Filleting snapper on the boat
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=75120
Printed Date: 11 Aug 2026 at 9:02am
Topic: Filleting snapper on the boat
Posted By: brmbrm
Subject: Filleting snapper on the boat
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 8:23am
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I know you aren't meant to do it so its obvious the size of the snapper you have caught if the fisheries guys come around. But it keeps the mess off the kitchen floor plus Mrs brmbrm is happier. And also you don't get a bag of fishy crap smelling the place out.
So do you fillet on board and have you ever had any problems with fisheries officers? I guess if the fillet is 27cm long no problem, but with my filleting skill......
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Replies:
Posted By: John_Ra
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 8:41am
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Suggest you get a very decent filleting knife & watch how to fillet fish, so can best get most of the flesh off. But yeah, I fillet my fish & they are usually over the "30" mark. Don't go with 27, 30 a better safety margin... edit: that is the fillet is over 30cm...
------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: the angler
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 8:47am
| pretty sure there is nothing in the rules that says you cant every charter i have been on we have filleted the fish at sea and given the left overs back to mother ocean . |
Posted By: JAKE D
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 9:04am
| it is illegal unless you keep some evidence ie, the frames or the fillets are obviously off a fish larger than 27cm |
Posted By: the demon
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 9:14am
| Yes you can fillet at sea,but you must be able to prove it was a legal size.So only fillet say 30cm snaps nothing near the minimin size.If you are over nighting clearly date the bags !You must prove to the fishery officer that the fish you have filleted is of a legal size. |
Posted By: bazza
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 9:31am
Yep Jake is right altho most including myself often fillet at sea.
It is a good point he makes about saving the frames as not only
need to prove size but technically species caught as well as
could be exceeding certain species limit e.g. how would you prove
if fillets were from gurnard or a blue cod & regs for blue cod vary
in different regions.
If concerned & want to do the right thing find someone who value
the heads & frames for soup or stock ... most Asians do. ------------- When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!! |
JAKE D wrote:Posted By: brmbrm
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 10:23am
| That seems like a plan. BTW, I can fillet the left side of the fish great - the right side goes OK until I hit the bones rouind the gut, then it goes pretty random. |
Posted By: Cigar
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 10:30am
I find the 2nd side harder, with the backbone not lying straight due to the fillet missing from the underside - one trick that helps is to not take the 1st fillet off (do above the backbone and over the gut bones, then do the other fillet before completing the 1st one).
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Posted By: tmmo
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 4:00pm
| has anyone ever turned up too the ramp with fillets and been spoken to by fisheries? what was the outcome? |
Posted By: JordanM
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 4:24pm
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could probably take a pic of it next to the ruler, as proof. ------------- "size doesnt matter" tell that to the fisheries! |
Posted By: the angler
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 4:40pm
| if you want to make your filleting easier make a slurry in your chilly bin and ice them snaps down the longer the better it makes a HUGE difference even leave em till the morning if its late and your chilly bin is up to it just hook straight into the piss . but couple hours will still help and get a decent long flexy knife that can hold a edge you can be wasteing ya time with some of the cheap crap knives out there .i spent few bucks on a KNIVES OF ALASKA coho fillet knife couple of years ago and never looked back .practice makes perfect but man filleting un chilled fish wit a shiiiit knife is hard yakka even for the best fish wife . |
Posted By: Te Namu
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 4:43pm
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had this exact conversation with a honorary fisheries officer during the week, and his advice was to keep the frame of the smallest fish with the fillets. That way you can match the fillet to the frame to prove all fish where of legal size. His only other advice was to make sure you don't have 19 fillets...
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Posted By: Tangi DnA
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 4:55pm
I would normally fillet at home and put frames in a bucket in the freezer then dump them next time I go out fishing. However if I have a few to do I will do some in the boat on the way home but I do keep the frames, and freeze them again. ------------- I always take life with a grain of salt, ...plus a slice of lemon, ...and a shot of tequila. |
Posted By: Sambosi
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 5:07pm
Yes, they had a look through the bag of fillets and counted them. Was a good bag of fillets. Was a mixed bag of gurnard and snapper and they were happy with the size but reminded us of the rule that it was up to us to prove they were legal fish if any had been marginal.
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Posted By: Richard34482
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 6:41pm
| We just make sure everything is way over the minimum, so the fillets obviously come from bigger fish, snaps are not worth it under 35ish |
Posted By: Dave A
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 7:12pm
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Hi guys. Its not illegal to fillet on board. You do need to be careful about not having any fillets looking dodgy sizewise though as has already been mentioned. The official word from MAF is on this link: http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Frequently+Asked+Questions/default.htmAs%20has%20been%20noted%20though%20its%20not%20a%20good%20idea%20to%20fillet%20anything%20marginal%20as%20 - http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Frequently+Asked+Questions/default.htm |
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 9:02pm
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this the one
DavidFisho??????? Am I allowed to fillet my fish at sea? There are no regulations that prohibit the filleting of fish at sea. Where the fish in question is subject to a size limit, it would be beneficial to only fillet larger fish where there would be no doubt as to the original size of the fish. If your fish is on or near the legal size limit it is recommended that you do not fillet the fish at sea. Basically, you need to be able to satisfy the inspecting fishery officer as to whether the fillet came from a legal sized fish. ------------- Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing |
Posted By: Bruce
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2012 at 9:39pm
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I have a problem with Sambosi's comment about fisheries officers saying "it's up to you (thats us here) to prove that the fish were of legal size" etc etc.
I've heard this before and it seems to have a certain amount of acceptance.
If thats the law then it fundamentally flies in the face of our whole basis of law that says (or we all understand it to mean) that you are innocent until proven guilty.
Kinda like a speed camera really.
Maybe I was away and missed something.
That paranoia aside I fillet all my fish at sea, wash them in sea water, except from the upper harbour, bag em in ziplocks and then back into the chiller.
Sambosi, dont doubt what you heard m8, heard it myself before.
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Posted By: Dave A
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2012 at 1:25pm
| Yep thats the one lethal. So its allowed, but with care! |
Posted By: 1Daz
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2012 at 1:46pm
Practice, practice and more practice is the only way to get good at filleting snapper. This guys pretty good at it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxw5XaD-4As - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxw5XaD-4As ------------- Go the Warriors! |
Posted By: Clay
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2012 at 7:50pm
| My understanding is that they may try try and fine/prosecute you for having an undersize fish, however if you were prepared to defend it, they would need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the fish was undersize. |
Posted By: gongfisher
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2012 at 6:47am
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My recent experience with fisheries has been exactly the same as sambosi. Regarding the left and right side filleting, a tip is to fillet the first side but don't take the fillet right off. Leave it attached by the thin of the tail, which you use later to skin the fillet, and also by the last rib. Then fillet the other side completely. As you have left the first sides fillet attached the fish keeps its shape. You can then flip the fish over and nick off that rib and it's all done. |