Best Way To Dispose Of Carcasses After Filleting Fish? 2025
BigmouthForever23 reply :
Yeah I have a problem. I like to keep and fillet a lot of fish that I catch. One of the lakes I fish is loaded with small bass and they're very tasty! Problem is I don't know what to do with them after filleting. I tried throwing them in multiple bags but it stinks of the trash like there's no tomorrow. I just moved to this neighborhood last year so I don't want to tick off my neighbors (so soon anyway haha).
I never had this problem before because growing up with my parents we lived right across from railroad tracks. So after my dad would fillet our fish we caught for the day, he'd just walk across the street and throw them as far as he could over the tracks. The sun would take care of any smell that was produced. Can't do that any more.
What do you guys do with fish carcasses after filleting? Someone on another forum said he burns them. Sorry, not doing that. Another one mentioned to freeze them until garbage pick-up. Again, no thanks. What are some other options?
bigbill reply :
In the garden.
Cat food.
Throw them back in the water so the food chain eats them.
Don't let nothing go to waste.
scaleface reply :
Fillet them at the lake .
AdamsEye reply :
I say compost them, and let the rest of the fish grow you lush veggies!
Bluebasser86 reply :
Fillet them at the lake and toss the rest back in the lake (not on the ramp, under the dock, or on the bank). The craws, turtles, catfish, and everything else will take care of them quickly usually.
the reel ess reply :
I throw them in the woods behind my house. I live in town, but the entire block behind me is undeveloped hardwoods. Coons an possums appreciate them.
Take them in a bucket to a location with no residents and toss them into a deep ditch. Then fire your pistol a few times, yell "YEE-HAAH", and speed away before deputies come. That's what I'd do. 
WIGuide reply :
Compost them, or burn them. I toss them out in the woods behind the house, but I live in the middle of nowhere. Be careful if you're fishing in WI, by law you are not allowed to throw the remains back in the lake....pure stupidity I know but that's WI for ya.
Thornback reply :
I live out in the country on an acre and I used to dig a deep hole with post hole digger and dump the pieces in the hole and refill the hole. Once in a while a night critter would dig them up so then I started just dumping them in a corner of the acre and let the critters have them without digging for them. But now I do catch-and-release. I do think the suggestion of cleaning at the lake and tossing the waste back in the water is a good one.
the reel ess reply :
On 8/3/2015 at 8:29 PM, Thornback said:I live out in the country on an acre and I used to dig a deep hole with post hole digger and dump the pieces in the hole and refill the hole. Once in a while a night critter would dig them up so then I started just dumping them in a corner of the acre and let the critters have them without digging for them. But now I do catch-and-release. I do think the suggestion of cleaning at the lake and tossing the waste back in the water is a good one.
My family had a lake house when I was growing up and we would clean them and drop them off the end of the pier after dark. Everything would be gone the next day, but the catfishing would be good that night. The air bladder in them can cause them to float if you filleted them and didn't cut into the abdomen. Stick a knife through the abdomen so they'll all sink. People get a little bent out of shape about filleted carcasses on their beach.
If there's a size limit, don't fillet them before you get home. Game wardens will probably fine you if they see that.
Lund Explorer reply :
Grind them up. I've seen quite a few cleaning stations that use commerical sized garbage disposals that will take fish the size of a king salmon. There should be a size you can get to deal with the fish you're cleaning.
K_Mac reply :
I bury them in my back yard. If I ever decide to have a garden I am good to go! It only takes a few minutes and I don't have to worry about the stink or mess.
Neil McCauley reply :
Fish stock!
Bones/cartilage when simmered long enough release proteins- mostly gelatin and collagen- that thicken and flavor broths. It completely changes any soup or sauce or whatever it's used in. The trick with fish is simmering the right length of time. Too little (<30 mins) and the broth is thin/clear, too long (>1 hr) and it can have some bitterness. Beef/chicken bones can simmer for 10+ hours.
It helps to just use a LOT of carcasses, 8-10+ lbs worth, for a decent batch of stock (2-3 quarts). The more the better. You can freeze the carcasses for about 3 months to gather enough and they will still be good.
Also should avoid oily type fish (Salmon, Trout) and use lean fish like Bass, panfish, Pike. Clean the blood/organs out very well and taste will be great. Another trick is use spring water, tap water has chlorine, calcium, fluoride, etc.
Here is the recipe I use.
When done I double bag the used carcasses and throw them out. The smell isn't an issue.
lectricbassman reply :
If youve got the room, double or tripple bag the carcasses, throw them in the freezer until trash day then take them out.
RAMBLER reply :
I live where I can do this; put them out in the back yard (brush and weeds) and in about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes the vultures will be in them. If they are still there after dark all the critters take them away.
blckshirt98 reply :
I gut trout at the lake, and just throw the guts back into the water. Birds/seagulls will take care of the guts quickly. As for carcasses i don't filet, usually bake whole, and just toss the bones in the trash.
J Francho reply :
I freeze them in water if I'm gonna toss them. Throw them out on garbage day, no stench. I used to bury them in the garden, and all that did was attract raccoons and cats.
Tossing the carcass back into the lake is illegal in several states.
Catch and Grease reply :
I bury them in the ground.
Big C reply :
Make a smoothie with them.
blckshirt98 reply :
On 8/4/2015 at 5:43 AM, Big C said:Make a smoothie with them.
Bass-O-Matic?
bassh8er reply :
On 8/3/2015 at 1:41 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Fillet them at the lake and toss the rest back in the lake (not on the ramp, under the dock, or on the bank). The craws, turtles, catfish, and everything else will take care of them quickly usually.
Just make sure to check your local regulations. Throwing the carcass back in the lake is very illegal in NE; I would also assume it's illegal on any body of water that has a slot limit.
NotnatsSamoht reply :
On 8/3/2015 at 10:36 PM, lectricbassman said:If youve got the room, double or tripple bag the carcasses, throw them in the freezer until trash day then take them out.
That's what I do, put them in my deep freezer until trash day.
Alonerankin2 reply :
Save them, after they are de fleshed you can turn them into a comb, like shemp used on the three stooges..
RoLo reply :
Best way to dispose of carcasses after filleting?
I use an underhand toss
J Francho reply :
That's a balk, Roger!
Canyon explorer reply :
best solution for me is bag freeze the remains and put in trash rece
ptacle the morning of pick up.
Fishes in trees reply :
Back when I was a meat fisherman, and living in town, I thought that the best place for fish remains was in the dumpster of a nearby vegetarian restaurant. It stunk anyway, fish guts weren't going to make that much of a difference.
Jd_Phillips_Fishin reply :
On 8/3/2015 at 9:54 AM, BigmouthForever23 said:What do you guys do with fish carcasses after filleting?
Simple... wait a little while after it's covered in flies and really stinks, then stick in your annoying neighbor's mailbox.
Anantha Patel reply :
I just let the coons and maggots have them in the woods near by house. The carcass is gone after a day.
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