homemade fish scalers?

[T.C.]

Im fixing to build a homemede fish scaler similar to the Open Country scalers sold at bass pro and cabelas. Its basically a drum with holes in it that is powered by an electric motor and geared down to turn slowly and it tumbles the fish around in it and the scales get rubbed off and drain outta the drum and dont make a mess. Im gonna make mine a lil diff but was just wondering if any1 else on here has one and wouldnt mind showing it off. My design isnt set in stone yet and I would change it if I see something better. If you wanna see one you can go to youtube and type in "homemade perch scaler". Thanks alot fellas.

[huntinslabs]

Put em in a wire fish basket and drag em a couple hundred yards on the way back to the ramp and dump em in the cooler and Ta Da scaled and all the mess is in the lake.

[T.C.]

already though about that, I talked to a game warden at the ramp and he told me that was illegal. he said in FL the fish have to be in thier "original state" when they are brought back to the ramp.

[BigRiverMarine]

Im fixing to build a homemede fish scaler similar to the Open Country scalers sold at bass pro and cabelas. Its basically a drum with holes in it that is powered by an electric motor and geared down to turn slowly and it tumbles the fish around in it and the scales get rubbed off and drain outta the drum and dont make a mess. Im gonna make mine a lil diff but was just wondering if any1 else on here has one and wouldnt mind showing it off. My design isnt set in stone yet and I would change it if I see something better. If you wanna see one you can go to youtube and type in "homemade perch scaler". Thanks alot fellas.

PM me with a price on your prototype. I'd be glad to field test a demo for ya!! Lol

[T.C.]

just called the FWC to double check on the pulling behind your boat method and the officer said it was legal. So now i have one that says it ok and one that says its not, lol.

[huntinslabs]

I know for fact you can not cut them up. But to accidently leave your basket hanging while ya motored a bit. I honestly don't see how it could be a problem. The fish are still in tact just missing scales. Still able to identify species and size. Send an e mail to FWC and if it comes back as legal,then print their response just in case.

[SpiderKingRodHolders]

I am also interested in building one. A friend of mine has been using a wire brush on a drill motor and that works really well. We have made tumblers for our parts and didn't see why we couldn't build one for the fish.
I'll keep you guys updated and any suggestions would be appreciated.

[jusanothajoe]

My father-in-law built one and it works very well. I'll try to take some pics soon and post them. I'll try to describe now the best I can. the stand is made from angle iron, the drum is made from expanded metal, there is a pipe running length ways through the drum and acts like the axle. the drum turns the pipe does not, pipe has small holes drilled in bottom and water is hooked up to the pipe, this washes fish off as it turns. drum has a pulley mounted to it and a small gear motor bought off e-bay turns it. he used a white plastic for the bushings or bearings for the drum to turn on the pipe. you want a motor that turns VERY SLOW. fish sliding against drum and one another is what scales them, to fast and they will just tumble around. I always put my fish on ice and clean the next day and you know they can be very slimey. even if I am going to filet them I throw them in for about one minute just to wash the slime off. his scaler will scale a five gallon bucket of fish in about five minutes. fins and tails are broken up some the rest of the fish isnt scratched or scarred at all.

[T.C.]

Yeah some pics would be awesome.

[chucktx]

+1 on the pics!!!!!!