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Mike Schoonveld: Do Michigan fish cleaning rules need changing?

Onboard fish cleaning is legal in some Great Lake states and Ontario. Some Great Lakes anglers are advocating for a possible change to Michigan fishing regulations that would allow fish cleaning while on board a boat. (Photo by Mike Schoonveld)

At the end of successful fishing trip on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan, after the requisite photos were taken, the deckhand unsheathed a knife, plastic bags, and other fish-cleaning necessities and expertly dissected fillets off the salmon and trout we’d caught.
The fillets went into a plastic bag, and the carcasses and other offal were unceremoniously chucked overboard as the boat motored towards the distant shore.
I approached the captain and asked, “Is it legal to clean the fish and throw the carcasses back into the lake?”

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