solved the problem. The gazette called & offered her a deal for the winter & she jumped on it


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## Scadsobees

jimbo said:


> reminds of of a camping trip my parents took us in back in the mid 70s.
> Dad had frozen some turtle soup in an old milk carton to take camping.
> Mom also used milk carton to freeze garbage so it wouldnt stink.
> yep, someone grabbed the garbage instead of the turtle soup


Lol...I was waiting for the punchline - "And nobody noticed till we got home!"


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## junkman

I use old Woods and Waters issues.


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## jimbo

I just found a boot tray at Walmart. I'll clean me fish in that, downstairs in the workshop.
Sit my fillet board in there and it should keep all the slime confined within it.


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## sureshot006

Good idea


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## Smallie12

Love the idea but I wouldn't like the lip around the edge so I'd have to trim one edge. I like cleaning my fish right on the edge of whatever surface it is I'm cleaning them on especially the skinning part. Only problem I ever have is flying scales, lol. Crappie are great for that.


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## fishdip

I use a piece of granite.


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## sureshot006

Smallie12 said:


> Love the idea but I wouldn't like the lip around the edge so I'd have to trim one edge. I like cleaning my fish right on the edge of whatever surface it is I'm cleaning them on especially the skinning part. Only problem I ever have is flying scales, lol. Crappie are great for that.


Yes but if your board is slightly elevated to where it was a little higher than the edge it would work.


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## jimbo

sureshot006 said:


> Yes but if your board is slightly elevated to where it was a little higher than the edge it would work.


Yes, I have an old board that I put a bunch of saw curfs in a long time ago. The saw curfs let the slim run down them and help they hold the fish. 
I have not had a chance to use he boot tray yet. But it’s about 1” deep. As stated before, I clean them down in the basement on my workbench. It should keep the slime from soaking into the workbench



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## 6Speed

Throw the cutting board next to the kitchen sink just like I do in the summer..clean up and disinfect when done and my wife has never cared. Of course when I met her this is how I did it so she knows no difference...not that I would care.


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## sureshot006

6Speed said:


> Throw the cutting board next to the kitchen sink just like I do in the summer..clean up and disinfect when done and my wife has never cared. Of course when I met her this is how I did it so she knows no difference...not that I would care.


This may be acceptable for some but definitely not all...


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## 6Speed

sureshot006 said:


> This may be acceptable for some but definitely not all...


LOL, I've decided at the last minute to fish on her birthday. She only asked if I wanted her to make some sandwiches for the boys. I knew she was the one when our two week honeymoon was fishing in Colorado.

The kitchen is very efficient. I've cleaned more than a few fish so I usually don't make a mess anyway. Plus, I do all of the dishes.


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## Shoeman

6Speed said:


> LOL, I've decided at the last minute to fish on her birthday. She only asked if I wanted her to make some sandwiches for the boys. I knew she was the one when our two week honeymoon was fishing in Colorado.
> 
> The kitchen is very efficient. I've cleaned more than a few fish so I usually don't make a mess anyway. Plus, I do all of the dishes.



Finding the right one is the key!

Had a terrible time finding one that’s seaworthy! Pukesters.....if cleaning fish is your only issue!


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## plugger

My wife has a degree in environmental health/food safety, no worries about fish or venison in the kitchen. Domestic poultry, (chicken or turkey) are terrible contaminates, commercial ground meats are not much better.


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## Trophy Specialist

Just finish the wood on your workbench to make it waterproof, which is what I have done in my work shop. I never understood the newspaper thing. It just makes a big mess and slows down the process. I scrape it all the mess into a bucket with a garbage bag lining it and then freeze it until garbage day.


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## plugger

I don't use newspaper except for Pike. The news paper takes care of a lot of the "Pike slime".


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## Smallie12

Newspapers for me as a base layer because of the area it covers and I can lay the fish out and then wrap up the waste before I put it in a bag to freeze for garbage day and the fins can't poke holes in the bag. We always have lots of papers to use and as they get soggy I just take away a layer or two and add a layer or two using the soggy ones to wrap up the waste at that point. I don't like doing it outside in summer when it is super hot and I don't like doing it out there in winter when it is super cold. I don't have anything to wash up this way and only need some spray and paper towels to wipe the area down when I'm done which goes in same bag for disposal.


