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| I saw on Bob's Vermillion show he was measuring the length of the fish on the bump board without pinching the tail. This probably wouldn't cause any change in the results but I always pinch the tail as directed in the MN fishing rules and regs. Isn't that what evryone does when they want and accurate measurement? |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | I hate to say this, but rarely do I even measure fish. I get it out of the net, maybe a pic or two and back she goes. All small fish never even see the inside of my boat. |
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Posts: 1046
| Thats the way to do it! DNR does the same thing when they measure brood fish or your baglimit fish. I am with GMG, as I usually watermeasure with a float stick or if its over low/mid 40`s or more it gets the bumpboard and a quickpic! |
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| I don't pinch the tail, simply measure the tip of jaw to the tip of tail. I don't measure sub 40 muskies, and bump board or water measure larger muskies  |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Why bother, no one cares but you!?
Measure personal bests, but release the rest in the water.
The fish will be better off.
Doug Johnson
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | I use a float stick in the water, and try to get a good measuerment if its a 50"er than I try to get a very acurate in the boat photo of the fish and back in the water. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | I'm not fishing tourney's, so why bother with the pinch? |
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| Big is big, you don't need to pull them out on most occasions, last year we found a mid 40s fish tits up tail all bruised barly hanging on, had been hooked in the corner of the mouth, just out of the water too long she is gone, never to my 60 of my dreams, if you take them out don't rub them around on the carpet, unhook in the net pull her out for 10-15 sec for a pic if your ego requires, lay a stick next to her in the water whats a 1/2 inch, and get that fish swimmin come back and take her again, sensless dead fish really tick me off, things happen often enough without trying to do this and that. |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | I use a float stick, and not only do I usually forget the tail pinch, but I usually forget to girth it as well! I am WAY to caught up in the moment to do either! It takes someone else in the boat to tell me to do either. Even on someone else's fish. |
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| Keep 'em wet guys! Personally I think it is ridiculous to take a picture of each and every fish you catch. Measure them in the H2O (to the nearest inch, not 1/4 inch like is being suggested at MI) if you need to (MI MOFC/tourneys/outings), take out of water pics only if it is a special event or personal best/very large fish. We need to take the next step to serve the fish more than our egos as they are OUR valuable resource. Our guides know this better than anyone as they witness the results of improved handling techniques firsthand. Who knows, if the fish learn we keep them in the water instead of pulling them out all the time they may be even a little less wary of biting our lures? |
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| I am positive that in the MN 2005 regulations that measuring a fish to see if reaches a size limit the tail is supposed to be pinched. I wonder if anyone caught a 39.75" fish in Bob's tournament using a measurement without the pinched tail and failed to make the cut in a tournament with an $83,000 first prize.
As to the not taking any pictures of fish out of the water, unless someone is catching 50+ fish a year knocking the hooks out at boat side takes part of the enjoyment out of the sport. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | The measurement method is irrelevant for Bob's tourney... or any tourney for that matter. All that matters is that ALL fish caught in a tourney are measured EXACTLY THE SAME WAY. That's the only fair way to do it.
When I fish for fun.... I'll measure nice fish.... but I'm not overly concerned where the tail falls.... as I feel the same way as DougJ.... those numbers are simply for you. If you catch a 41 incher but felt it was bigger... go ahead and call it a 42 incher if it makes you feel better. I don't really care.
But.... getting back to the tourney gig.... if you allow tail pinching.... then some people may not want to accept their measurement and keep trying to "stretch" the fish.... extending the stress on the fish. That was the glory of having an UNmarked board for Bob's tourney. You have no idea what the measurement is until the fish is safely back in the water. There is no... "If I can pinch a little bit more I'll get another point" type of temptation.
jlong |
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| I just thought it curious that a method inconsistent with the MN regulations was used. Essentially the tourney didn't really have a 40" limit it had something more like a 40.5 or 40.75 limit. |
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Posts: 502
Location: Lincoln UK | I would have thought measuring to the fork more accurate, no need to tail pinch at all! It would of course be a more accurate measurement of the fish and not perhaps a smaller/ larger tail than average. I completely concur with the views expressed regarding not measuring anything but the larger fish and then only the minimal handling. With regard to the money issue, shouldn't even come into it- this is meant to be sport. |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | DJS,
I have acted as a judge in many muskie and walleye tournaments, and can tell you pinching the tail if the fish's nose is firmly against the bump board won't give you anything in additional length since the tail isn't 'hinged' if you get my drift. As the tail is pinched, it rotates inward, in some cases giving a shorter measure. Somtimes the bottom lobe of the tail is longer than the top, sometimes it's the other way around. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | gotta say after awhile which was a long time ago i stopped measuring and started guessing unless it was really big, then i'd put a float stick out there to get a measurement. my biggest is 48" and have missed a few at 50+ .... when my 50++++ comes it'll get laid out next to a floating stick and WILL NOT be a 52.3875" fish. it'll be around 52 with a picture of a guy with a huge smile on his face, and the relationship with the fish will be mostly in the water releasing. |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Just remember if you do measure a fish DO NOT include the slime trail 
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Posts: 158
Location: Eagan, MN | I thought you were just supposed to measure the fillets? |
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Measuring fish