Just a hobbyist playing around. Ive got a lake Erie boat and we pursue walleyes fairly seriously. I kept all the belly fat from our walleyes last year after reading a post here on tman that walleye fat makes nice fish oil. My wife is a fitness supplement enthusiast so I've been keeping the plastic jugs that her stuff comes in. We will see how it does!

Should work out good, black is good

I do mine in glass just so I can see when it's rendered all the way. In a sunny hot spot it won't take long in your black jugs, and it will be fine. I have to coon proof mine while it's outside. I put it in a cage or lock it in one of those poolside totes. I put vegetable oil in my airlock. It doesn't evaporate, water doesn't last long and you don't want it compromised with flies. I make quite a few gallons every year of walleye fat oil.

Thanks turtledale, it was likely your post about the walleye fat that gave me the idea. It's certainly been a hot week so we'll see how long it takes. It's just about walleye catching time again so if it works well I should be able to make more!

It's been a week and I checked on it this morning, thick liquid at the top and a mild fishy odor. I'm feeling good! Turtle, how long do you let yours sit in the sun?

Decided to draw off the oil tonight. Used a turkey baster to draw it out until I got down close to the sediment. The quart jar is real clear and smells nice and fishy. I'm pumped! I'm guessing you bigger guys pour it through a sieve to strain it rather than draw it off?

You did it correctly for a small amount. Drawing from the top is the best way. If you pour it off as you say to strain it, you will mix the waste back into the oil. We use a vacuum pump system with a hose attach to draw from the top. Stopping just short of the underlying wastewater. Your oil looks good.

Thanks Bob, that makes much more sense to use a vacuum pump system. If the Lake Erie water ever warms up this year I'm hoping to collect a lot more walleye fat!

A baster can do a good job on small batches, it is just more time consuming. You did good with that oil.

washxc, Nice job on the fish oil. It looks really good. Sun/Heat rendered oils have a richer smell too them.

Looks great washxc
That's what it supposed to look like. Very easy to make and great for a lure base, trailing scent or on its own in a dirt hole. Welcome to your new addiction of fish oil making.

Mark, I opened a bottle of purchased fish oil and to my nose the stuff I made has a fishier odor. Perhaps its the sun rendering as you mentioned. Bob, do you discard the waste after you draw off the oil or does it have a further purpose?

You're right turtle, I'll be making lots more. I like the idea of using more of the parts from the fish we catch. On my boat I usually keep a few bags of fillets and cheeks from the first few outings, then I like to make sure friends that fish with me have lots of fish for their freezers. But I'll be keeping the belly fat!

I haven't made any baits or lures yet, just doing lots of reading and tinkering. I'll probably start with a bait solution at first. Just gotta figure out which base to use. I like the tinkering as much as I like the trapping and fur shed.

I would like to try this with some salmon bellies. How warm does it need to be to render the oil out? I’m wondering if our weather is just too cool to do this.

You would either need to provide a solar "heat box" for example to aide in the rendering process or some means of artificial heating that needs to be sustained over a period of time to allow sufficient warmth for the oil to work up. I have to use propane for a few months to work our oil since we do not have a good heat index here either for a sustained period of time.

same

looks nice

idk if this would work but if you leave that in the sun it might get more strong

i get my fish put in water so the watersmells like fish then i leave the fish juice in the sun and it changes color and gets way more strong hope this helps

Would shad be decent for this? I can catch loads and they have a strong fish smell right out of the lake.

Shad are excellent to render down

For fish oil?

Well if they are that'd be great I can get bucket loads. I also get lots of catfish bellies