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## sureshot006

Smallie12 said:


> Newspapers for me as a base layer because of the area it covers and I can lay the fish out and then wrap up the waste before I put it in a bag to freeze for garbage day and the fins can't poke holes in the bag. We always have lots of papers to use and as they get soggy I just take away a layer or two and add a layer or two using the soggy ones to wrap up the waste at that point. I don't like doing it outside in summer when it is super hot and I don't like doing it out there in winter when it is super cold. I don't have anything to wash up this way and only need some spray and paper towels to wipe the area down when I'm done which goes in same bag for disposal.


Exactly why and how I use newspaper. Put a trash bag in a bucket, lay a bunch of newspaper down, clean fish, wrap all the waste in the paper, place inside the trash bag. No holes from fins or teeth to drip slime and blood.


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## jimbo

When I was a kid, dad and I just clean them on the counter too.
My wife though, wouldn’t approve. Maybe I’m whipped but so far it’s been that way for 36 yrs.
Kind of hoping to keep it that way


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## Trophy Specialist

What if you are cleaning a bunch of fish? Newspapers would really suck then.


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## sureshot006

Trophy Specialist said:


> What if you are cleaning a bunch of fish? Newspapers would really suck then.


Why? I cleaned 50 gills on one sunday paper.


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## Smallie12

I got a stack of papers 4' high usually for anything from packing material, to fire starting, to cleaning fish, or painting to cover up windows or whatever if I'm spraying. If all I got is a limit of eyes or pannies just a couple of papers at most suffice. The most I've ever filled up was two small plastic bags from a grocery store to be frozen for however long it is til garbage day. Even if I didn't use them as a cleaning surface I'd want them to wrap the fish in to keep holes from poking in the bags and to sort of soak up some of that blood and slime. I also double bag it just in case if you know what I mean, haha.


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## icefalcon

Got great cutting board under $10 at Sam's. Guts go in double plastic bags, then in garage fridge freezer on foam trays from store meat. Fish box ice jugs in there too. No smell, no mess. 

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## Shoeman

While newspapers have been scarce and mostly obsolete, my neighbor loves his puzzles and saves them for me.

Another source are your local barber and donut shops


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## sureshot006

My wife clips "coopins" so I always have plenty of fire starter/fish gut wrap.


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## MISTURN3

cardboard boxes work too - cut to size when applicable.......Amazon boxes do wonders lol


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## Bob D

Still cleaning fish in the kitchen where I prep all of my food. Cleaning fish on newspapers is something I never want to do again. Tried it...once. Amazon boxes would be better.


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## Woodbutcher-1

This is my method for cleaning fish in the winter. I set up on the side of my garage on the half-wall. A 3 to 4 gal. bucked with about 1 1/2 gal. of cold water.
A cut resistant glove on my left hand holding the fish. A home made scaler in my right hand. Amazing how quickly that scaler removes the scales without having them flying all over the place,by just holding the fish just above the water in the bucket..Just rinse both the fish and scaler and grab the next one after placing the scaled one in another bucket with cold water.

Made a contraption that i could dump the slimy water and scales into it,allowing the water to drain through yet catch all the scales. A simple mesh bag to wash used to launder ladies under garments. I ended up having to double wrap with
chicken wire to prevent cats and other critters from tearing the mesh bag. Than into the kitchen to fillet them with skin on.

Happy scaling everyone.







[/ATTACH]


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## Shoeman

Bob D said:


> Still cleaning fish in the kitchen where I prep all of my food. Cleaning fish on newspapers is something I never want to do again. Tried it...once. Amazon boxes would be better.


Yeah, but some of us don’t shop to that degree! Seems insane! What folding a page is better?


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## sureshot006

Shoeman said:


> Yeah, but some of us don’t shop to that degree! Seems insane! What folding a page is better?


