After paying a visit to Worms ‘n Things a couple of days ago at the Outer Harbor, I figured that I needed to be a little more well-rounded in my waterfront adventures, so I decided to stick my head into the Fish Cleaning Station that is located at the Small Boat Harbor.
Seeing that I was not familiar with the inner workings of the cleaning station, I decided to act the role of curious vacationer when I walked right up to a group of fishermen and asked what the routine was. “We paid to get in at the gate with our boat and trailer, before heading out on the water to fish,” they told me. “The cleaning station is free to use.”
Upon my visit, I found the cleaning station to be very busy, with fishermen waiting to get inside the building. Others stood inside the building, waiting to get a spot at one of the tables.
Watching the guys at work, skinning and filleting the fish, I was astonished by two things:
- I couldn’t believe the size of the fish that they had reeled in
- I was fascinated at how adept the fishermen were at deconstructing the fish
For those not aware of what is even found inside a fish cleaning station, a sign on the wall listed a few of the conveniences, ranging from a grinder to a water jet. There’s also a bin to cast away unwanted fish parts and a spray hose to clean the table upon finishing the preparation.
As I watched the carving action through the window, observing the guys slicing and dicing their catches, I thought back to the days when it was advised to not even eat one fish from this part of Lake Erie due to the pollution from local industries. These days, more and more people are eating fish from the lake again.
According to the NYS Department of Health, it’s OK for most people to eat lake caught fish (not catfish or carp) four times a month (see chart). As the waters become cleaner and cleaner, and there are more boating amenities rolled out, fishing conveniences such as the cleaning station at the Small Boat Harbor will become more popular. It’s just another part of the bigger waterfront picture that brings everyone to the table to enjoy the fresh water and the fruits that it bears.