# Skin on walleye 2012



## rattletot

Read on another site, that you have to leave skin on the filet this Yr. Any truth to this? Also is LAMBERJACK'S open this Yr.


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## Betain

I got a call this morning telling me the same thing, appears there where some healthy debates about it at the captains conference this weekend. Filet has to stay complete and skin on until you get home. Sort of sucks, I hate scaling fish and always take the skin off if the perch and walleye before I bag it to take home.

Not sure how this relates to if you have a trailer up there since technically you are sort of home when you get off the boat.


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## hearttxp

Betain said:


> I got a call this morning telling me the same thing, appears there where some healthy debates about it at the captains conference this weekend. Filet has to stay complete and skin on until you get home. Sort of sucks, I hate scaling fish and always take the skin off if the perch and walleye before I bag it to take home.
> 
> Not sure how this relates to if you have a trailer up there since technically you are sort of home when you get off the boat.


Betain Not totaly Correct ? I think they agreed to have a 1" sq of skin left on ? Gino and Capt Rick from LECBA worked that out ? Will see what comes out of it ? 
Plus all fish that are to be trasnported to your peremnat residentice must be left WHOLE ! No zippering ! 
It is going to be a Nightmare for me and many others who clean hundreds of walleyes all season !
MORE to come on this I am sure ?
I heard about this Last season from Gino !

Betain "Not sure how this relates to if you have a trailer up there since technically you are sort of home when you get off the boat"
You are totaly wrong here ! Your Boat is not Your Home ! Be careful. If you are caught with more than ones days limit you could be in big trouble. Just saying ?


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## Betain

hearttxp said:


> Betain "Not sure how this relates to if you have a trailer up there since technically you are sort of home when you get off the boat"
> You are totaly wrong here ! Your Boat is not Your Home ! Be careful. If you are caught with more than ones days limit you could be in big trouble. Just saying ?


Well that sort of sucks my trailer up there is my second home starting in a few weeks where I spends a large part of my summer. When we do get to do fun trips I normally stock pile some fish for an occasional fish fry/grill with my neighbors and the rest comes home with me. I guess the odds of an ODNR officer going through my freezer up there is pretty slim.

So it is going to be a 1" square like in Canada, I was hearing it both ways. For morning trips I normally don't clean the fish for the customer because we are getting ready for the next trip but the evening trips we will just because there is no place open. I always took great pride in having them zippered and cut down into decent serving portions for them unlike what a lot of fish cleaning places will do. Guess I will have too get good at leaving a little bit of skin down by the belly meat that is normally very fatty anyways.

If they did this for Perch though it would be a major PIA.

I can see this being a good rule for on the boat but find it absurd once you get off the water and are back at your living quarters are on the road heading home.


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## Playbuoy

Was there a problem this is supposed to address? I also like to clean and zipper them on site so I don't have to mess with it after a 2 hour drive home. 

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## wakina

Here is a copy and paste of the regulation in question from the ODNR web site. IT says that exactly. The fillet must be Whole and the skin must be attached or the fish must be in the whole! You must remember that no matter what that Officer said at the meeting the law as written will prevail over what you were told by that Officer if you would be cited for leaving only a small portion of skin left on the fillet and not the whole skin. Granted there is room there for legal interpitation by a judge as to what constitues "complete fillets with skin attached" 


*It is illegal to possess fish in any form other than whole or cut
into complete fillets with skin attached when fishing from shore,
or a boat, or unloading fish from a boat on any waters where a
fishing license is required until the angler reaches their permanent
residence. It is legal to transport fish whole or as fillets with
the skin attached while returning from the Lake Erie Islands on a
commercial ferry boat. Frozen fish must be transported in a way
the fillets can be easily identified and counted. *


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## hearttxp

Playbuoy said:


> Was there a problem this is supposed to address? I also like to clean and zipper them on site so I don't have to mess with it after a 2 hour drive home.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


From What I heard and asume there are way too Many Over baggers out there. Alot of Out of staters too ? And there needs to be a way to identify fish without issues ! 

There will be more to come out for sure. Fish if packaged must be able to see skin and be able to count how many are in each bag was also mentioned.

The Boss "GINO" also made a plea to have anyone turn in Poachers if they are aware of any ! They Need Help !

wakina Yes we saw the Law as wrote on the screen but there maybe be a change to it as was mnetioned last night. But by all menas follow the law to the T if unsure !


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## boatnut

I think this rule is total B.S. There needs to be some kind of petition started to voice opposition to this. I guess I can no longer clean fish at the nice facility that Bass Haven has right across the street from me! Or at least if I do clean them there, I have to then bring them back home and further process them (de-skin, zipper, etc). What a bunch of malarkey.


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## hearttxp

boatnut said:


> I think this rule is total B.S. There needs to be some kind of petition started to voice opposition to this. I guess I can no longer clean fish at the nice facility that Bass Haven has right across the street from me! Or at least if I do clean them there, I have to then bring them back home and further process them (de-skin, zipper, etc). What a bunch of malarkey.


I agree Mike ! But ? Here is who informed the group sat 

COLUMBUS, OH  Gino Barna, 49, of Port Clinton, has been named supervisor for the Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Barna replaces Kevin Ramsey, who retired in September of 2009.

So I suppose you could contact him direct with issues ? Do not have his contact info but we all can find it with a few key strokes


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## BRED

what is the possesion limit for walleye in ohio?


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## hearttxp

BRED said:


> what is the possesion limit for walleye in ohio?


Right Now 4 per day Until April 30 ! 2012 Limit for May thur next Feb 28 TBD by the end of March.


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## BlueMax

BRED said:


> what is the possesion limit for walleye in ohio?


Technicality - 4 for Lake Erie and tribs in Mar & APR. 6 for some other lakes, 10 for OH river but since we are discussing a post about Erie for this converstaion it is 4 right now and TBD for May 1 - feb 28, 2013.
That brings up another situation. Once you are on land how is it determined where exactly you caught these fish. You could have a guy, say his name is Mike, who has a trailer on a canal in East Harbor and heads to Pymatuming in March or April and brings home 6 walleye and stops at a fish cleaning facility across the street from his trailer. Boy he would have some explaining to do to an DNR officer. I just thought of this but I guess it could happen. ( go easy on me guys I have a lot of time on my hands right now)


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## Playbuoy

Hearttxp, thanks for the info I appreciate it. 

I guess I just didn't see that as a problem that would be solved in this manner. Each time I've been checked it has been while pulling the boat out or at the cleaning table. I would be all for the policy if I believed it would help, but I don't as I've yet to be pulled over on I-71 and asked to consent to a search of my cooler. 

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## Papascott

BRED said:


> what is the possesion limit for walleye in ohio?


Its my understanding that in Ohio there is no possession limit, only a daily bag limit!


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## hearttxp

Papascott said:


> Its my understanding that in Ohio there is no possession limit, only a daily bag limit!


What about Out of Staters ?


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## BRED

Thanks for the answer and the out of state question as I am from Ind. and usually come up for 4 to 9 days at a time.It would be likely to have more than 1 limit on the way home


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## Papascott

hearttxp said:


> What about Out of Staters ?


You have a point mike. We were always told
that we could have a limit for each day we could prove we were there in our hotel or car on the way home? The way the wording is now your illegal to have more than a daily limit anywhere but your residence. 

A true possession limit applies to fish in the freezer at home too. That's not the case in Ohio but it is in alt of the states I fish in.


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## boatnut

It's been my understanding for out of staters, that as long as you can show proof that you've been in Ohio more then one day, then you can possess daily limits for each day. Proof would include hotel or campground receipts. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please!


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## Papascott

That's always been my understanding too mike. problem is the regs are worded clearly to the contrary now, especially with the direct reference to permanent residence.


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## hearttxp

Papascott said:


> That's always been my understanding too mike. problem is the reefs are worded clearly to the contrary now, especially with the direct reference to permanent residence.


Scott & Boatnut I would really like to know where this is all headed ?


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## jimski2

Fish spoil when the entrails start decaying and contaminating the flesh. Also the gurry draining from a decaying fish contributes to the bacteria that contaminate fish. It is best to ice all fish immediately when caught. Put them on a bed of ice to separate the gurry. Remove the entrails as quickly as possible. Putting fish in a live well during hot water temperatures is like putting them in a pot of soup, the decay happens quickly. The most important item in your boat is ice, ice and more ice if you want to feed your family safely. Fish that are iced down can be cleaned the next day when you are rested up.

Returning home from Canada, expect to be stopped near the border and more than two days limit results in a return trip to a magistrate.


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## 10fish

hummm wonder how this applies to the fish cleaning houses? We usually drop off our catch and grab a sandwich. When done we have a bag of filets ready for the trip home.


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## Betain

10fish said:


> hummm wonder how this applies to the fish cleaning houses? We usually drop off our catch and grab a sandwich. When done we have a bag of filets ready for the trip home.


From my experience fish cleaning places for the most part do not zipper walleye and give you whole filets. The question comes up for the skin and I guess it depends on how the ODNR wants to enforce it. They are telling them at the captains conference that a 1" square of skin should be enough, but I heard reports later on they came back with all of the skin needs to be on when asked for clarification like what is in the rule posted here.

I am sure leaving a 1" piece of skin would not be too hard for them to do, like I mentioned earlier I would slit the skin down by the belly meat and skin the rest like I normally do. Now if we find out they want all the skin it will get trickier since they will want to scale them. Don't know how well those perch scalers will work with walleye but it should definitely raise the cost to get them cleaned. Major bad part of leaving the all the skin on for more then a couple of days is that is normally where all that dark meat is that can give the meat a stronger flavor. 

For perch nothing should need to change since they always leave the skin on and the filets whole for that. It will just be more of a PIA for someone who cleans there own perch and would rather skin then scale them. All though it is sounding like the perch limits maybe going down this year on the Western Basin so it will make it less work to clean a days limit.


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## boatnut

We need to organize a million man march on ODNR HQ's and express our dissatisfaction with this ridiculous rule. I nominate HeartXP to lead the charge!  Viva la revolution!


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman

boatnut said:


> I think this rule is total B.S. There needs to be some kind of petition started to voice opposition to this. I guess I can no longer clean fish at the nice facility that Bass Haven has right across the street from me! Or at least if I do clean them there, I have to then bring them back home and further process them (de-skin, zipper, etc). What a bunch of malarkey.


Wow this is stupid. 
This will put a hurting on fish cleaning companies because who will want to waste their time just getting the sides cut off when the might as well take it home and learn how to do it. Probably also have some other negative effects that we will find out. I don't see this stopping criminals because they will be criminals no matter what even if the good guys do the right thing they still get by.


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## ReelTimeWes

boatnut said:


> I think this rule is total B.S. There needs to be some kind of petition started to voice opposition to this. I guess I can no longer clean fish at the nice facility that Bass Haven has right across the street from me! Or at least if I do clean them there, I have to then bring them back home and further process them (de-skin, zipper, etc). What a bunch of malarkey.


X2
Yes this really sucks for me. I drive 200 miles each way to fish Erie and always fish 2 to 4 days per trip. I clean the fish every day after we are finished. Fish are filleted, skinned, zippered, and cut into decent serving sizes and bagged on ice. So now all I can do is fillet them then have to do the rest when I get home. ODNR needs to concentrate on bigger problems than making it hard on the honest fishermen.

