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| How important is it to measure a muskie.
For some folks its very important and others could care less. I saw a show today where a famous muskie angler called a fish a 48 or 49 and was going to let it go without a measurement. But he desided to measure the fish with a sewing ruler, then the fish was 52". Note the measurement was not showen on camera either. That was great to have a measurement, but why not show it on a flat stick infront of the camera. Seeing this propted me to write this so we can all talk about it.
I have been a big believer of flat stick measuring ever since I worked with the DNR. The DNR uses a flat board to measure fish. They wet the board, place the fish on it, put the head of the fish up agenst the end of the board, pinch the tail and there it is. Fish takes off just fine.
Flat stick measuring in the water can only be done with at least three anglers. One to hold the head, one to hold the tail and one to hold the stick along the fish. This works better if you hold the fish tight to the boat. If you hold the fish by the tail in front of you, its hard to see if the end of the stick is at the mouth of the muskie and hard to pinch the tail. So I have found you must need other anglers to help you measure if you want to keep him in the water.
Sewing rulers are almost imposible to use to get a correct measurement. They round the nose, go over the girth and turn up the tail fin. I have seen anglers get tickets from the DNR when they had measured there walleyes with a sewing ruler. The DNR used a flat stick on those walleyes and they were almost an inch short of legal.
Tape measures can work too and can be accurate if you place the fish on the tape and not just hold it over it.
I not if favor of vertical measurements because its hard on the fish to be held that way. If you wet the floor and place a muskie along side a flat stick for a second or two before you pick them up for a photo they are just fine. The measurement and the photo all can be done in 10 seconds. I did this in the Pewaukee study and all the fish took off just fine and were recorded and some were caught again on a later date.
My point here on the "touchy subject" is how important is a correct measurement. What I have to say is only my opinion other have opinions too and I would like to hear them so we can come up with a great way to measure fish accuratly and quickly.
Is it not ok to just say...high fortys, or low thirtys. Because if you have not accuratly placed a correct measurment on the fish, how can you call it what you call it.
Just looking here for some opinions, right or wrong, everyone has there method and a reason why they measure there way. I think we can all work together on this thread and come up with some great ways to accuratly measure fish quickly and safely. |
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| I have a measure board that my dad made for me. It's a 1x6 with a four-foot rule fitted inside of it so it sits flush against the surface of the board. There's a small piece of 1x6 screwed into the end of the board for a nose bump. It's easy to lay it in the water and let it float and then slide the muskie on it, get a measurement and let the fish go. The board itself is about 60" long, so if you get a fish over 48, you make a mark on the board and then measure the extra length afterward. On the back of the board, I keep a log. Angler, lake, lure, date and length. I never leave for a trip without it.
Beav |
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| I use a flat 48" plastic rule that you can use in the water or hold the fish up beside it.for walleyes I use a home made hog troff made out of 4"pvc pipe with an end cap.Slide them in pinch the tail and either in or out. |
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| I measure all of my fish in the water with a floating sixty inch stick. I am able to get a pretty good measurement on a fish (within a half inch) during the release and the fish is in the water the whole time. I don't like to measure a fish in the boat anymore, I've seen them beat themselves up too many times the longer you keep them out of the water. The fish swimming away means a lot more to me than knowing if it was 46 or 46.5.
Norm Wild |
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| Seeing that i just aquired a measuring stick, i plan on measuring all my fish in the water. My opinion is that measuring is more for personal enjoyment and fullfillment. My goal is a 50". I would like to know if i get it without guessing. A 49 3/4" is not 50" to me. My biggest is a hair over 48" so it is 48" to me.
I do agree that using a flat stick is the best. Either in or out of the water. Sewing rulers are good for girthing. |
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| We summit our logs to the MNR so we have to give measurements as well as sex and other catch information. But by all means no need to be that acurate just get a quick measurement and release the fish. I don't even measure small fish anymore if I can't get within an inch of a 35 incher or under after catching over 400 of these things then I should give up.
I have clients at times that want to be 100% sure they got their 50 incher so I will measure the fish laying flat on the side of the boat but thats rare that client request that acurate of a measurement most believe me when I tell them the size of their fish.
