Zippering

[Boat27]

Is zippering a walleye filet necessary?

[Ltsimp]

No, zippering is not necessary. I do it to my filets anyway. Seems to make it more palatable for my wife. She insists I do it.

[addaline]

No, zippering is not necessary. I do it to my filets anyway. Seems to make it more palatable for my wife. She insists I do it.

We had some fish cleaned at a local PC launch place and asked them to zipper the filets. They refused saying that if they did, each half of the filet would count as a whole filet for limit numbers. Not sure why that would be or even if it's true?

[Hoytman86]

We had some fish cleaned at a local PC launch place and asked them to zipper the filets. They refused saying that if they did, each half of the filet would count as a whole filet for limit numbers. Not sure why that would be or even if it's true?

It's the law. You are supposed to keep the whole filet intact until you reach your permanent residence or are preparing them to eat. The reason is that people were overfishing and then cubing the fish to cover the true number of fish they had, making it nearly impossible for DNR officers to count the fish. 10 years ago you were even supposed to leave a patch of skin on the filets for easy identification but at last check that was no longer the case. Technically speaking, you need to keep your receipts with dates from the cleaning house if you are fishing multiple days so that if you are stopped you have proof that you didn't catch them all that day.

The few ruining it for the many.

[itsbob]

At Bays Edge they zipper the walleye filet.They cut it out but leave the pieces joined at the tail.Not sure but think they charge extra to do it and a little bit of good meat is gone in the process.I always zipper our filets before I vacuum freeze them.I usually zipper them the day after they were caught.That seams to firm up the meat some and is easier to zipper the filet without it breaking in wrong spot.If it does,I just cut it out.Not sure of legal ramifications of transporting walleye filets cut up.

[Boat27]

So what happens to the bones or what ever you feel right there. They small enough they soften up when cooked?

[itsbob]

The smaller the fish the smaller the bones in the median line.With perch you don't even feel them.In bigger walleye you can feel them for sure.When I zipper them at home I put them back in bag the filets came in.Then put in freezer and put in trash the day they pick up.

[Southern OH Percid angler]

Here's what the regs say:

Fillets are required to be kept whole until an angler reaches their permanent residence, or until the fish are prepared for immediate consumption. Frozen fish are required to be transported in such a way that the fillets can be easily identified and counted. This does not apply to anglers with a receipt from a fish cleaning house or charter captain which states the date, number, and type of fish possessed. Fish must be transported whole or as a complete fillet while returning from the Lake Erie islands on a commercial ferry boat.

[ttinman23]

So if you have a summer home on the islands then what? Can’t bring fish back in the fall winter to other residence?

[Southern OH Percid angler]

So if you have a summer home on the islands then what? Can’t bring fish back in the fall winter to other residence?

Sure you can, the fillets just need to be whole and packaged so they can be counted. The best thing to do is keep a calendar or log of your catches to verify you never exceeded daily limits. I use to go over to the islands all the time and stay at a friends and we kept our ferry receipt to show when we arrived and when we left, or any other receipts. If you can document your times you should be fine. If you can prove you are a part time resident I doubt you'd have any problems. Maybe someone else will know for sure. Of course there's always one officer who wants to be on a power trip. Actually I was never checked at the ferry dock. If your in a car or truck and everything is out of site they have no cause to check. If anyone ask what you got in the coolers, say groceries. Of course if they ask if you have any fish, you should admit you do. I think a call to lake Erie law office and ask how to do it would be best then take down name of person talked to.