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## BFG

Well, to be honest, I am surprised it took Ohio this long to enact such regulations. I fish Lake Michigan a lot, especially on the Wisconsin side, and I have to leave the skin on the salmon fillets. Big sign right at the cleaning station clearly tells you the law. 

It adds a TON of time to our daily routine when I am there, as well as when I get home. I keep all my receipts (make sure I buy something every day, even if it is a 12 pack at the grocery store) and label my bags with their contents. I was stopped one time outside of Racine by a State Highway Patrol and he did check the contents of my cooler. He knew the regs very well. 

Since that time, I have never even blinked at the process. Yes, it sucks, but the law is the law. I really don't think there will be too much that we can do about it. My Wisconsin friends who come to fish Erie will not like it one bit, as we clean, zipper, and then package/freeze all of the fish we catch each day. 

Hate to see it, but like I said, not surprised in the least bit.


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## hearttxp

BFG said:


> Well, to be honest, I am surprised it took Ohio this long to enact such regulations. I fish Lake Michigan a lot, especially on the Wisconsin side, and I have to leave the skin on the salmon fillets. Big sign right at the cleaning station clearly tells you the law.
> 
> It adds a TON of time to our daily routine when I am there, as well as when I get home. I keep all my receipts (make sure I buy something every day, even if it is a 12 pack at the grocery store) and label my bags with their contents. I was stopped one time outside of Racine by a State Highway Patrol and he did check the contents of my cooler. He knew the regs very well.
> 
> Since that time, I have never even blinked at the process. Yes, it sucks, but the law is the law. I really don't think there will be too much that we can do about it. My Wisconsin friends who come to fish Erie will not like it one bit, as we clean, zipper, and then package/freeze all of the fish we catch each day.
> 
> Hate to see it, but like I said, not surprised in the least bit.



Very Well Put BFG !! A law is a LAW ! I would think Ohio's Highway Patrol will also be informed to help in this matter ! Not so much making random stops but with help when checking on tips where poaching And then making the stops along the highways.
I agree this law does suck but what can we do !


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## Papascott

hearttxp said:


> Very Well Put BFG !! A law is a LAW ! I would think Ohio's Highway Patrol will also be informed to help in this matter ! Not so much making random stops but with help when checking on tips where poaching And then making the stops along the highways.
> I agree this law does suck but what can we do !


Random Searches???? Are you kidding me. There would be nothing random about it. The location for one would take any randomness out of the equation. Unless they plan on stopping cars all over the state at the same enforcement levels as they do around the lake its not random. 

Let me take this a step further.

If I decide to have a fish fry at a friends house down the road. The way the law is written now I cannot leave my permant residence with any fish that has been skinned, Correct???????


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## BFG

> If I decide to have a fish fry at a friends house down the road. The way the law is written now I cannot leave my permant residence with any fish that has been skinned, Correct???????


You got it Scott, but I'm sure you would be told that is an "unfortunate circumstance to the regulation." 

Anyone who thinks that the local law enforcement is not going to be looking for this stuff is out of their minds. Especially in the spring...when jigging limits can be had in short order and many are tempted to over-bag. 

In thinking bigger picture here, it seems to me that some are taking additional steps to help safeguard the resource. To me, that hints of maybe a reduction in the TAC...and a reduction of daily limits in the near future. 

Doesn't matter...the fishing pressure will already be lower this year b/c of the fuel costs. Nobody in their right mind would run to W. Sister for 4 walleyes per guy @ $5.00/gallon.


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## Trophy catcher

This is not good news for the fish cleaning places that do a lot of walleye cleaning. These out of state visitors do not want to pay to have fish cleaned if they have to finish the job themselves at home. If I thought this would do any good I would be all for it but it sounds like just another silly law to inconvenience many law abiding citizens.


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## 21579

Papascott said:


> If I decide to have a fish fry at a friends house down the road. The way the law is written now I cannot leave my permant residence with any fish that has been skinned, Correct???????


Welcome to the new america, land of lost freedom


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## hearttxp

If I decide to have a fish fry at a friends house down the road. The way the law is written now I cannot leave my permant residence with any fish that has been skinned, Correct??????? 

I really do not think you would be ticketed Scott ! But It is a Mess I agree ! 

Last Sept ON Kelleys is we had a Perch Tourney benefit for the guy involved in the Ballast accident. The tow boat service load all the fish on the boat to take back to be cleaned at Bomba's ! When they arrrived at Shrocks DNR was there and wanting to write them a ticket ! Yes they could have did it ? Long story But charges where Dropped ! They are understanding at times !


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## Betain

All I know is with this new law they are going to force me into a life of crime, because fish fry's at the summer place or just a way of life up there. I wonder if I get enough charges if they would look into revoking my Captains Credential?

Poachers are still going to poach, I would not think twice about turning anyone in who I saw doing so. All this means is the poacher is going to have to get a little more creative with their shipping methods then just simply putting it in the cooler. Will the State Patrol use fish sniffing dogs to find that secret stash in the spare tire compartment in the trunk? Laws like this do more to hurt the law abiding sportsmen then they will ever do to someone who is knowingly breaking the law up there or anywhere in the state. 

Oh well that is enough venting it it the law and I will do everything I can to follow it when I can, but I just sucks that I will have to knowingly break it when I know in my heart I have always been a good sportsman. OGF better watch out if they have any fish fry's at a get together since they will be breaking the law when they do.


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## geneo 9

there isnt a possesion limit only a daily bag limit in Ohio---u must put date on the bag when u catch the fish each day. no more zipping fish and leave 1" skinn on filet's. So we are back at this old crapp again. skinn on walleye as been always the law in Ohio but not being enforced as it is now ! cause 2 of my friends got caught 20 yrs.ago for not having skinn on their fish. heard perch going to 25 this yr. It's going to be a tough & expensive yr. good luck fishermen.


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## hearttxp

I have Fish Fries ALL the time at my Place on the Water ! I really do not think I am what they are looking for to write tickets ! So I will not worry and will not stop my fish fries for my Friends and nehigbors at the Lake !

I think will ALL have to just stop and think who they are trying to get ? Poachers !


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## Betain

hearttxp said:


> I have Fish Fries ALL the time at my Place on the Water ! I really do not think I am what they are looking for to write tickets ! So I will not worry and will not stop my fish fries for my Friends and nehigbors at the Lake !
> 
> I think will ALL have to just stop and think who they are trying to get ? Poachers !


For some reason I got the old Dukes of Hazard theme song going through my head. Along with a movie of me being chased by the Danbury Police department as I try to make my way to the Bay side of the Peninsula in my Hyundai with a trunk full of illegal walleye contraband...... :car: :handcuffs:


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## Papascott

hearttxp said:


> I have Fish Fries ALL the time at my Place on the Water ! I really do not think I am what they are looking for to write tickets ! So I will not worry and will not stop my fish fries for my Friends and nehigbors at the Lake !
> 
> I think will ALL have to just stop and think who they are trying to get ? Poachers !


Thats the whole problem mike. You will be just as guilty breaking a law as the guy who double bags. As you said the law is the law!


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## BFG

> there isnt a possesion limit only a daily bag limit in Ohio


Yet...

Remember when Michigan aligned itself with Ohio last year in regard to daily limits? Maybe the plan is to pick and choose select regulations from each entity to make the whole system plan. 

One thing that always drove me nuts was the possession limit in Michigan. I believe you could only have one days' limit in your possession. I think that was changed to three days last year, but having thought about this a little more, perhaps that is what is coming for Ohio as well? 

I guess I'll put my tinfoil hat on now and prepare for the worst.


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## hearttxp

Papascott said:


> Thats the whole problem mike. You will be just as guilty breaking a law as the guy who double bags. As you said the law is the law!


Na Disagree Papascott ! Just a guy who has too many friends Who LOVE to eat fish ! And Drink Beer ! Think I may start another Post ? Something that might change this subject ?


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## Team Pursuit

hearttxp said:


> Na Disagree Papascott ! Just a guy who has too many friends Who LOVE to eat fish ! And Drink Beer ! Think I may start another Post ? Something that might change this subject ?


I resemble that remark, lol. How was the perch derby benifit for Don Don? Any idea how he is doing?


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## RODSABENDIN

Just say these fish are from 2011 or before!! Think they will go for that!


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## LEfriend

I agree. If true, this stinks!!!!!! The last thing I want to do is clean fish twice, once at the fish cleaning shed at the dock and then again when I get home at 10 or 11 at night to remove the remaining skin, zip them, trim them, pick the small bones, and package for freezing in serving sizes.

One could take them home to clean them but then you have the problem where to do it, and disposing of the guts. And I hate freezing with even one inch skin on...the day you cook there you are with fish slime to deal with.

This isn't going to deter the overbaggers...then time to do that is to catch them coming off the water. They just made it a royal pain for those of us that follow the rules. If they think I am over my limit all they have to do is walk up to me at the cleaning table. I am there in plain sight.

If true, they need to hear from us. Here is where to write to complain. Probably wouldn't hurt to copy the Governor too.

Chief, ODNR Division of Wildlife
2045 Morse Road, Building G
Columbus OH 43229-6693

Also can send an email to ODNR:

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/10750/default.aspx


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## FISHIN 2

I believe I could fillet a walleye and take the fillet, skin on, down to the last pull to take skin off, zipper the fillet , leaving it hooked to the skin and when home, pull fillet off skin. As long as the skin is attached to the fillet, it would still be a single fillet. Gonna try it anyhow !!


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## boatnut

LE,
thanks for the link. I think I'll fire off a letter to ODNR in the morning. (not good idea to do it now! LOL) I wish we could get some kind of "electronic" petition that everyone could send a protest letter to the ODNR via a click of the mouse. Not sure how easy it will be to overturn a law that is already in print but I can see this being a ROYAL pain in the butt for all of us "legitimate" fisherman. They are gonna make criminals out of a lot of us.


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## Papascott

When you see the limits section for Walleye and perch on Erie it says refer to 2011 regs until may first. So if checked can we tell the officer to refer to 2011 regs until may 1st?


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## BRED

I just sent them an ear full


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## jimski2

I am an "old timer" who scales his perch and walleyes. Taking the skin off wastes a lot of food. The gals who cutfish in the Canadian Fish Houses are paid on yield of fish from what the whole fish weighed before cutting, and they have mechanical scalers to do this.
My best hand scaler that I found on the internet is made with a double edged
bandsaw blade and it is as fast as the power driven, shaft drive scalers.

You are being ripped off when you pay someone to cut your fish and they do not scale the fish but skin them out.


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## Fish Scalper

Ever since we started zippering walleye and painfully removing the red meat from filets, anything short of that tastes terribly foul. I can't imangine eating a walleye with skin on. I'd rather waste a bit of meat than eat something I don't enjoy. My parents used to threaten us with that "kids are starving in China" routine so we'd clean our plates and not waste food, but that old timer sentiment doesn't taste good.