Lol amazon boxes are expensive!


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## sureshot006

Scaling of fish is banned at my house. My wife was traumatized by her childhood neighbor's garage with stinky dried scales plastered everywhere.


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## Trophy Specialist

I haven't scaled a fish since I was a kid. I now wont eat fish skin.


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## jimbo

I won’t skin my fish just because they taste better with it on.



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## sureshot006

Trophy Specialist said:


> I haven't scaled a fish since I was a kid. I now wont eat fish skin.


I thought I was the only one that hated fishy taste.


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## fishnpbr

jimbo said:


> I won’t skin my fish just because they taste better with it on.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I agree with this for any and all pan fish, especially perch and gills. Everything else I take the skin off.


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## Trophy Specialist

sureshot006 said:


> I thought I was the only one that hated fishy taste.


I guess some people like that fishy flavor that only gets worse after freezing.


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## Sharkbait11

I used to do the skin on thing for perch but when you have 50-200 perch to clean skinning them leaves more time to drink beer and cleanup after fishing and yea scales all over the garage and finding scales in your shoes and on clothing is a pain. 

Electric knife for perch, fillet knife for anything bigger. I have one of the folding fish cutting tables with the sink and faucet that hooks up to your hose. Works great for me. Still use it in winter in my basement or kitchen just no water hookup. wash it down with wet soapy rag after and leave to airdry. Your wife will love you more after you get one


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## Smallie12

Usually skin everything too but a little soak over night in a salt water solution no matter if you are going to fry up soon or freeze for later will help take away any fishy taste and firm up the flesh if you ask me. I'd think the same would hold true if you like the skin on. I know some that only like the skin on perch or gills but off everything else. However, if I'm going to grill a steelhead or something it usually has skin on it but I don't eat it and it more or less serves as keeping the fillet together and gets a good wipe down and rinse before it hits the grill. 

My buddy has a table like that but my problem is if I'm working on even dishes, and my sink isn't the right height, I can kiss my back good bye in just a few minutes. Same for cleaning fish, can't stand some of those little tables because they just aren't the right height to be comfortable and I'm not about to build a portable stand for a portable table because by the time I get it all set up I could have had 1/2 my fish already taken care of with newspaper and a couple plastic bags right on the counter. Guess what, the counter is 1/2 mine and the fish are all mine because I caught them and I clean them and cook them so I'll clean them where and how I want, lol. That's what I'd be telling my wife anyways. But, I'd think any wife that enjoys eating fish, and especially one that likes to catch them too would understand our dilemma!

I wonder if any of you have a spouse that actually wants to and likes cleaning fish? That would be a rarity and probably even more so than catching an eye with a $100 piece of jewelry on the lip! If you have that wife we want pictures of her in action!


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## Woodbutcher-1

sureshot006 said:


> I thought I was the only one that hated fishy taste.


Fishy taste does not come from the skin.


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## june bugger

Woodbutcher-1 said:


> Fishy taste does not come from the skin.


agreed, been thinking about getting a tumbler scalier. Would eliminate the skinning process when filleting and the skin taste good on most panfish anyways. The slime is on the skin and washed away with those tumbler scalers.


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## sfw1960

sureshot006 said:


> If I scaled fish in the kitchen sink I'd be scaled next.


Poor guy.
I'm guessing your Wife doesn't pitch in and help catch dinner then either?
Mine doesn't go as often as she used to, but some of my friends have learned not to make fun - getting an @$z whoopin from a girl isn't usually something they're proud of after it's already happened... LOL!


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## sureshot006

sfw1960 said:


> Poor guy.
> I'm guessing your Wife doesn't pitch in and help catch dinner then either?
> Mine doesn't go as often as she used to, but some of my friends have learned not to make fun - getting an @$z whoopin from a girl isn't usually something they're proud of after it's already happened... LOL!


She goes on the boat but yea not really. Its not that she hates fish. Actually really likes it. She was "damaged" at a young age because her childhood neighbor friend's dad scaled them in the house and there were scales everywhere, stuck to the walls and it stunk lol. My wife is a very organized, clean and tidy person.