I believe the less stress we put on these fish the better their chances of survival are. |
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| Myself and others here on the Niagara have Bump Boards.They measure from the middle sarting at 30" and measure out to 60".They also have persistly milled 1/2" and 1" lines,the 1/2"lines are black and the 1"lines are red.Every 5"are large numbers marking 5" increments as well.All you do is wet the board,then lay the fish on the board,bump the nose of the fish up to the end and look where the tail lays on the measurement lines.Doesn't matter what direction you put the Musky in to measure either.For a real stressed fish the board will float and it all can be done in the water as well. Capt.Larry |
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| I also use a floating tube for ballpark measurements. I made that's 60". Hows that for being confident. I haven't brought a fish in the boat or used a net for 5-6 years. I just lean over and release. Unfortunately the pictures I get aren't very good. In the past I tried the "hold your breath" approach to see how long the fish was out of the water for pictures and found out I'd rather release at boatside.
If it's a PR around 50" or a big tiger then I will probably take a good picture holding the fish up.
Buddy |
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| I use a metal 48" measuring stick I picked up from Menards, $5.00. It reads both ways and works great. It doesn't have a "nose bump" at the end, but works ok if placed next to the hull. Most of the time I fish by myself and this works the best for mE and they have all swam off perfectly. Thx for the tip on wetting the stick, I honestly wasn't doing that and will be more conscience of it next year. Motto for 2002 "BEAT THE STICK" !!! |
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| Jason- My Muskie stick is a flat piece of 1/4" x 3" x ~86 " oak with an 80" tape on it, it floats & allows rough measure in the water or precise out of water.... Most folks think I'm overly optomistic w/ 80" Muskie stick. But with two people it's a snap to do precise measurement in less than 10 seconds. Front guy stabilizes fish & back guy pinches tail.
No need to align fish with anything -> no nose stop required. Back guy says go! Each calls out tape measuremnet at their end. Front -> 4.5" and Back -> 57" Fish = 57 minus 4.5 = 52.5" Given that time out of the water is critical to survival of the fish - I have yet to find a need to measure in the boat.
Al Warner
www.icantfindmyfoot.com
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| Jason, I caught that show today too! When the fish first hit he thought it was a small fish! When he got it up his partner claimed it to be 48 or 49, so he decided to measure it without us seeing it. And of course the fish turned out to be a 52. How ironic is that? I don't know if you heard what he said about how many fish he's gotten over 50, but if I remember correctly he said that was his 70th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BrettC |
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| Jason I agree, the only way to get a legal measurment on all fish is a flat stick or bump board. any fish that has been taped in my opinion is short than the TRUE lenth of the fish. You can add at least two inches on a taped fish as compared to using a bump board. |
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| I'm not trying to start any fights here, but if people are going to measure their fish (which I rarely do) shouldn't there be a common measuring system.
I know there are a variety of ways in which fish get measured; tail pinching, no tail pinching, nose to tail (longest part). Which way is the right way? To me, pinching the tail is like making your hair stick straight up before you measure your own height.
With the different measuring systems, how do we honestly compare or swap stories about biggest fish. All the B.S. aside, if size didn't matter some what, why would we measure the fish any way?
Is there a recognized way for the OFFICIAL record books? Does it depend on geographical region, how most of us measure?
Cheers,
J.P. |
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| This has always been a sore point for me. Especially when it comes to big fish. I believe if you are going to go around claiming you caught a 50+ inch muskie you should measure it as accuratley as possible, no exceptions. People make the agruement for poor measurements on they "do not want to hurt the fish" or they have caught enough they can guess (guess is the key word here). Well, if your are going to fish for muskies and catch 50+ inch fish, have the equipment to measure them properly. Guessing or half a$& measuring is not acceptable in my book (i.e. measuring with a sewing tape, in the water, holding vertically, etc.). I refuse to believe a fish story if it is not measured accuratley. I hope this is true for most of you also.
I have made a board for measuring fish that is made with the fish in mind. I will post a picture on my website this evening if you are interested. It is made out of a 1x10 peice of cedar with a plexy glass cover. Wet the board and measure away. I lay my fish on this board and pinch the tail in the same fashion as any DNR would measure your fish or fish they are collecting data from test nets. It is a consistant and a accurate measurement everytime.
If you interested in buying one, let me know.
David Swenson
http://muskieguide.homestead.com/ |
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| I've been measuring all my fish (bass, northerns, walleyes, muskies) since I was 7 years old to keep for my own personal fishing records. I've always liked keeping statistics, and it's interesting to go back through the years and compile all the numbers through the years, for all species that I catch.