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## Double J

ReelTimeWes said:


> X2
> Yes this really sucks for me. I drive 200 miles each way to fish Erie and always fish 2 to 4 days per trip. I clean the fish every day after we are finished. Fish are filleted, skinned, zippered, and cut into decent serving sizes and bagged on ice. So now all I can do is fillet them then have to do the rest when I get home. ODNR needs to concentrate on bigger problems than making it hard on the honest fishermen.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


AMEN! I agree.I spend days at a time at the lake due to the fact i drive 1 to 2 hours to fish. If you do a week long trip who wants to have to come home and finish cleaning filets? THis wont do much to stop the poachers...only inconvenience the honest guys.my 2 cents.

Double J


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## Double J

No more trips to jolly rogers i guess! that sucks


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## Networthy

Double J said:


> No more trips to jolly rogers i guess! that sucks


This SUCKS, I have taken fish to Jolly's for about 20 years. It's the highlight of the trip, especially when taking a friend that has never been to there.


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## hearttxp

Come on Now Guys I really dont think if you walk into Jolly Rogers with 3 or 4 fillets ready to Fry you will get a Ticket ? This is alittle Far Featched ?

Please Lets write the DNR and our state Rep's and the Gov Instead of just ranting here !


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## rickerd

Even after reading the text, I think I am within the law to remove the skin or scales off a dozen walleyes and bag them on ice to take them from Catawba to my home near Cleveland as long as I have enough people in the car to justify the number of fillets. Any of you lawyers find an issue with this practice. My reasoning is, since walleye have the lowest per person daily bag limit, as long as I am meeting that criteria, I should be OK. Am I right?


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## Betain

rickerd said:


> Even after reading the text, I think I am within the law to remove the skin or scales off a dozen walleyes and bag them on ice to take them from Catawba to my home near Cleveland as long as I have enough people in the car to justify the number of fillets. Any of you lawyers find an issue with this practice. My reasoning is, since walleye have the lowest per person daily bag limit, as long as I am meeting that criteria, I should be OK. Am I right?


No if caught you could be fined, you have to leave the skin on until you reach the residence that is on your fishing license. 

I have seen a couple people who have contacted the ODNR about this and they all have clarified that the whole skin has to be left on, not just a small piece. I am not sure why they said differently at the convention but the people in the office are saying something different, I would probably play it safe and just leave it all on.


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## Fish Scalper

Applying the "Castle Doctrine" once I'm in my car, I'm home! I don't think this one will last long once challenged in court and it will be. It's not even enforceable past the boat ramp really. I can blow somebody away in my car, but not carry skinless filets? What a joke.

2901.09 No duty to retreat in residence or vehicle.
*(A) As used in this section, residence and vehicle have the same meanings as in section 2901.05 of the Revised Code.*
(B) For purposes of any section of the Revised Code that sets forth a criminal offense, a person who lawfully is in that persons residence has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense, defense of another, or defense of that persons residence, and a person who lawfully is an occupant of that persons vehicle or who lawfully is an occupant in a vehicle owned by an immediate family member of the person has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense or defense of another.


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## rod bender bob

jimski2 said:


> I am an "old timer" who scales his perch and walleyes. Taking the skin off wastes a lot of food. The gals who cutfish in the Canadian Fish Houses are paid on yield of fish from what the whole fish weighed before cutting, and they have mechanical scalers to do this.
> My best hand scaler that I found on the internet is made with a double edged
> bandsaw blade and it is as fast as the power driven, shaft drive scalers.
> 
> You are being ripped off when you pay someone to cut your fish and they do not scale the fish but skin them out.


I'm not getting ripped off because I don't like walleyes with the skin on. i like them skinned, trimmed, zipped and chunked. The waste is a piece of skin I don't want to eat.


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## 10fish

I contacted ODNR and here was the reply.

10 fish- are you saying that if I catch my limit and take them to the fish cleaner to be cleaned that I am breaking the law by bringing home filets. Also does this mean that if I vacation on the lake I cannot clean my fish until I get to my permanent home?

ODNR-The new regulations concerning fish fillets in Ohio became law on January 1, 2012. The rule requires anglers to leave the fish they catch in public waters in the round (whole) or as a complete fillet with skin attached until they reach their home. This regulation is necessary to deter over harvest of certain species of fish. Ohio was one of the only states that did not have a regulation on fillets in general. The new rule was patterned on surrounding great lakes states existing regulations. Wisconsin, Michigan, S. Dakota, Ontario, New York and of course Minnesota to name a few have similar rules on fillets. We understand that this rule is a change and may be unpopular with some, however, we have a responsibility to protect the fishing resource and this rule is one tool that will help us do that. Most fishermen are law abiding, however, there are those who disregard possession limits. This rule allows us to identify the fillets in an anglers possession so that we can determine the number and species of fish to enforce bag limits. It is impossible to monitor all the ramps and docks because there is only one Wildlife Officer assigned to each county. We depend on fishermen like you to give us information on people violating the law and we do work boat ramps and marinas based on those complaints. Please give Gino Barna a call if would like to discuss this or other questions.

Gino Barna, Law Supervisor
Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Division of Wildlife
305 East Shoreline Drive
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
419 625-8062


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## Trophy catcher

My next question is this; I have many older neighbors that I give walleye to. I skin the fish at home but they have to put them in their car or I have to drive them to their house. Guess that will be against the law. Dont we have enough laws since when walleye are being caught thats about the only fish anyone I know is transporting. If the other states jump off a bridge does that mean we have too?


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## Carpman

If they just sit at Mazuriks on a saturday afternoon they will get the majority of them. Put one patrol at every major public ramp. Then maybe our license fee will go down lol......

This is gonna be a PITA....no pun


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## BlueMax

If you are a DNR officer I would suspect you could identify a skinned walleye fillet and distinguish it from perch, steelhead, white bass, sheaphead, crappie, bluegill. Since walleye have some of the lowest limits assume all are walleye. (the only commonly caught fish with lower limits I know of are steelhead ) If an officer cannot tell the difference between a skinned walleye fillet and a skinned steelhead then they ought to try another profession.) Silly law.


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## fishinaway

ok i dont like this anymore than the rest of you, and maybe we would be breaking the law going to a fish fry, but i dont think big brother is out to get us here. if we want to preserve the fishery we have to make some sacrifices. i just think maybe we are over reacting. or atleast i hope we are over reacting


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## boatnut

the problem with comparing all the other states to Ohio, is, we are the WALLEYE CAPITAL of the WORLD! I'd venture to say there is ten times the walleyes caught during season versus any other state. This is, by far, the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. While I understand their intentions, I don't think they have thought this new law through at ALL!

To live by the letter of the law is almost unworkable , in my opinion. I'm up at the lake probably more then I am home ("permanent, legal residence"). If they come busting into my place and look in my freezer, I'm screwed! I gotta stop reading this thread as it literally raises my blood pressure to dangerous levels!

As I said before, it will make criminals out of most of us, not to mention the problem of "selective enforcement" that I can see coming. I sure hope "they" are reading these comments!


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## Fish Scalper

Like I said, it's a joke really and hardly enforceable past the ramp. As the officer who was quoted said, one guy per county so once you leave the ramp, it's done for the most part. Once you get your fish home, it's done totally as that's when you can finish cleaning them and do whatever you like, eat them, give them away, go to a fish fry with them or whatever. Doesn't say they have to be eaten at home, just stay with skin until you arrive at home. If fish cleaners bother to abide by this, it'll be because they'll have half the work for what I'm sure will be the same price.


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## boatnut

what bothers me is cases of "selective enforcement". As I said before, typically, I trailer my boat to my "non-permanent" residence , drop off the boat, throw the cooler on the golf cart with some beers and head across the road to clean them at Bass Haven. What if they are hiding in the bushes? As soon as I leave the fish cleaning house, I'm busted? What about the fish in my freezer? even though it's not, technically, my "permanent" residence, I'm there practically all season.

I'd feel a little better if we had some kind of "clarification" or "assurance" that this law won't be used to menace us "legitimate" fisherman.

I guess i'm just always a bit paranoid when there is a law that is made with the idea of punishing a select few (out of staters?) but that can also be used selectively against anyone.

OK , i'm done.


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## BlueMax

boatnut said:


> what bothers me is cases of "selective enforcement". As I said before, typically, I trailer my boat to my "non-permanent" residence , drop off the boat, throw the cooler on the golf cart with some beers and head across the road to clean them at Bass Haven. What if they are hiding in the bushes? As soon as I leave the fish cleaning house, I'm busted? What about the fish in my freezer? even though it's not, technically, my "permanent" residence, I'm there practically all season.
> 
> I'd feel a little better if we had some kind of "clarification" or "assurance" that this law won't be used to menace us "legitimate" fisherman.
> 
> I guess i'm just always a bit paranoid when there is a law that is made with the idea of punishing a select few (out of staters?) but that can also be used selectively against anyone.
> 
> OK , i'm done.


Not so quick. Sounds like time for a vodka and cranberry!


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman

I sent them an e-mail, to read this thread


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## boatnut

BlueMax said:


> Not so quick. Sounds like time for a vodka and cranberry!


I don't need no stinking cranberry, just give 'er to me on the rocks!


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## rod bender bob

hearttxp said:


> Come on Now Guys I really dont think if you walk into Jolly Rogers with 3 or 4 fillets ready to Fry you will get a Ticket ? This is alittle Far Featched ?
> 
> Please Lets write the DNR and our state Rep's and the Gov Instead of just ranting here !


Why would you assume that the officer wouldn't go with the letter of the law, that's been my experience.


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## Bassnpro1

If you plan to eat fish at a rental place(not your permanent residence) would you have to eat it with the skin on to be legal? I couldn't clean them up and fry them that night if I am staying at a cabin?


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## eyesman_01

I'm not liking the label "Out of Stater" as insinuated by some in this post. As an Indiana resident, I drive 3 hours to get to my regular launch site, longer later in the season. And like most of you, I am a law abiding fisherman who spends a few days at a time at the lake. Am I to understand I will have to make "day-trips" from now on, driving 3 hours back home EACH DAY with skin on filets to stay within the letter of the law? So sorry, not worth my time and gas to make the trip. Let's see how many of your businesses relying on the "Out of Stater" tourist trade to make a living continue to survive. I'm against poaching on Lake Erie as much as I am in my local deer woods, but this is not the way to accomplish it. I've never had more fish in posession than daily receipts of local businesses as previously required. I've already got my first trip to the lake planned for this year. And if this law stands true, it will be my last.


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## jimski2

The way I see things here is you will have to gut and take the gills off the fish, ice them down till you get home where you can clean them the way you want them.


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## Kodiak50

Nope, mine will be filleted skin on and carcass left at Fenwick's cleaning station.


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## wakina

eyesman_01 said:


> I'm not liking the label "Out of Stater" as insinuated by some in this post. As an Indiana resident, I drive 3 hours to get to my regular launch site, longer later in the season. And like most of you, I am a law abiding fisherman who spends a few days at a time at the lake. Am I to understand I will have to make "day-trips" from now on, driving 3 hours back home EACH DAY with skin on filets to stay within the letter of the law? So sorry, not worth my time and gas to make the trip. Let's see how many of your businesses relying on the "Out of Stater" tourist trade to make a living continue to survive. I'm against poaching on Lake Erie as much as I am in my local deer woods, but this is not the way to accomplish it. I've never had more fish in posession than daily receipts of local businesses as previously required. I've already got my first trip to the lake planned for this year. And if this law stands true, it will be my last.