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## The Mediocre Fisherman

sureshot006 said:


> If I scaled fish in the kitchen sink I'd be scaled next.


Same here. But my wife wants nothing to do with fish or fishing at all. It’s all gross to her.

I used to put a large cutting board on the counter and clean my fish inside. But knew to never attempt scaling indoors. However, this one time I started cutting into this large steelhead I had neglected to bleed out on the river. The flow spread fast and went right in and out of the spillover channel that ran the parameter of this cutting board. Was a paper towel race to keep the flow from reaching the crack between the counter and the stove.

She bought me an outdoor portable table that hooks up to the hose pretty soon after that.


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## Captain Tan Can

jimbo said:


> It took me a long time, but I realized last winter that one of the few reason we got the newspaper was to clean fish on them in the winter. So we canceled it. Now with winter coming up, I've been thinking what else to use.
> I will be scaling & filleting on a workbench in the basement. Without newspaper, fish slime will soak into the wood and smell.
> Any ideas?


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## Captain Tan Can

Get one of the large plastic cutting boards, plastic bucket with old grocery bags, a few paper towels, freeze until trash day. Board cleans up nice spray a little clorox water, Done


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## KCRuger

Use a food grade tote. Just trim the sides down and it fits in the dishwasher.


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## jimbo

No, the boot tray worked fine last year. I think it was about $7. At Walmart. About 3/4” deep, so a 2x6 get the fish about the top edge of the tray and out of the slime


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## Lever4ever

Doesn't anyone besides me still have a laundry tub in the basement? I clean all my fish on the laundry tub, lay a board across the top, clean, rinse and repeat. I don't scale my fish, which would make a little difference. I use newspaper, but do like the pizza box idea, gonna try that out, just freeze afterword.


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## sureshot006

Lever4ever said:


> Doesn't anyone besides me still have a laundry tub in the basement? I clean all my fish on the laundry tub, lay a board across the top, clean, rinse and repeat. I don't scale my fish, which would make a little difference. I use newspaper, but do like the pizza box idea, gonna try that out, just freeze afterword.


I have one. Problem is its next to the laundry and I'd inevitably miss a scale that stuck to something (always do and I don't scale my fish). It would be my last day on earth lol


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## sfw1960

Pretty crafty things gents.
Nice.
I've been using an old hunk of "scrap" 8/4 hard curly maple I've had a few decades probably 10”x 28” x 1-3/4". 
Ran it through a spiral knife planer on 3 surfaces, squared up the ends and put about a 11/16” round over cutter to the edges. After sanding I baked it @ about 200° F coated in vegetable oil for a good long while and have no intention of doing anything but scraping the surface with the blade when I'm washing the old biddy up for next time...

LOL it's a trusty tool I will continue to use until I'm gone. Our son can have it then.


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## Lever4ever

sureshot006 said:


> I have one. Problem is its next to the laundry and I'd inevitably miss a scale that stuck to something (always do and I don't scale my fish). It would be my last day on earth lol


I have a michigan basement (cement floor installed later), which isn't ever going to be a finished basement, just too low, so if there is a fish scale or two on the floor, tough. My wife doesn't like fish, doesn't like the smell of fish, but too bad live with it. Funny part is she does like canned tuna


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## sureshot006

Lever4ever said:


> I have a michigan basement (cement floor installed later), which isn't ever going to be a finished basement, just too low, so if there is a fish scale or two on the floor, tough. My wife doesn't like fish, doesn't like the smell of fish, but too bad live with it. Funny part is she does like canned tuna


Canned tuna... stank!

My basement is finished except for the ceiling. And my wife could spot a scale if an astronaut scaled a perch on the moon.


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## Lever4ever

sureshot006 said:


> Canned tuna... stank!
> 
> My basement is finished except for the ceiling. And my wife could spot a scale if an astronaut scaled a perch on the moon.


Your cracking me up with the scales, make sure to point out the one little hair she leaves on the shower drain, even things up. Walk away covering the back of your head!


