To Clean or Not to Clean

[CEO]

  TO CLEAN OR NOT TO CLEAN? This weeks debate. (A new topic to discuss next week.)

 ECOfishers staff were invited to the presentation night recently, of a very large Fishing Club. Our CEO was their guest speaker. Some of the discussion during the dinner, at our large official table, centred on the pro's and con's of weighing in fish either gilled, gutted and roed or weighed in whole and the cleaning took place later, after the weigh in.
  So you don't have to be a competitive or Club fisher to have  a point of view. We want you to explore the pro's and con's of either and why you believe one way is preferable to the other. If you prefer to weigh yor catch in whole, let's hear from you and your reasons why. If you prefer to weigh your catch in already cleaned, that is gilled, gutted and roed, we would likewise love you to share your views. And does your Club have a policy about this issue?
                                               OVER TO YOU.

[CEO]

 One email from Bundeena already simply says, "Cleaned. They taste better." Do they?

[Spiney]

This debate has been going on for years if not decades at local, divisional and State comps. If the fish are weighed in whole the presentation is better, the fish look better at the weigh in but do they taste the same?
I catch and eat mostly Tailor, Eastern Rock Blackfish and Luderick, to me and my family they all taste far better cleaned as quickly as possible so I would prefer to weigh them cleaned however in comps I would be disqualified.
Luderick are a nice tasting fish if handled correctly, it worries me that the commercial catch of this species is not handled well ,spoiling the flesh and therefore the price for them is reduced. It would be far better to catch less handle them better and get a better price.
A few years ago I was fishing in a remote spot in Arnhem Land. We cooked some Coral Trout and Jack, some were filleted and cooked in foil in a frypan on gas, another lot whole in foil in the ashes of the fire. We invited several of our local hosts to join us and they all chose the filleted meal.

[Open Oyster]

     My experience is the quicker fish are cleaned and gutted the better they taste and also keep.
 Fishing tournaments don't seem to recognise this and are based on weight and numbers so lend themselves to ungutted presentation. Personally I think it is up to the individual fishing clubs and the individuals to choose. I am sure fishing clubs would accept you cleaning and gutting fish before a weigh-in, it would be a matter of how much weight you would loose.

[CEO]

  It's a pretty "clean" debate so far. Thanks Spiney and OO for your thoughts. Much appreciated. OK Club fishers, do any Clubs weigh in whole fish and why?

[CEO]

   and from a long term member at The Entrance, on the Central Coast, comes this little cryptic message. "Keep 'em clean, keep 'em honest and the sinkers out of the gut." Now what does all that mean???  Is there some implication there we are missing? If so, what is it? Do tell.

[Open Oyster]

 One small problem for change. Club, state and Australian records. Then again quick check before cleaning would give some idea and fish could be weighed-in whole if thought to be a record.
  Most clubs supply cleaning facilities.
  Family will line up for cleaned fish.

[CEO]

   Sounds like a simple solution to us, OO! Now fishers wouldn't put a sinker in the gut of a fish to increase it's mass by a few grams.... would they?? Is winning that important? Exaggerating the length of a fish when describing it to the kids, we can understand and appreciate. But a sinker in the gut .........no way. Has anyone ever heard of it?

[CEO]

   Is anyone aware of any health related issues relating to fish not gilled, gutted and roed  as soon after capture as possible and then placed in an icey brine? Easy to do in a boat, we suppose. What about rock, beach, estuary and freshwater fishers? Don't fancy lugging an esky around half full of icey water.
    And aren't commercial fishers now required to carry ice and keep their catch on ice at all times? Is "Food Safe," involved in that too?
    Who remembers tonnes of Sea Mullet stacked up in boxes on the back of four wheel drive vehicles, being transported along the beaches, on winter days, to the packing point? No ice then.
    So keep your thoughts, views and ideas coming. It may just change some fishers minds, about the way they care for their catch!

[CEO]

   Information from the Far North Coast Fishing Clubs' Association says that body voted at their AGM today, to weigh in only whole fish, that is with the guts and gills still in them. We all wonder what motivated a change from weighing in cleaned fish?

[Spiney]

I would suggest presentation. Same applies for photos of fish displayed in fishing magazines. Bit like buying Tomatoes at the supermarket once you could get ugly crinkly skins that tasted great but now they are all smooth skins that look good but have little taste.
Having a debate on the rules and regulations of fishing clubs would continue for years.

[ACTAngler]

I can't see the reasoning in forcing people to weigh in fish whole.  ANSA's rules state "Gilled and gutted fish will not be disqualified but no allowance in weight will be made".

This means the angler has the choice;  they can choose to possibly forego some quality of the flesh for extra points if they are in it for the points, or, if the primary consideration is fish quality, they can clean the fish immediately and forego a few points for the weight of the offal.  The choice is with the angler.

Also, ANSA introduced last year additional length-based categories of awards, which not only make the gutted versus gutted argument redundant, but also permit the angler to release the fish while still submitting a claim.  A win-win for all (including the fish)  .  Perhaps other clubs and associations might consider some benefits of length-based competitions as well.

[Spiney]

This is a rule from last years NSWFCA divisional championship.
RULES: The Competition will be conducted in accordance with NSWFCA  By-Laws
1.   Fish to be weighed whole.   No allowance will be made for fish Gilled and Gutted.

Rather ambiguous but I think it means you can weigh in cleaned fish but there will be no allowance for the missing bits. So as you say it up to the individual. My apologies as I may have misunderstood the rule as I thought you could not weigh in cleaned fish.

[ACTAngler]

I can see a lot of credit in length based gategories, especially with dusky flathead.

Thanks Row.  The feedback we have received so far on the length-based categories has been overwhelmingly positive (eg. Saltwater Fishing magazine's Editorial, issue #57).

[CEO]

 Further advice to ECOfishers today from FNCAFCA, indicates the Captain may disqualify gilled, gutted and roed fish from the weigh-in as being "mutilated." Seems that only serves to bloody the waters even more. ECOfishers will seek further clarification.
                    Looking forward to a new topic next week.