I am in agreement with you. Being from Ohio does not make a person any more honest or ethical than those from other States! Percent wise (per 100 fishermen) there are probably more out of State overbaggers simply because there are fewer out of state fishermen than resident fishermen. Sure there are those out of staters who travel to Ohio just to overbag and fill their freezers and they probably do the same thing in there home states, maybe not walleyes or small mouth bass but ducks, deer and other species of fish. We have our share of unethical fishermen and hunters in Ohio also who over bag and poach game.


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## Hardtop

This is just one more example of ODNR choosing to make arrests easier for their WO's, at the cost of the law abiding guys who pay their wages. They can cry about saving the fishery all they want.....if they were true wildlife professional they would follow the examples of these "other states" they refer to and protect spawning fish too. But not here....its all about "whoring" our ever dwendling fish populations out to try and draw in out of state dollars and then tightening the screws with increasing regulations to rake in even more dollars at the ramps. For decades, we were able to catch as many perch as we wanted to clean,and they population was never in question. Now we have tight limits, and have to leave the skin on the few we are allowed to keep..... and they think this is wildlife management...? What's next.......keeping a deer alive until you get it home to your "residence" so that it is easier for them to know when/how you shot it.?
Where else in criminal law does one have to "prove your innocence" at every turn.....ODNR assumes we are all guilty, and if you can't prove innocence on the spot, you get a ticket. How many here have stories about "warnings" being issued....? Don't think so, and this lack of leway comes from an organization which is being prosecuted for unethical practices from the top down as we speak. OK for them to bend the rules to help their buddies, but they slap Dad & the family with a ticket for one extra perch or a walleye that is 14 7/8" long. Untill guys start challenging these silly "laws" they will keep making them. And no.........I have never recieved a ticket, just tired of this wild west, take em' down mentality at our expense. HT


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## ReelTimeWes

Hardtop said:


> This is just one more example of ODNR choosing to make arrests easier for their WO's, at the cost of the law abiding guys who pay their wages. They can cry about saving the fishery all they want.....if they were true wildlife professional they would follow the examples of these "other states" they refer to and protect spawning fish too. But not here....its all about "whoring" our ever dwendling fish populations out to try and draw in out of state dollars and then tightening the screws with increasing regulations to rake in even more dollars at the ramps. For decades, we were able to catch as many perch as we wanted to clean,and they population was never in question. Now we have tight limits, and have to leave the skin on the few we are allowed to keep..... and they think this is wildlife management...? What's next.......keeping a deer alive until you get it home to your "residence" so that it is easier for them to know when/how you shot it.?
> Where else in criminal law does one have to "prove your innocence" at every turn.....ODNR assumes we are all guilty, and if you can't prove innocence on the spot, you get a ticket. How many here have stories about "warnings" being issued....? Don't think so, and this lack of leway comes from an organization which is being prosecuted for unethical practices from the top down as we speak. OK for them to bend the rules to help their buddies, but they slap Dad & the family with a ticket for one extra perch or a walleye that is 14 7/8" long. Untill guys start challenging these silly "laws" they will keep making them. And no.........I have never recieved a ticket, just tired of this wild west, take em' down mentality at our expense. HT


AMEN AMEN & AMEN! Preach it brother!!!!!!


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## Spawnwalker

Hardtop said:


> This is just one more example of ODNR choosing to make arrests easier for their WO's, at the cost of the law abiding guys who pay their wages. They can cry about saving the fishery all they want.....if they were true wildlife professional they would follow the examples of these "other states" they refer to and protect spawning fish too. But not here....its all about "whoring" our ever dwendling fish populations out to try and draw in out of state dollars and then tightening the screws with increasing regulations to rake in even more dollars at the ramps. For decades, we were able to catch as many perch as we wanted to clean,and they population was never in question. Now we have tight limits, and have to leave the skin on the few we are allowed to keep..... and they think this is wildlife management...? What's next.......keeping a deer alive until you get it home to your "residence" so that it is easier for them to know when/how you shot it.?
> Where else in criminal law does one have to "prove your innocence" at every turn.....ODNR assumes we are all guilty, and if you can't prove innocence on the spot, you get a ticket. How many here have stories about "warnings" being issued....? Don't think so, and this lack of leway comes from an organization which is being prosecuted for unethical practices from the top down as we speak. OK for them to bend the rules to help their buddies, but they slap Dad & the family with a ticket for one extra perch or a walleye that is 14 7/8" long. Untill guys start challenging these silly "laws" they will keep making them. And no.........I have never recieved a ticket, just tired of this wild west, take em' down mentality at our expense. HT


Couldn't have said it any better.


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## Papascott

What scares me is according to the response posted earlier this has been law since Jan 1st. This is the first most of us heard of it. I know i'm already guilty of breaking it with the fish w caught in February. 

Im not sure why out of state guys keep coming up? Are there really that many poachers from other states on Erie?


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## Double J

I have a good friend from ne ohio that would take a yearly trip to fish canada until it got so bad with rediculous laws and WO's harassing them and constantly rummaging through their camp for no reason that they quit going and made lake erie their yearly destination.which direction are we heading?? I agree the state is gonna kill the revenue to the people who make their living off of fisherman.too much government isnt always good.

They didnt think this threw when they came up with this law.It is really gonna affect a lot of people,especially us fisherman who dont live at the lake. After i fish i like to clean em up and bag for the freezer in the condition fit for cooking.

If i'm gone for 4 days at the lake fishing explain how legally this can be done.I do not want to freeze my fish with the skin!!! Yuck!!!! None of us wants to break the law,(if we didnt care we wouldnt be typing here)but I feel they are forcing us to.


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## BRED

We quit going to Minn. for these reasons.


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## Mcfish

I am blessed to be able to come to your wonderful state every year and spend my vacations on the Islands. I also feel blessed to be able to bring home walleye and perch fillets that my family can enjoy. 

With that said, the thought of having to package and freeze my perch fillets in such a way that they can be easily identified and counted makes me dizzy. 

And the thought of leaving the entire skin on my walleye fillet and then freezing them is just gross. Why can't an inch of skin work?

ODNR, please remember that many out of staters must freeze their catch for the return trip home. These rules make that very difficult.

I quit going to Canada in the late '90's because I felt that I was constantly being treated as a possible criminal. I hate to say it, but these rules have the same tone to them.

These rules stink worse than having to skin/trim a defrosted walleye fillet. 

Sorry for the rant guys. I'll be sending this to the linked address also.


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## wakina

Papascott said:


> What scares me is according to the response posted earlier this has been law since Jan 1st. This is the first most of us heard of it. I know i'm already guilty of breaking it with the fish w caught in February.
> 
> Im not sure why out of state guys keep coming up? Are there really that many poachers from other states on Erie?


First I knew of it was seeing it in the new regulations when I bought my new licence. The old regs were supposedly in effect until March First.


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## Hardtop

We may have stumbled onto a solution to this new playground rule.... My guess is that "homeless" folks can still fork over their money for a fishing license...ODNR can't deny them the right to fish just because they don't have a roof over their heads right...!. If we all claim homlesness on our license, we would be exempt from this new silly rule, because we wouldn't have a "permanent residence" as stated in the language, and thus be able to actually clean our fish and have them in possession on the street....... ( our home )......Let's get this rolling........HT


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## wakina

Hardtop said:


> We may have stumbled onto a solution to this new playground rule.... My guess is that "homeless" folks can still fork over their money for a fishing license...ODNR can't deny them the right to fish just because they don't have a roof over their heads right...!. If we all claim homlesness on our license, we would be exempt from this new silly rule, because we wouldn't have a "permanent residence" as stated in the language, and thus be able to actually clean our fish and have them in possession on the street....... ( our home )......Let's get this rolling........HT


LOL: I spit coffee all over my key board. Good one!


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## Fish Scalper

Doesn't our passport establish our "Permanent Residence" to be The United States of America? Doesn't have an address in it, just place of birth. Keep it in the car, might be a technical out in court!


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## BFG

> Am I to understand I will have to make "day-trips" from now on, driving 3 hours back home EACH DAY with skin on filets to stay within the letter of the law?


Why would you do this? You can keep your daily limit for each day in your possession for the number of days that you fish. If you freeze them, it'll have to be done with the skin on them, and the fillet must be intact (i.e. not zippered or chunked). 

I can't imagine how in the world the fish cleaning houses are going to get around this obstacle. Charter clientele (who typically do not fish) are going to LOVE the idea of having to skin their fish once they get home. It'll cut the amount of work down for them, that is for sure. 

However; having thought about this a bit more...

I have frozen salmon fillets with the skin on them for years, and I cannot taste the difference one bit. Same goes for perch..they always have the skin on them. No difference in taste. Why would a walleye be any different than a king salmon, coho salmon, lake trout, or steelhead?


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## Gut Hook

This has so many absurdities it's hard to know where to start!

I know quite a few guys who have ZERO knowledge of the process between catching a walleye (which they love to do) and then eating the walleye (which they also love to do.)

So these charters are going to just start sending their clients home with half-cleaned fish? Just what are these guys (who couldn't clean a fish if they had to) supposed to do with a bag of skin-on filets with bones down the center and that red nasty meat still intact just below the skin?

Am I supposed to believe the DNR guy can NOT tell the difference between a walleye and a catfish? 

Throw in the high gas prices and it's the double whammy. I'll hit the reefs a few times with a full boat of guys, pound our limit and drag them, whole, back to Indiana over the next month or so - then shut it down. That's about it. 

Lake Erie - thanks for the memories!


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## 2CatchEyes

What about the Cheeks. Do we now need to leave the Cheek Meat attached to the head until we are Home???? I guess we can make Fishhead soup!


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## Betain

BFG said:


> However; having thought about this a bit more...
> 
> I have frozen salmon fillets with the skin on them for years, and I cannot taste the difference one bit. Same goes for perch..they always have the skin on them. No difference in taste. Why would a walleye be any different than a king salmon, coho salmon, lake trout, or steelhead?


Salmon has a very strong oil content and already has a much stronger taste (a good one in my eyes) that can overcome just about anything else. Plus salmon skin is pretty tasty when grilled up or pan fried since it crisps up so nicely. Perch are a lot smaller and don't have a lot if any of that red meat between the skin and the meat so they normally taste just fine. 

I would think smaller walleye would be just fine as well with the skin on but it is those larger ones and the ones you catch in colder weather (spring and fall when they are putting on weight) that would come into question. When removing the skin there always seems to be quite a bit of that red meat that has the really strong flavor to it. That is the part a lot of people want to remove, walleye is prized by a lot of people for its neutral un-fishy taste, by leaving that red meat on there you could be turning people off from the fish.

Now I have never left that red meat on for any length of time or frozen filets with it still one so I don't know if any of that strong flavor would linger on the meat or not. Either way like mentioned here there are a lot of people who are intimidated by any part of the cleaning process. Asking them to take the fish home and remove the skin, red meat, zipper bones and then portion it may be asking too much. It cold eventually hurt the tourism related to fishing in the long run. 

I am with some on here, I stopped going to Ontario to fish because of all the rules and they where not as extreme as what is being proposed here. I remember it being a small piece of skin there not the whole side of it. I really do miss those fly in trips, the pike/musky fishing was incredible and we survived on walleye for pretty much 2 meals a day.