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## sureshot006

Lever4ever said:


> Your cracking me up with the scales, make sure to point out the one little hair she leaves on the shower drain, even things up. Walk away covering the back of your head!


Our bathrooms have white tile. Everything shows. She asked me to put my head through a garbage bag and tape the end to the mirror so when I use an electric razor it catches the hairs. I dont blame her, it makes a mess. Remodel is the solution lol.

Those long plastic strips with the barbs (better description escapes me) for pulling hair from the drains work great.


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## jimbo

laundry tub? yes, we have one. But it's way too short for cleaning fish.
how many people use one of those Bico scalers? I love those things. Scales dont pop all over the place


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## Gillgitter

jimbo said:


> laundry tub? yes, we have one. But it's way too short for cleaning fish.
> how many people use one of those Bico scalers? I love those things. Scales dont pop all over the place


Not sure what a Bico scaler is?


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## jimbo

Gillgitter said:


> Not sure what a Bico scaler is?


Plastic scaler. It might be Bicco instead of Bico.
Only about 4-5 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/Bicco-Plasti...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584070148200458&psc=1

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## Lund Explorer

jimbo said:


> laundry tub? yes, we have one. But it's way too short for cleaning fish.
> how many people use one of those Bico scalers? I love those things. Scales dont pop all over the place


That's the one I use, they work great.


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## Scout 2

jimbo said:


> we dont buy pizzas or get enough fliers.
> i may try finding a large rubber mat somewhere that I can wipe down & rinse off in the utility tub


Use a boot tray


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## Lever4ever

jimbo said:


> laundry tub? yes, we have one. But it's way too short for cleaning fish.
> how many people use one of those Bico scalers? I love those things. Scales dont pop all over the place


I have one of those older cement two sided tubs and I'm short!!

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## junkman

I use the Woods and Waters paper.Open up to the center and pull out the staples.


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## sfw1960

junkman said:


> I use the Woods and Waters paper.Open up to the center and pull out the staples.


Michael outdoor news would work too...
I'm not going to subscribe again, but when I did get it - that would have been a good use for it because the articles weren't exactly stellar LOL


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## leafybug

cleaning fish anytime of year, I got an old section of unused pre-built countertop. in the summer I can set it on a pair of saw horses (always got a set, I'm a carpenter) then hose it off when I'm done and in the winter it fits perfectly on top of our stove, just spray a little lysol on it before putting it away. literally cant hurt this thing but yeah, i guess its a little rough on the knives but I try not to cut the cutting boards!


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## Rainman68

sfw1960 said:


> Actually a tablespoon (cupped side to scales) with the fish underwater in your sink is very effective if you want skin-on fillets. (Yum - gills)
> I once turned down an offer for a NIB Bear Paw fish scaler from a friend quite some years ago - been kicking myself for that move since.
> Perch and gills may not be as good for you with the skin, but the flavor is so much more delicious.
> I did go back and ask Bill if he still had that scaler, but I was fresh out of luck... I think they're well over a hundred bucks now.
> Most of the time, no skin - but the tablespoons always an option and does get used on special occasions.


Those old grapefruit spoons with the teeth are the best.


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## Ronnie D

jimbo said:


> It took me a long time, but I realized last winter that one of the few reason we got the newspaper was to clean fish on them in the winter. So we canceled it. Now with winter coming up, I've been thinking what else to use.
> I will be scaling & filleting on a workbench in the basement. Without newspaper, fish slime will soak into the wood and smell.
> Any ideas?[/QUOTE


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## 7mmsendero

Anyone ever use a diaper pale to dispose of the guts, heads and bones? Seems like that might work pretty well, just don’t puncture the bag.


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## 7mmsendero

Bucket-Back said:


> I just use a cutting board and rinse it off in the sink.


I process my own deer, 3-5 per year. I’m not screwing up that good thing by cleaning fish in the kitchen.


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## Trophy Specialist

7mmsendero said:


> Anyone ever use a diaper pale to dispose of the guts, heads and bones? Seems like that might work pretty well, just don’t puncture the bag.


