During a recent trip for perch, I decided to get our fished cleaned rather than doing them myself. We fished the same area each time and fish were basically the same size each time. I took our fish to cleaner "A" and had them weighed. I thought at the time they weighed more than I thought they would but was happy as the fish must have just run larger than I thought. I took the next batch to the same place and ended up with the same weight. The next day there were 4 of us in the boat catching the same run of fish. These fish were given to the people that went with us. They took them to fish cleaner "B". I told him I bet the fish would weigh twice the amount our two person limit had been. When I asked what his fish weighed, I was surprised that his total was about 20% less than I had figured. That got me to thinking something wasn't right. I took our next two person limit to fish cleaner "B" and low and behold it was about 20% less that it had been running at fish cleaner "A".
I have been perch fishing for more years than I care to brag about and know darn well those fish did not vary 20% in weight. Something is wrong and I kinda think someone may have a finger on the scale so to speak. I wish there was something that could protect people from this kind of indirect theft. I don't mind paying for honest services and get pissed when I feel like I have been cheated. I don't like any kind of Government interference but, maybe someone needs to be working on this problem. For me, fish cleaner "A" will never see me again but how many other people will get cheated without knowing about it.