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## Fish Scalper

People who wish to be compliant with this will want to start bleeding their Walleye if they weren't doing it previously.


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## Gut Hook

So if I am camping at Fenwick - and want to clean the fish for a fish fry - at what point is it legal for me to take the skin off since my "permanent residence" is in Indiana. 

See - the problem here is not "what they intend" to encourage. It's not up to us to assume the true goal of the regulation and do what we think falls under that end goal. 

If the written law states "whole with skin on until you reach your permanent residence" - then dragging a bag of chunked up filets w/o skin through the campground is indeed an absolute, 100% violation of that law.

This is BS.


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## rickerd

McFish,
Whatever you've got to say, keep posting.



I think I am reading between the lines of this new law. The state wants to prevent us from freezing walleye. This way we will take less fish from the lake.


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## 10fish

Gino Barna, Law Supervisor
Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Division of Wildlife
305 East Shoreline Drive
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
419 625-8062


Is there a lawyer in the group that can put together a petition to repeal / modify this? 

We need to get this silly "rule" corrected before the money grab starts. Once they start stinging people with tickets the taste of revenue will be hard for them to forget.


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## boatnut

10fish said:


> Gino Barna, Law Supervisor
> Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit
> Ohio Department of Natural Resources
> Division of Wildlife
> 305 East Shoreline Drive
> Sandusky, Ohio 44870
> 419 625-8062
> 
> 
> Is there a lawyer in the group that can put together a petition to repeal / modify this?
> 
> We need to get this silly "rule" corrected before the money grab starts. Once they start stinging people with tickets the taste of revenue will be hard for them to forget.


if you google "petitions online" there will be several links like this one-

http://www.petitiononline.com/ I'm not that good at legalese but if someone wants to head it up, I will do whatever I can to help.


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## BFG

I'll play devil's advocate here...since I have friends from Wisconsin who come here every year in June to fish for 4 days. 

We clean, zip, vacuum seal, and bag all of the fish on the same day that they are caught. Depending on the size of the fish, we may chunk them up to conserve bag space. 

Now...just how would a CO be able to enforce any and all daily bag limits were he to inspect the small freezer that my friends put in the hotel room? There is no way in hell he could do it...as each bag has a little of this, and a little of that (piece-wise) in it. 

In a sense, the CO would have to prove otherwise, and there was no way that he could prove otherwise b/c of the manner by which the fish had been processed and frozen. 

I don't like the regulation, but I sure can see its point to some degree. Anyone with more than 6 fish in their possession could chunk and dunk and laugh and say "well, they were pigs man...wouldn't fit in the bag....blah blah blah..." 

I have three good friends that are charter captains on lake michigan, and each of them sends their clientele home with skin-on fillets. Nobody complains, and if they ask about it, they are told that is the law. In fact, the regulation is clearly posted at the fish cleaning stations on the Wisconsin side. 

So I guess I'll freeze 'em skin-side on from now on and will skin 'em and zipper 'em when the time comes.


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## Muskarp

So how do people in Wisconsin go about eating fish in campgrounds? 

This thread needs moved to the lounge because it effects the entire State (of confusion), not just Erie and not just 'eyes.

Anybody in any campground around the state could potentially be charged if in possession of skinned fillets of bluegill, cat, crappie....whatever!
At first I felt you guys were overreacting. But this law makes eating fish before returning to your "permenant residence" illegal.

If Joe Piedmont Ranger walks by your camp and sees a bag with ten skinned fillets of smallmouth dredged in Ande's red waiting for the oil to heat. Your wrong! 

Actually, that is kinda wrong.


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## Bassnpro1

If you are camping you would have to cook the fish with the skin on. The second you remove it and your not home, you are breaking the law. Even if your intentions are to cook them immediately. 


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## NorthSouthOhioFisherman

I heard from good sources today that the official word at saturdays meeting is a 1in by 1in square. 

I thought the whole fish was a dumb idea but a 1in square won't be too bad and the fish cleaning companies will still be able to do their job!


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## Bigfisherman

Ok people get real every other state around here has the same law.I don't know about you but I've been eating skin on perch for years and I also leave skin on walleye to grill them taste wise i see no difference.wait till you go to the fish cleaning houses and they charge extra because they have to leave skin on your fish. All you have to do is just obey the law and yes i don't like it either but i love to fish!!!!!!!


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## rod bender bob

Bigfisherman said:


> Ok people get real every other state around here has the same law.I don't know about you but I've been eating skin on perch for years and I also leave skin on walleye to grill them taste wise i see no difference.wait till you go to the fish cleaning houses and they charge extra because they have to leave skin on your fish. All you have to do is just obey the law and yes i don't like it either but i love to fish!!!!!!!



Yeah, what the heck bending over is easy, right?


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## Muskarp

Bigfisherman said:


> Ok people get real every other state around here has the same law.


This is from PA


> FIELD DRESSING AND DISPOSAL OF FISH &#8211; It is unlawful to possess a fish in any form or condition other than in the whole or having the entrails removed while on shore, along the waters of the Commonwealth, onboard a boat or on a dock, pier, launch area or parking lot adjacent thereto. Fish may be processed fully if they are being prepared for immediate consumption on site. This does not apply to fish processed at a fish cleaning station officially recognized by the Commission or by a permitted charter boat/fishing guide operation.


To me, the PA version means you can't clean fish as you catch them and throw them in a cooler. I don't see anything about keeping skin on until getting to your "permanent residence". And it has exemptions for fish eaten on site and cleaning areas. That's not really the same.


This is from WI: It is illegal 


> to transport fish subject to a length limit, unless you leave the skin and scales intact (on the fish); the heads and tails can&#8217;t be removed unless the dressed fish or fillets meet the minimum length limit


.

So, if your fillets do not exceed the length limit you have to leave the head or tail or both, however much it takes to reach legal length, on the fish to legally transport it. 
This is crazy overrestriction. If I catch some 15.25" eyes ice fishing an impoundment with a 15" limit. To legally transport them to my friends 4th of July party, 6 months later, I would have to keep the head and tail, and the skin and scales, on the entire storage time. That's just rediculous. Now they may never really enforce it that bad. But I'm sure if Barney's in a bad enough mood he could. So, why take a chance. We need to keep our State from sliding down this slippery slope. Stop writing vague laws then allowing each officer to interpret it the way they feel. Maybe LE law enforcement will cut you big charter captains a break because you rub elbows with Gino. But what about Cletus down in Clermont County. Is he going to be shown the same leniency?


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## Bad Bub

Muskarp said:


> This is from PA
> 
> 
> To me this just pretty much means you can't clean fish as you catch them and throw them in a cooler. I don't see anything about keeping skin on until getting to your "permanent residence". And it has exemptions for fish eaten on site and cleaning areas. That's not really the same.


This was also my interpretation when i first heard the ohio changes. They basically want to be able to count them before you leave the body of water your fishing.

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## hearttxp

NorthSouthOhioFisherman said:


> I heard from good sources today that the official word at saturdays meeting is a 1in by 1in square.
> 
> I thought the whole fish was a dumb idea but a 1in square won't be too bad and the fish cleaning companies will still be able to do their job!


Johhny I mentioned this early in the Thread But a few said it doesnt say it in the Law ? BUT Yes that was agreeded on BY Gino and LECBA !! The Law may or maynot be changed to reflect it ? 

But that is what I will be doing ! So If some one wants to turn me in ? Go a head !


----------



## Spawnwalker

If it does end up being a 1" by 1" piece, I will find a way to clean them so that the anus is what they see. :Banane19: Then I'll call someone to bail me out.


----------



## rod bender bob

hearttxp said:


> Johhny I mentioned this early in the Thread But a few said it doesnt say it in the Law ? BUT Yes that was agreeded on BY Gino and LECBA !! The Law may or maynot be changed to reflect it ?
> 
> But that is what I will be doing ! So If some one wants to turn me in ? Go a head !


So Mike, are you saying the law says one thing but the head of enforcement told the LECBA they can do it another way?


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## Fish Scalper

Ya, seems like it would be total BS since it's not aimed at Lake Erie, but applies to all fish caught in Ohio. What's the LECBA got to do with the Ohio River for example? 

I once went through a local orientation briefing down at Little Rock Air Force Base. Local sherriff of the dry county the base was in the middle of said we were free to come on outside the base with all the booze we wanted as long as we were going straight home. Yet everyone who got pulled over on a traffic stop with booze in the car end up in his pokey. Maybe Joe Bob and Gino have the same approach!


----------



## Betain

rod bender bob said:


> So Mike, are you saying the law says one thing but the head of enforcement told the LECBA they can do it another way?


Supposedly there was some middle ground negotiated and when first announced at the Captains Convention it was announced that a 1 inch square would be enough after people started getting excited. But some time later in the meeting when asked to clarify he back tracked and said no all the skin must be left on which caused even more confusion. I heard that report from multiple different sources.

So a few people have contacted the ODNR about this rule asking for clarification and they where all told that the entire skin would have to be left on. I don't know if the 1 inch square is a new amendment to the rule and the details have not been spread throughout the state (this is a state wide rule by the way) or if they just said the 1 inch as a way to settle everybody down before it had the chance to get too ugly.

I guess we will find out this year when the first member posts with the details of them being searched and or fined. I really highly doubt too many ODNR officers will go to crazy with this and I hope they use a little common sense with it before handing out fines. I know most of the ones I have meet up in Erie have been really nice and just as passionate about fishing as any of us. On the contrary I have come across a few in my travels at other waterways that seemed more bored with their jobs and looking for a little excitement, those are the ones I wold be worried about.


----------



## Hardtop

"I really doubt that any WO's will go crazy with this & hope they will use a little common sense before handing out fines........" Excuse me....you know we are talking about Ohio here right.....? Common sense, friendly warnings are the things regular law enforcement guys do when you are caught going 68 in a 65mph zone. I don't think I have ever heard of a WO giving a "warning" or dismissing any fraction of a violation, that don't pay the bills.... As others have mentioned here, "selective enforcement" is the worst possible policy. They should use the "common sense" when they structure the regulations to be fair and customer/resource friendly and then enforce them to the letter. Nothing worse than one officer saying this is OK and the next writing you a ticket for the same mild violation.


----------



## hearttxp

rod bender bob said:


> So Mike, are you saying the law says one thing but the head of enforcement told the LECBA they can do it another way?


YES HE DID ! All 200 that where at the meeting ? Well a few may have left when they said it ! Now Do not call the office and ask them Unless you are talking to GINO BARNA !


----------



## BFG

> I guess we will find out this year when the first member posts with the details of them being searched and or fined. I really highly doubt too many ODNR officers will go to crazy with this and I hope they use a little common sense with it before handing out fines.


Lots of Michigan anglers thought the same thing about needing a receipt to show when and where they purchased their minnows....and learned the hard way.


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## eyesman_01

Everyone seems to be in an uproar about leaving the skin on the walleye, where my concern is when living 3 hours away from my favorite fishing grounds, they are limiting my "posession limit" to one day's limit. So my 3 or 4 day fishing trip this spring means I can go home with only 4 fish at the end of my trip? I can live with skin on til I get home, but not if a $300 trip only nets me 4 fish in my freezer. I'm an "out-of-stater", but all "out-of-towners" need to be thinking about this also. The Lake Erie local businesses need to get involved in this, because this will have a direct impact on their livelyhood. Your coastal communities which thrive on the tourists trade of fishermen, will turn into ghost towns without the rescources we bring in. These lawmakers are not looking at the whole picture it seems.