I use a 5 gallon bucket with a heavy garbage bag liner. The key is to not over fill it. I freeze the gut bags until garbage day.

A lot of you seem to be over thinking this. All you need is a flat cleaning surface anywhere. A rag and a bucket or two of water to clean it up when done.


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## sureshot006

Trophy Specialist said:


> I use a 5 gallon bucket with a heavy garbage bag liner. The key is to not over fill it. I freeze the gut bags until garbage day.
> 
> A lot of you seem to be over thinking this. All you need is a flat cleaning surface anywhere. A rag and a bucket or two of water to clean it up when done.


I use the 5 gal bucket lined with a heavy garbage bag too. And the freeze trick in summer. The thing about the bag is it still gets punctured by teeth/spines/gill plates so I wrap the carcasses up in newspaper before putting them in the bag.


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## jimbo

I just toss my guts in the garden a lot of times. Crows gotta eat too.
I hope they fly off over the the neighbors and drop some nice pieces for the dog to get.


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## buck snort

Fillet away fish mat is awesome!!!


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## 7mmsendero

Trophy Specialist said:


> I use a 5 gallon bucket with a heavy garbage bag liner. The key is to not over fill it. I freeze the gut bags until garbage day.
> 
> A lot of you seem to be over thinking this. All you need is a flat cleaning surface anywhere. A rag and a bucket or two of water to clean it up when done.


The freezing of guts is a difference maker.


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## sfw1960

7mmsendero said:


> The freezing of guts is a difference maker.


Sure can be, heavy poly bags help with avoiding any punctures.
I don't need to or bother here.
There's ten acres here and we have a spot we compost in.
Not only do the crows have to eat but the opossums, hawks, bears and ***** and various other critters do too.

If you don't have that option then what Mike does makes sense.
KISS rules apply... ALWAYS!


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## 7mmsendero

sfw1960 said:


> Sure can be, heavy poly bags help with avoiding any punctures.
> I don't need to or bother here.
> There's ten acres here and we have a spot we compost in.
> Not only do the crows have to eat but the opossums, hawks, bears and ***** and various other critters do too.
> 
> If you don't have that option then what Mike does makes sense.
> KISS rules apply... ALWAYS!


There’s 5 acres with our place, however we have a lot of critters. I don’t want to draw the skunks in again. Fish does it. 

Funniest thing that happened was spring 2019 I had a mess of a dozen or so nice crappies in a bucket. Left them unattended for a half hour. Came back out to clean and there was only 2 fish in the bucket. Looked around completely confused. It turned out a fox gather them up. Of course my first thought was a bear.


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## ICEGUY

Cleaning fish right now on kitchen counter, guts go in freezer till garbage day.


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## icefalcon

I use plastic cutting board from Sam's. Very inexpensive. One side has groove around it. 
Triple grocery bags hold guts.

Sent from my moto z3 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## HillbillyDeluxe

We don't have a newspaper subscription but we sure have one to amazon, seems like cutting boards aka cardboard boxes show up here daily.


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## sfw1960

7mmsendero said:


> There’s 5 acres with our place, however we have a lot of critters. I don’t want to draw the skunks in again. Fish does it.
> 
> Funniest thing that happened was spring 2019 I had a mess of a dozen or so nice crappies in a bucket. Left them unattended for a half hour. Came back out to clean and there was only 2 fish in the bucket. Looked around completely confused. It turned out a fox gather them up. Of course my first thought was a bear.


It's kind of funny how a wink of an eye and you can be had, isn't it?
Don't have very many pole cats around, but then again the Ruger 10/22 has been known to help clean up the "neighborhood". LOL

Don't see many Fox either - coyotes OTOH they're always somewhere nearby it seems. 
Had a big **** out by the garage *mid day* last week, and that's almost a guarantee of a rabid animal.
I walked up within 5 yards to a stare down - two 39 gr. HP were dispatched and off into the darker part of the wooded area it went...

No where near a freshly placed pile of walleye kibbles.


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## Trophy Specialist

7mmsendero said:


> The freezing of guts is a difference maker.





