Boardman-area anglers rejoice! A new fishing-cleaning machine is now available at Marina Park.
A large crowd turned out on Tuesday, March 19 for the grand opening of Boardman Marina Park’s new Barracuda III, a 5-horsepower cleaning and grinding machine that replaces the old one that wore out a couple of years ago.
George Shimer, CEO of the Boardman Parks and Recreation District, thanked the crowd for turning out as well as the effort made to acquire the Barracuda III.
“A lot of people saw the need and put in the work to get this done,” Shimer said. The previous machine began wearing down a few years ago, he said, causing it to clog up.
“And it didn’t grind up the walleye very well,” Shimer said. “It was tough work to unclog and clean it up and it would stink.”
The new machine cost around $70,000 to purchase. A $62,500 grant from the Morrow County Unified Recreation District and money from the annual Boardman Walleye Tournament paid for the new machine, Shimer said.
The Barracuda III has eight-inch chutes or inlets in which discarded fish parts are tossed and then ground up. With more horsepower and sharper, tougher grinding teeth, the Barracuda III is unlikely to clog anytime soon. The manufacturer says the machine can easily cut through aluminum cans, although that is not recommended. The machine’s cutting boards allow water and waste to drain into the center basin.
“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate the work that went into this,” Shimer said. “The local fishermen have been dying to use it.”