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## jimski2

With the price of gasoline and travel costs, the daily limits are out of sync for access to harvesting our fish as a food resource. The dependency on the recreational fishery for license sales will be impacted when people give up on distant trips. Possibly seasonal limits can be implimented to monitor a safe harvest level.


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## Gut Hook

Is there a new rule for possession limits. If so I've missed that. I thought this was only that the filets now need to be whole and have the skin on. Can someone clarify this? I am also an out of stater. 

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----------



## Fish Scalper

At the MOWC meeting last night, the local Wildlife officer echoed some of what has been relayed here about only needing a 1 inch piece of skin. Said the goal was basically to keep us from chunking up fish as it makes it difficult to count. Clearly said there is no possesion law. And for the folks in the crowd that had camps on the lake, cleaning fish at camp is the same as being at a permanent residence. He asked how many times anyone had been asked to open a cooler past the boat ramp or public area? Nobody had. He said commone sense will prevail and that one officer per county can only do so much. Basically summed it up to say the aim is to be able identify what a person has without doing jigsaw puzzles with pieces of fish.


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## rpbmd

Getting progressively more confused reading these messages. Understand that the skin has to be left on filets. Big question is about the possession limit...is it definitive that you can only have one day limit even if you stay multiple days and have frozen fish filets in your camper freezer? As someone who drives over 400 miles to fish Erie it would hardly be worth coming to go home with one day's limit. I hope that the Ohio bureacrats are not so short-sighted in considering all economic factors.


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## hearttxp

rpbmd said:


> Getting progressively more confused reading these messages. Understand that the skin has to be left on filets. Big question is about the possession limit...is it definitive that you can only have one day limit even if you stay multiple days and have frozen fish filets in your camper freezer? As someone who drives over 400 miles to fish Erie it would hardly be worth coming to go home with one day's limit. I hope that the Ohio bureacrats are not so short-sighted in considering all economic factors.


NO NO People ! BUT be aware this is being done to control People who got out two and three times a day. If your staying here from out of state you best have fish with some skin on and Label with the date you caught. so if checked they will know when they where caught .


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## Papascott

If how that's the way it will be enforced. The only draw back I can see with the regs this way is the need for more zip lock bags. 

It just stinks that what they are saying verbally doesn't march with what's written.


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## Muskarp

Papascott said:


> It just stinks that what they are saying verbally doesn't march with what's written.


Agreed! 

Plus, how are these regulations going to stop people from double bagging.

You catch a limit Monday. Eat it Monday night. Catch a limit Tuesday morning. Bag it. Date it Monday. Throw it in the freezer. Go back out and get a second limit. Eat it Tuesday night. Go out Wednesday morning catch a limit. Bag it. Date it Tuesday. Go back out and catch Wednesdays limit. When you check my cooler as I leave there are three days limit bagged and legal. So unless you actually caught me out there double bagging Tuesday and Wednesday it all looks peachy.

If your camp is considered your "permenant residence" then once I get to the campground this law expires. Yeah, Right! How are they going to catch out-of-towners with a double-triple bag if they do not check coolers at hotels or campgrounds. You guys are being fed a bunch of wishy wash to misdirect you. This rule has every intent to check traveling boats leaving the area. And deal out fines accordingly.


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## viper1

Fish Scalper said:


> Applying the "Castle Doctrine" once I'm in my car, I'm home! I don't think this one will last long once challenged in court and it will be. It's not even enforceable past the boat ramp really. I can blow somebody away in my car, but not carry skinless filets? What a joke.
> 
> 2901.09 No duty to retreat in residence or vehicle.
> *(A) As used in this section, residence and vehicle have the same meanings as in section 2901.05 of the Revised Code.*
> (B) For purposes of any section of the Revised Code that sets forth a criminal offense, a person who lawfully is in that persons residence has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense, defense of another, or defense of that persons residence, and a person who lawfully is an occupant of that persons vehicle or who lawfully is an occupant in a vehicle owned by an immediate family member of the person has no duty to retreat before using force in self-defense or defense of another.


THe key to that is it's talking about CCW and it says the same. "as used in this section" But for any thing else, home is a postal address. Cant say I like the new law but it's not that big of a deal to someone who can fillet. Only problem I have is I have a dock at Erie and can park my motor home there with out charge. So if I freeze my fish for multiple days then i'll have to wait till thawed to filet the skin. No biggie though. Also since they have to be frozen in a way to see ,count and identify I will have to freeze on a try singly then into a bag so they will come out that way. Now also need proof of staying and i don't get a recite so they may give me a problem there. but a hotel or campground just use your recites. Also any one thats likes to grill fish or smoke skin on is best.


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## eyesman_01

I don't want to trust the "interpreted" version. I want to see in black and white what these people expect from me.


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## I'm G'na Ms Her

Acording to Wakina, the new rule reads...It is illegal to possess fish in any form other than whole or cut
into complete fillets with skin attached when fishing from shore,
or a boat, or unloading fish from a boat on any waters where a
fishing license is required until the angler reaches their permanent
residence. It is legal to transport fish whole or as fillets with
the skin attached while returning from the Lake Erie Islands on a
commercial ferry boat. Frozen fish must be transported in a way
the fillets can be easily identified and counted. 


As I read this, it says SKIN ATTACHED. What I usually do in Canada is peel the skin back but leave it attached for the last inch or so. When I get home and thaw the fish out, I then finish the skinning process. Relatively painless and doesn't take much time. 

Also, there may be a legal "loophole" here. When you read the language, it says...
"...It is illegal to possess fish in any form other than whole or cut
into complete fillets with skin attached when fishing from shore,
or a boat, or unloading fish from a boat on any waters where a
fishing license is required until the angler reaches their permanent
residence..."
It could be argued that this only applies "...when fishing from shore,
or a boat, or unloading fish from a boat ... Once you are done fishing from a shore, boat, or unloading fish from a boat, it no longer applies. Someone's going to have to get busted and challenge this in Court before we find out what it means.

As to the suggestion of an attorney putting togehter a petition, when I'm not fishing or otherwise playing, I'm a lawyer and I'd be willing to help but my past experiences with DNR is that once they've made up their mind, a petition won't do any good, just show them a lot of people don't like their rule. It's more important to try to reach the right people in the DNR to get them on our side by convincing them the rule needs to be rewritten/clarified.


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## hearttxp

I really DO not think this new Law will go away ? It maybe changed to have` the 1" Sq piece of skin But fillets still must be in the whole ! 

I knew about This law Last June Or July and heard it was coming ! 

We Will have To lIve with this I think !


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## eyesman_01

Ok, I read it wrong... whole or complete fillets with skin on *UNTIL* the angler reaches their permanent residence. I can live with that. But I fillet my own fish. I can see how others might object though. And I can see where the "grey area" can obscure the black and white as far as interpretation.


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## JimmyZ

Wonder how many guys down on the Maumme and Sandusky river are gonna get busted for this? Spring walleye fishing is nothing more than a meat harvest. People don't do it for the fun or the sport, it's all about we got a 6 guy limit everyday we were there with tons of pigs. Or worse, we double tripped everyday and didn't get caught. 


Maybe this upcoming waterfowl season Ill clean all my birds in the feild, then cube up all the duck breast, fill a gallon bag full of breast by myself and claim it's only 6 ducks. Of course I can only kill 4 mallards, only 1 of which may be a hen, 3 wood ducks, 1 black duck, 2 pintail. etc. When the warden ask me what speicies I shot I can just say all gadwalls. They were all pigs lol. 

Next there will be a LAW ON THE BOOKS , that says all migratory birds being transported must have one fully feathered wing attatched. . I know it's different though right? This is fish and that's ducks. I bet that law sure saves a lot of ducks life, especially the hens that are the duck factorys.

You feel your ox is getting goured on this one. Other outdoor activities have rules in place for the protection of the resource. If you like to fish, especially erie, come fish and have fun, if you are coming only for the meat, stop at the local market and pick some up. With gas prices it would probably be cheaper. 

I know I was being a smart*** . Just trying to make a point.

PS. local grocery store seafood display case always have walleye fillets with skin on.


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## BlueMax

I know this is an important topic but who has that picture of that dead horse being beaten?


----------



## Spawnwalker

Is this the one?


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## hearttxp

BlueMax said:


> I know this is an important topic but who has that picture of that dead horse being beaten?


Yep MODS shut it down ! I think its Over ? almost 8200 views !


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## Fish Scalper

I don't see any reason to shut this down, unless you start a new thread as a sticky to log "Skin On Reports."  As we start to fish more and interact with the ODNR, it may prove helpful to post our experiences, to see how the law is being applied or not applied.


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## Gut Hook

8200 views tells me it's a pretty popular topic. Frankly I've enjoyed the discussion and have learned a few things.

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----------



## BRED

I haven't scaled fish in 40 years.This will make a mess at the fish cleaning station at the resorts ,will they put up with that?This adds another question,could the resort,campground,motel be viewed as residence?I could deal with this if could skin them and leave them whole and countable.


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## Lundy

I plan on calling to ask some questions.

I can't help but feel a little upset when a regulation is put in place to supposedly help protect a resource and it's largest impact is on the very people that already protect the resource everyday.

The vast majority of fisherman are honest and follow the rules. A small minority is not. This new regulation is put in place to address concerns with this small minority, yet effects us all equally.

I am and always have been a strong and vocal supporter of the DNR, but this one I do not agree with at all.

If the problem is some fisherman over bagging then deal with those fisherman. This new regulation is an absolute admission of failure on the DNR's part to be able to handle that problem specifically. 

I don't really care what the other states around us and in MN have for their regulations. That is an extremely weak reason to enact this regulation. The ODNR manages the Ohio resources, not Minnesota, or Michigan, or anyone else.

I have called to report violations 3 different times at Erie in the last few years and once reported over harvest at the ramp, at Turtle Creek, to an officer, that was standing 20 ft away with his back turned checking the boat in the next lane over, from one guy in his out of state boat chucking walleye out of his livewell and back into the water at the ramp. Nothing happened in any of these instances. ODNR, I try to help you!!!! and so do the majority of the fishermen in this state!

The problem is with some, small number, of fisherman that intentionally violate the laws. The ODNR is responsible to address that problem and should do so without putting the burden of further constraints on the majority of law abiding responsible fisherman in this state.

ODNR, please just do your job. We will help you if you let us, but this is not the way!


