I just a purchased a new 20' center console that my son and I will begin using in Long Island Sound this spring. The boat will be kept in a slip in a marina TBD most likely in Niantic. I am considering adding a bait/fish cleaning station (the kind that goes in a rod holder) so that one of us can clean fish as we head home at the end of our trips like the party boats do.

For fish that have a minimum or slot length like fluke, black seabass, porgeys, and striped bass; Can I fillet legal length fish on my boat on the ride in?

Do I need to keep the racks on the boat? Will a picture with a tape measure or yard stick for reference suffice?

The actual length part of the regulations are clear. I appreciate that once I fillet a fish it is no longer possible to document that it was a legal fish (without a rack or picture). Please clarify when and where I can fillet my catch and if any documentation of length is needed prior to reaching my dock.

Thank you for your help,

MikeV