7mmsendero said:


> There’s 5 acres with our place, however we have a lot of critters. I don’t want to draw the skunks in again. Fish does it.
> 
> Funniest thing that happened was spring 2019 I had a mess of a dozen or so nice crappies in a bucket. Left them unattended for a half hour. Came back out to clean and there was only 2 fish in the bucket. Looked around completely confused. It turned out a fox gather them up. Of course my first thought was a bear.


When I had my place our on acreage on Tonkey Rd. I used to dump one-two buckets of fish guts out in the woods every day all spring and summer. After a while of that, when I pulled in at the end of a day of fishing, there was always a huge flock of buzzards in the trees waiting for me and I could hear them singing as I parked (yes buzzards can sing, but not well). They would follow me the hundreds of yards to my dumping spot getting uncomfortably close to me at times. They scared the crap out of my big bird dog. They would devour the guts within minutes and there was never anything left for any other critters. Now, we have a new fish cleaning station in Au Gres which grinds them and they are processed by the sewage system or if that is down, they go into the landfill. In my opinion, the buzzard waste disposal system was by far the most efficient, most environmentally friendly and certainly the cheapest. In most other states that I've fished in, people just legally dump the fish guts back into the water.


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## sfw1960

I wonder if it's legal to blast the buzzards for population control.... (Or livestock annoyance)
They're definitely THE flying dumpster patrol for sure!


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## Scout 2

I have a movable island or that what it was downstate. Up here it became my fish cleaning bench in the basement. It is about 20 inches wide and 4 foot long with a stainless top. It use to have a cutting board on one end but that got removed when I found a small stainless sink that dropped in the hoke. I use newspapers for the heads and guts them roll them up . I use water softner salt bags to put it all in then burn it in the outdoor wood stove in the inter and in the summer Idump back in the woods. I use to dump the deer bones back in th woods but I now burn them up in the stove . I figure this will help prevent any diease if it is present


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## 7mmsendero

sfw1960 said:


> It's kind of funny how a wink of an eye and you can be had, isn't it?
> Don't have very many pole cats around, but then again the Ruger 10/22 has been known to help clean up the "neighborhood". LOL
> 
> Don't see many Fox either - coyotes OTOH they're always somewhere nearby it seems.
> Had a big **** out by the garage *mid day* last week, and that's almost a guarantee of a rabid animal.
> I walked up within 5 yards to a stare down - two 39 gr. HP were dispatched and off into the darker part of the wooded area it went...
> 
> No where near a freshly placed pile of walleye kibbles.


That’s the thing, if you have coyotes then you aren’t likely to have fox. We’re semi-residential, so the fox have found safety living close to houses.


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## sfw1960

I've got neighbors on this side of the road, fed land across the street.

The neighbors all have _AND_ know how to use their firearms too. Beware coyotes, LOL! 

Everything here is wooded and across the road & down a mile or two there's more open terrain - and there's some fox over that way.

Fish emulsion is great for the garden, but with critters it poses other issues than just getting rid of it...


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## fishdip

I have a peice of granite i use, pull back the table cloth, put a piece of plywood on the glasss kitchen table and clean my fish where its warm.


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## bobberbill

I dumped my winter fish offal in the woods for an experiment. Set up my trail cam for a few weeks. Took a while, but I had cats, *****, fox, a coyote, possum all checking the same spot all winter. Once the critters discovered food the pile was gone overnight.


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## greelhappy

jimbo said:


> we dont buy pizzas or get enough fliers.
> i may try finding a large rubber mat somewhere that I can wipe down & rinse off in the utility tub


Get some decent size boxes from a local store (or any store) scale fish inside box. Discard boxes on garbage day.


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## jimbo

Heres my new thicker fillet board in action.
Thick enough to get above the boot tray that catches all the slime









Sent from my SM-A102U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## sfw1960

jimbo said:


> Heres my new thicker fillet board in action.
> Thick enough to get above the boot tray that catches all the slime
> View attachment 636275
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-A102U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


OH the carnage!

Yummy LOL!


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