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## boatnut

Lundy said:


> I plan on calling to ask some questions.
> 
> I can't help but feel a little upset when a regulation is put in place to supposedly help protect a resource and it's largest impact is on the very people that already protect the resource everyday.
> 
> The vast majority of fisherman are honest and follow the rules. A small minority is not. This new regulation is put in place to address concerns with this small minority, yet effects us all equally.
> 
> I am and always have been a strong and vocal supporter of the DNR, but this one I do not agree with at all.
> 
> If the problem is some fisherman over bagging then deal with those fisherman. This new regulation is an absolute admission of failure on the DNR's part to be able to handle that problem specifically.
> 
> I don't really care what the other states around us and in MN have for their regulations. That is an extremely weak reason to enact this regulation. The ODNR manages the Ohio resources, not Minnesota, or Michigan, or anyone else.
> 
> I have called to report violations 3 different times at Erie in the last few years and once reported over harvest at the ramp, at Turtle Creek, to an officer, that was standing 20 ft away with his back turned checking the boat in the next lane over, from one guy in his out of state boat chucking walleye out of his livewell and back into the water at the ramp. Nothing happened in any of these instances. ODNR, I try to help you!!!! and so do the majority of the fishermen in this state!
> 
> The problem is with some, small number, of fisherman that intentionally violate the laws. The ODNR is responsible to address that problem and should do so without putting the burden of further constraints on the majority of law abiding responsible fisherman in this state.
> 
> ODNR, please just do your job. We will help you if you let us, but this is not the way!


Kim,
you nailed it, IMO. Best post yet! I just hope they are listening!


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## eyesman_01

AMEN!!! Where's that "LIKE" button when you need it!!! LOL


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## Muskarp

Whatever happened to rule changes being written in red?


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## cw261

Lundy-

Well said - I'm sure there are many of us that would be interested in some clarification if you are able to reach someone at the ODNR.


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## BFG

My friends from Wisconsin claim that they leave the fillets whole, with a skin patch on them, then zip and finish off prior to cooking, with zero issues.


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## Gottagofishn

Generally I'm up to the lake frequently and of course I bring the fish home and re clean the fish if I have them cleaned anyway....so that's not a problem. However, I do come up there and spend a week on the Island ever year as I have for the last 25 or so and when I do after fishing all day I like to come in, filet, zipper clean, dry and vacuum pack all the fish. At the end of the week we go home split the frozen packages and toss them in the freezer until it's fryer time. 
For me the biggest PITA would be packing them without cutting them into pieces. Those vacuum bags are only so big. 
It's just the wife and I (except fish fry's) so I pack them in two people packs. This would screw that up a bit.
I guess the part that annoys me the most is that I have to change the way I do things, inconvenienced one might say, because of BONEHEADS!!!!!

Can't we run a genetic test prior to them going out on the lake to see if they have the BONEHEAD disease?

Really...6 only 6....how hard is that?


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## Treeman

I can see it now. After the DNR does a safety inspection, they administer an IQ(Bonehead) test. Now I'm really screwed.
I came up with an idea. I think I found a loop hole. Keep some wasabi, soy sauce, ginger, maybe a little seaweed salad and the cooler in the vehicle. If you get pulled over start eating. Lmao Now I know this is serious business for some of you guys so don't take it the wrong way. I'm just a bonehead anyway


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## LEfriend

BFG said:


> My friends from Wisconsin claim that they leave the fillets whole, with a skin patch on them, then zip and finish off prior to cooking, with zero issues.


Well it wouldn't be zero issue here. I like to have them ready so my wife can just thaw and throw in the skillet. I don't like to cook fish with the smell of fish slime on my hands, neither does she! And I like to package the thick front half in chunks for baking and grilling, the smaller tail sections separate for frying. Oh, and everything gets cut into smaller more even sizes...cook better that way. The more I think the more inconvenience it will be.


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## Lundy

BFG said:


> My friends from Wisconsin claim that they leave the fillets whole, with a skin patch on them, then zip and finish off prior to cooking, with zero issues.


I was thinking about how I use an electric knife to clean all of my walleye and how I would clean them with this new reg.

I am really trying to think of a procedure to remove the skin except for a small patch. How do you leave the small patch?? Those of you that clean with an electric I think will understand what I'm getting at.

I realize this sounds silly I mean how hard can it be to leave a small patch right?. Well I've cleaned my share and I'm just not sure how I would go about it.

I may end up just taking the sides off and skinning once I get them home.


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## Kodiak50

Which is it a patch or the whole side, does anyone know for sure


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## BFG

> I realize this sounds silly I mean how hard can it be to leave a small patch right?. Well I've cleaned my share and I'm just not sure how I would go about it.


I guess I'll just bury the knife into the board when I get to the head end of the fillet when I'm running the skin off. It'll be a PITA to try to run the skin off from the opposite direction. 

Ah well...adapt and overcome...or clean your fish at home and don't worry about it.


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## cw261

I am thinking you would have to begin skinning the fish, and try to stop short with around an inch of skin attached to fillet. Either leave the whole skin on, or at least enough of a flap to grab to finish skinning at home.


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## FISHIN 2

This is the response received today from odnr about how much skin to be left on filets. It states home, that does not say, permanant, home could be at the camper. Home is where ya hang your hat !!

Hello, I have a question concerning leaving skin on a filet to be able to identify the fish species. Is this already being enforced or is it in the planning stages. Have heard skin must be whole, then just leave an inch chunk. Just don't want to clean my fish at the lake to find out I'm supposed to leave skin on till home. Thanks, Mike 



The new regulations concerning fish fillets in Ohio became law on January 1, 2012.* The rule requires anglers to leave the fish they catch in public waters in the round (whole) or as a complete fillet with skin attached until they reach their home.* This regulation is necessary to deter over harvest of certain species of fish.* Ohio was one of the only states that did not have a regulation on fillets in general.* The new rule was patterned on surrounding great lakes states existing regulations.* Wisconsin, Michigan, S. Dakota, Ontario, New York and of course Minnesota to name a few have similar rules on fillets.* We understand that this rule is a change and may be unpopular with some, however, we have a responsibility to protect the fishing resource and this rule is one tool that will help us do that.* Most fishermen are law abiding, however, there are those who disregard possession limits.** This rule allows us to identify the fillets in an anglers possession so that we can determine the number and species of fish to enforce bag limits. It is impossible to monitor all the ramps and docks because there is only one Wildlife Officer assigned to each county. *We depend on fishermen like you to give us information on people violating the law and we do work boat ramps and marinas based on those complaints.* Please give me a call if would like to discuss this or other questions.


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## boss302

THIS IS JUST A REASONABLE SOLUTION FOR THOSE OF YOU AFFECTED BY THIS: I see the major comercial cleaning operations requesting an exemption from this law. Thre exemption would require somthing like a tamper proof custody seal on heat sealed bag of cleaned fish pieces. Seal/tag would state when and where it was processed including the cleaners exemption ID, what the bag contents are, and who harvested the fish. Esentialy they would be vouching for what they cleaned and would be the legal compliance point for honest sportsmen who stay for multiple days and/or want to remove the skin from their fish prior to returning to their home for whatever reason.


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## boatnut

boss302 said:


> THIS IS JUST A REASONABLE SOLUTION FOR THOSE OF YOU AFFECTED BY THIS: I see the major comercial cleaning operations requesting an exemption from this law. Thre exemption would require somthing like a tamper proof custody seal on heat sealed bag of cleaned fish pieces. Seal/tag would state when and where it was processed including the cleaners exemption ID, what the bag contents are, and who harvested the fish. Esentialy they would be vouching for what they cleaned and would be the legal compliance point for honest sportsmen who stay for multiple days and/or want to remove the skin from their fish prior to returning to their home for whatever reason.


Seriously? I'm sorry but I don't see ANY of the commercial cleaners putting "tamper Proof seals" on bags of fish, LOL. What would that add to the cost? A bunch , I would think. Either you are a lawyer or your post was in jest?


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## wakina

Here is the reg (in PDF form) as written in the 2012 regulation folder that you get when buying your licence and it is found under under GENERAL INFORMATION! Located on page 2. It states *permanent residence *in the regulation and not home. 


http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/pdf/pub084.pdf


----------



## boss302

boatnut said:


> Seriously? I'm sorry but I don't see ANY of the commercial cleaners putting "tamper Proof seals" on bags of fish, LOL. What would that add to the cost? A bunch , I would think. Either you are a lawyer or your post was in jest?


1) neither a laywer, or joker...just what I view as a reasonable and simple answer. I take it you see it differently. What would you propose?

2) seals would cost all of 5 cents at the most, ever have to pee in a cup? All it would have to be is a simple sticker type custody seal. Just somthing to document that the fish in the bag are what they certify are in the bag. 


I don't have much of a horse in this show as I almost always clean my fish at home. Woud only affect me for a trip or two while on Vacation. Not trying to stir the pot, just thought I had a decent idea....mabe not

On the other hand, I may be breaking the law on most trips. See, I usualy take all the fish home and provide my boatmates with their share of cleaned fillets later in the day, or in the future. If I, driving solo, get stopped with 2 or 3 tickets of fish in the cooler I could be screwed....Hope it would be an understanding officer willing to make calls to document my story.. I'm sure I'm not the only one to do this..


----------



## surffishn

Why not change law for fish cleaners or procesors To give A reciept.With date species,number of fish.This Law only applies to the law abiding citizen.The poachers will still do there thing.This is just plain STUPID .


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## viper1

Well debate and complain all you want but done is done. If you really upset start attending the meetings. Thats the only way to change things. As far as only being a law for honest people. Well really isn't that what all laws are for? You can't tell the dishonest what to do they won't listen. LOL


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## FCG

Who said that Walleye fishermen were in there Right Mind?


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## FISHIN 2

wakina said:


> Here is the reg (in PDF form) as written in the 2012 regulation folder that you get when buying your licence and it is found under under GENERAL INFORMATION! Located on page 2. It states *permanent residence *in the regulation and not home.
> 
> 
> http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/pdf/pub084.pdf


I read that on page 2 also and that's what threw me as before I purchased my license, I asked about this subject and that was odnr's words, shew, guess they make the rules as they go. Anyhow, gonna need alot more ziplocks !! . Mike


----------



## rattletraprex

I hate the slime that's left if you leave the skin on,I'll do what I have to do to stay legal. For those of us that don't live by the lake and go up for a few days at a time we can't always wait till we get home to clean our fish.


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## wakina

FISHIN 2 said:


> I read that on page 2 also and that's what threw me as before I purchased my license, I asked about this subject and that was odnr's words, shew, guess they make the rules as they go. Anyhow, gonna need alot more ziplocks !! . Mike


That is exactly right. The fact of the new regulation does not bother me so much, we will all survive the skin on part with some inconvenience. But this wishy washy changing the reg. as they go is BS and that bothers me.

The meeting that set this whole debate off was just a few days after the reg went into affect, and they said something different at that meeting even before the ink was dry on those printed regulations that the ODNR provides to you as the law to be followed. How could they enforce it beginning on Jan. 1 when the old regs were still in affect? How was a person to know it had changed? 

The more they say the dumber they look and sound!! Just remember that if you get busted with just a 1 inch or so of piece of skin on your fillets then good luck trying to persuade a Judge that the ODNR had verbally said it was ok. The Judge will be reading and enforcing the law as it is written.


----------



## FISNFOOL

Just recieved this from a Charter Captain I know.

To QUOTE HIS MESSAGE:

_At the captains conference 2 weeks ago the odnr told us about their new law on cleaning fish.. this is what they said. From now on you have to leave all fish either whole or with the filet in one piece with the entire skin still attached until you get to the residence that is on you're fishing license. Please check you're regulations for this new rule. They said if they would come to camper and find fish with no skin and the fish were not a whole filet it would be a ticket.