So when I started musky fishing, I naturally had to get accurate measurements for my fishing records. I usually just go to the nearest half inch, but occasionally, especially with bigger fish, I'll go to the nearest quarter inch. How I measure them is by holding them up against the wall of the boat, where we have a 56" tape sticking. Of course, two people are needed for an accurate measurement on fish of any size. If fishing alone, I'll wet a large piece of plastic to lay them on in the bottom of the boat and use a measuring stick.
To answer out2llunge's question - The DNR says that official measurements are made by measuring from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, by pinching the tail. This is how they measure all of their fish. |
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| I am with Norm Wild on this. I measure my fish in the water with a floating 60" stick. Works fine for me and the fish are no worse for wear. Not sure what I will do when I catch a fish that is longer than the stick. I think the guys using the 80" rulers might be on to something. [:praise:] |
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| I measure any muskie I intend to brag about, and get a floating stick measure on the ones I don't. I use a bump board, wet down the surface, and lay the fish on top.
Floating bump boards work well if one is willing to lose a fish during the process before an accurate measure is obtained.
A 50", 48", or for that matter 45" is not 50,48,or 45 unless measured, it is a "about", or "48" class" fish. Like many here I have caught enough muskies to guess at a 45 or 48 pretty well...BUT! The bump board doesn't exaggerate.[:bigsmile:] |
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| I am a bump board man!
Actually just had a new one made up for the new boat. 53 inches long X 9 inches deep. Yeah, 53 isn't very long, but I will have a sharpy in the boat to mark the carpet if the fish is longer....just hope I get to use it!! I had this one made deep (9 inches) so the carpet would have minimal impact on taking the slime off the fish.
I have seen the stick used on a vertical hold and don't like it a bit! even after a measurement guys were like "you got it to the tail right...and the tip was on the nose....right??" Bump board is a no brainer....
Cory |
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| Cory,
Where did you get your new one made?
I like the idea of "wider is better".
I have a floating stick and measure most in my kwik-cradle.
Bragging size fish "all three of them"[:bigsmile:] have been measured 2-flat sticks, 1-floating stick.
I always opt for leaving fish in water except for photos.
Mark
Musky Adventures
Eau Claire, WI |
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| I never measure my fish, and I dont carry a camera, in a perfect world I wish every muskie I get would throw the hooks at the side of the boat after a good fight then I dont have to mess with getting the hooks out,,Fishing by myself its hard to measure and very hard to photograph a fish so if I dont have a camera Im not tempted to bring the fish in and risk hurting him,,I do carry a floating stick ruler when I go to canada |
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| I have a friend who is a machinist at a local company. He made it up out of scrap stainless steel....I hate to think what the thing would have costed me if I had to pay straight out for it....
[:knockout:]
Cory |
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| I have posted a couple pictures of the board I use being used. It shows how to accurately measure a big fish. You can see it at: http://muskieguide.homestead.com/ Click on the botton on my home page labeled "Bailey's Tackle" and it will lead you there.
The best thing about measuring fish this way is that you and I will get the same results everytime.
David Swenson |
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| DLS....good pics and a nice board.
I think its better seen at:
http://muskieguide.homestead.com/Boardhome.html |
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| I was taught by my friend and teacher, Chuck Shauer, and that was to measure fish in the water whenever possible. I do all the work I can in the water(handlanding most fish under 45") and on the big ones, hold them up quick for a photo. I think a fish measured in the water in its natural calm position gives the best measurement but that might just be me> |
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| Just get yourself one of those floating measuring sticks and take a quick measure of the fish while it is in the water, if you are not in a tournament you don't have to be exact. It is fun to know about what length your fish is. If you exaggerate other musky fisherman will know. Heck we know all fisherman exaggerate alittle.[;)] Al |
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| To keep an accurate log, I measure all fish over 30". I have been flat measuring fish in the boat. This year I am going to water measure most fish with the floating 60" stick. In tournaments and large fish, I will use the flat measure as this is the most accurate.
Landy Roepke |
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| Jason,
Here are a few of my thoughts on measuring fish, first I dont measure too many fish for me unless they get around the 45 inch class or bigger. When I have clients in the boat and they want a measurement I have a floating pvc pipe caped on both ends with 65 inches or ruler tape on it and try to get a accurate measure so they can go back and tell people what size they caught, not al want measurement but most do.
Throughout the years I have gotten pretty good with guessing a fish size, some friends of mine and I catch a fish, guess the size, then measure, most times within an inch or so.
Brad
breuerguideservice.com |
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To measure or not to measure