The law supervisor from odnr called me back yesterday. Here is the info i got. He said the law says the skin has to be attached not a piece. This is for all fish taken from erie, and any lake or pond that requires a fishing license.. Also if you want to have a fish fry at camp you can do so. As long as you take the skin off at camp when you are ready to cook it, and don't take off more than you plan to eat. Also captains are not supposed to give there fish to customers. And he said to make sure frozen fish can be counted in the bags.

Out of state sportsmen will have to freeze their catch with the skin on in such a way as to be able to count the number of fish they are transporting back home. Originally I thought the law limited you to one days catch but there is no reference to the amount of fish in possession just that they must have the skin attached while transporting you still must adhere to the daily limit. So as long as you would have some sort of proof that would show how long you have been here in Ohio and fishing (campground, charter boat, motel , lodging receipts) you very well may be legal.

There may be an adendum coming to the rules that will allow 1" patch of skin on the fillets instead of the whole skin, but for now it is the whole skin_

PS: MY addition, for the guy on the other thread that was complaining his license did not match his correct address, This may be an issue. Maybe you can keep a utility bill in your vehicle to show it matches your drivers license as a location? Probably a non issue since your chances of being followed home are remote, but something to make sure is done correctly when you get a license next year.


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## Triple B

Looking for a solution to this problem for our 3 day trip to Port Clinton. I've waited to clean fish as much as a full day+ before. Say I'm going over on a Fri., fishing Fri. afternoon, Sat., Sun. AM and headed back for the 3 hour drive to be home late Sun. afternoon. I'm thinking I'd rather keep whole fish on ice for that period of time and then clean them as opposed to letting all those (we hope) fillets be subjected to the slime. Anybody leave fish in the whole for that long?


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## Fish Scalper

Commercial fisherman keep them on ice a lot longer than that. I've gone from a Friday to Sunday evening many times.


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## Islander26

Wakina, you are right the ODNR can not agree what the law should be because it is bad law it will not stop dishonest folks from over limits. You wait and see next year or the year after they (ODNR) will want you to freeze them walleye at your home with the skin on them,so they can come in your home ,do not think it will not happen. This law opens up all kinds of ways they can come after you . It is big brother having more power and the folks having little less freedom.


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## 65redbeard

they are turning me into a saltwater fisherman


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## dadsadvice

We have cleaned many coolers of fish at home. Although we take only our limit and no more, we've fished Fri., Sat. and Sunday, headed for home and commence cleaning fish. We have a large garden so the carcas problem is not a problem for us.
I must not be as smart as some of you guys out there. I do not understand how these new and improved regulations are supposed curb and contain the percieved problem.
We all have a State Repesentative and a State Senator. Contact yours for clarification.


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## jimski2

When the smelt that the Canadians trawl are shipped to Japan and the Far East, they are placed upon a bed of ice six inches minimum to keep the gurry and slime off the fish on the bottom of the packers.


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## Gut Hook

Here is what I experienced yesterday after jigging up a nice batch in front of Turtle Creek. Every carcass in the cleaning station buckets had it's skin. Nobody was concerned about this new reg. Many had heard about it and more or less figured they would play dumb if anything happened.

This is a HUGE change. How hard would it be for the fish/wildlife department to put up a sign at the high traffic cleaning areas? If they WERE serious about this - one would assume that when everyone is slaying them - that maybe they could put up some info at the launches.

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## B Thomas

Heard it straight from the ODNRs mouth at Fenwick. Skin must be left on or fish must be in the round until they get 'home'. Pretty cut and dry I'd say

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## B Thomas

There is no posession away from the lake. You are taking a risk if you have prior days fish in your truck and bring in more fish but the burden is on you to prove you were there enough days for the fish. This is per odnr officer...he recommended keeping a lodging receipt or other for proof. 

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## rattletraprex

Gut Hook said:


> Here is what I experienced yesterday after jigging up a nice batch in front of Turtle Creek. Every carcass in the cleaning station buckets had it's skin. Nobody was concerned about this new reg. Many had heard about it and more or less figured they would play dumb if anything happened.
> 
> This is a HUGE change. How hard would it be for the fish/wildlife department to put up a sign at the high traffic cleaning areas? If they WERE serious about this - one would assume that when everyone is slaying them - that maybe they could put up some info at the launches.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


We got checked today and he told us about the new law, he even told us it has to be the whole skin till you get home,not a hotel or campsite. We already knew this but some are clueless. Funny part was he brought a 5 gal bucket to put our fish in to count and it would have taken about 12 buckets! Just took them out of cooler and put on deck for him to check. He was cool about everything,just doing his job.


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## ReelTimeWes

I read through the 2012 fishing regs that they give you when you buy your license. Couldn't find anything about the new law. So how is the average guy that doesn't get on these forums supposed to know?


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## boatnut

I got it figured out. I"m gonna claim I'm a Rabbi which, do to my miserly ways, shouldn't be too hard to pull off. Then I'm gonna say that all my fish have to be Kosher, which means the all have to be circumsized (skin removed). That's my story and I'm sticking to it


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## Gut Hook

Just to clarify though - I took my fish home whole and cleaned them here.

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## Shortdrift

boatnut said:


> I got it figured out. I"m gonna claim I'm a Rabbi which, do to my miserly ways, shouldn't be too hard to pull off. Then I'm gonna say that all my fish have to be Kosher, which means the all have to be circumsized (skin removed). That's my story and I'm sticking to it


*LMAO*

Took my fillets, skin on, home last Saturday avening. Never again. The fillets start to curl overnite and made my normal method of leaving the red flesh on the skin difficult. From now on, or until they decide that a small patch of skin on a whole fillet, I'll be icing the whole fish and processing them at my home. I have a lattice like support in the bottom of the cooler that keeps the fish out of the slime.


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## ReelTimeWes

boatnut said:


> i got it figured out. I"m gonna claim i'm a rabbi which, do to my miserly ways, shouldn't be too hard to pull off. Then i'm gonna say that all my fish have to be kosher, which means the all have to be circumsized (skin removed). That's my story and i'm sticking to it


lmao !!!!
:d:d:d


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## viper1

Well It is the Law now. So it don't really matter. Now it's best to find a work around.Those that choose to disobey the law or don't get informed will have to pay the price. I'm not sure what that is but seems like it could be considered poaching if caught with unidentifiable fish and no skin.Means could be fine,jail, even loss of license and car or truck. No way is it worth me chancing that. As i do rely on the fish to eat and live on. Seems the only want a way to identify them. How is already chosen.
I never have slime with my fish on ice like suggested. Which I always do. We ice our live wells and coolers to put them in on the boat. Just keep them out of the water. When we fillet we wash them in cold water. If scales are on or off shouldn't be to big of deal. Figured Id lay two fillets meat side together and bag that way scales don't touch meat. If I have to be away up to 3-4 days a real cold cooler or a refridgerator will be ok. When I get home I'll take skin off before freezing. If Im away longer i'll freeze that way and take them off when I thaw. either way shouldn't affect the tasted.
I don't like the idea any more then any one else. Just dont have time to set and complain when I can do something. Guess everything dont have to be for our convienance. I'm glad there doing some thing to stop this. And if this is what will help so be it.


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## wanderin_eyes

I usally clean mine at home. so no big deal to me but to throw another twist in the machine.
What if you drop them off at a cleaner to have them cleaned?


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## Nauti cat

Ok who is enforcing skin on theory/law. I was at Fenwick 2 diff times DNR and DWC both there checking guys as they came in #fish and boats. I talked to guys from Wisc and Ind both were cleaning fish removing skin, I could spit on DNR he was that close never blinked an eye either time. I really don't care either way cause I clean mine at my trailer


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## Gut Hook

I stopped by the cleaners and they were adamant about leaving the skin on.....and why wouldn't they be? It saves them a step. 

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## rod bender bob

Gut Hook said:


> I stopped by the cleaners and they were adamant about leaving the skin on.....and why wouldn't they be? It saves them a step.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Cleaners at wild wings have been told by several agents the entire skin must be there but only need be attached at front end. Thet are doing that and it is easy to strip off when st home. And it is not easier for the cleaners since they are loing customers and Wings cleaners have seen wardens last 4 days!


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## kamodude

Im from In. and was reading all the stuff on "skin on". To my understanding it is all fish not just walleye!!!! It says fish that are caught where you need a license!!! thats fish!!!!! crappie,bass,gills,cats,carp etc.!!!!!!! Also it says permanent home!!!! Out of staters are so left out that it souds like the state of Ohio doesnt want anybody fishing there that doesnt live within driving distance of any water!!!!! 
If anybody can help me out on the interpretation drop me a line.
Thanks,
Kamodude,


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## kamodude

Trailers not your permanent home!!!!! Violation accordding to what the book says!!!! Sorry...Busted!!!!!!


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## kamodude

rattletot said:


> Read on another site, that you have to leave skin on the filet this Yr. Any truth to this? Also is LAMBERJACK'S open this Yr.


Yep all of it till you get back to your pemanent residence!!!!



Just heard that Lamberjacks was closed!!!! Rats I liked that place!!!!


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## sander

boatnut said:


> I got it figured out. I"m gonna claim I'm a Rabbi which, do to my miserly ways, shouldn't be too hard to pull off. Then I'm gonna say that all my fish have to be Kosher, which means the all have to be circumsized (skin removed). That's my story and I'm sticking to it


That's why I'm afraid to fish with Boatnut. He circumcises everything that comes aboard! Help me!!


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## CarpetBagger

Stupid law...id be willing to bet 90-99% of the guys who fish are as honest as they come and are happey with their limits...I hate how these laws inconvenience those people who are out there doing what they are supposed to and are coming in and trying to do a nice job and clean their fish at these facilites that offer some really nice cleaning facilites and take care of the garbage for you as a service....if people just took what was allowed we wouldnt have any of these problems...Poachers are still gonna poach skin on, or skin off...


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## ERIE REBEL

rod bender bob said:


> Cleaners at wild wings have been told by several agents the entire skin must be there but only need be attached at front end. Thet are doing that and it is easy to strip off when st home. And it is not easier for the cleaners since they are loing customers and Wings cleaners have seen wardens last 4 days!


That is how I did mine on Tuesday.I skinned them all the way to the top of the shoulder and I figured that way i would be legal.When I got home I only had to skin the last half inch.It worked out okay but it still is kind of a pain.But at least I had all of the skin still attached to the fish.


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## mkalink

I have a trailer in Marblehead, that I live in a good part of the summer, it is my summer home. I will continue to skin and zipper my walleye and if they want to arrest me fine. I will fight them to the very end. If they (DNR) cannot tell the difference between walleye, perch, or smallmouth fillets maybe they should find another profession. Remember the Second Ammendment has nothing to do with using your gun to hunt. It was written by Revolutionary's that got tired of being pushed around and bullied by the goverment. This is just one of the many laws out there created by the politicians that does not benefit anyone. Maybe it is time we exercise our 2nd Ammendent rights and take this country back. Sorry about the rant, but who elected these idiots anyway, Wasn't me. Can you believe more people in this country voted for the American Idol then president in 2008 election.


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## Mad-Eye Moody

It seems like everytime I try to clean a walleye I end up leaving a bit of skin on so it shouldn't be a problem for me! Lol.

My dad has to do this when he goes to Canada.


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