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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | i have been using a bumpboard for the first time this season and it seems that almost everytime i turn the fish on its side it freaks out. anyone else notice this? how do you stop that from happen? any help would be great. thanks. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Keep a little pressure on them, use both hands and firm grips. Don't attempt to just lay them on the board and expect them to lay there. Another option is to roll it on its back for a few seconds, doesn't always work but sometimes gets them to sit still for a few seconds. Muskies are pretty easy, just hold on to them, trout are a pain in the arse. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Bop them in the head, they will lay still for a very long time.  |
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Posts: 1220
| I have no beef with the guys who make and sell the bumpboards, but if I am not in a tournament, I see no reason for their use. Unless there is money on the line (or a big trophy) close enough is close enough. I try to hold my round mearsuring stick along side the fish in the net and have no problem with the fact that the measurment is not exact. Most of the time, I am pretty sure I can "eye-ball" the thing within an inch or so and don't even bother with the stick. If you MUST lay the thing out and have trouble keeping the fish still, put on a handling glove before lifting your fish. Knowing the glove will keep you from getting cut will give you the confidence to really grab hold in a way the will put the fish at rest. Marty Forman |
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Posts: 27
| Especially when its hot, dip the bumpboard in the water to cool it off and protect the fish from rubbing against it. |
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Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | Or better yet, put the bumpboard in the water and measure them on the board while in the water. |
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Posts: 1270
| I have to agree with junkman here. I don't really care if the fish is 47 or 48 so I see no reason to put undue stress on the fish just so I can say it was 47-11/32". |
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Posts: 307
| I'm with junk and reelman. Unless it's a tournament my round floaty stick does just fine. |
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Posts: 283
Location: beloit | give me a bump board! I want to know if I have a new pb! |
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Posts: 999
| Alot more 50"s come with the stick, I'll use the board over a stick anyday on big fish only.
Mr Musky |
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| some just want to know the true length of their catch. a bumpboard doesn't lie. how many so called 50 inchers were really 50s if they were measured with a stick. again a bumpboard will show you the true length. |
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | The Bump board gives you the measurement in alomost no time at all you dont have to hang onto the fish tightly and try to see if the "0" is at the tip of its mouth or at the tip of its tail. You just put it on the board and 2 seconds later you have an accurate measurement No reason you shouldnt use a board. My 2 cents |
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Posts: 267
Location: Ft. Wayne, Indiana | Joe Cal - 6/22/2009 9:12 PM
The Bump board gives you the measurement in alomost no time at all you dont have to hang onto the fish tightly and try to see if the "0" is at the tip of its mouth or at the tip of its tail. You just put it on the board and 2 seconds later you have an accurate measurement No reason you shouldnt use a board. My 2 cents
agreed. It is also the most accurate measurement you are going to get. |
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| I agree, taking a fish from the net to the board takes less time than messing with a stick. It also gives you an accurate measurement. I have laid a few hundred fish on bump boards and can only recall maybe 3 or 4 fish that did anything else besides just lie there. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | True measurment = Bumpboard, and like others have said here it's about 3-6 seconds to get it.........
Jerome |
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Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | I have to agree, the only draw back of using a bump board, is you will measure a lot less 50 inch fish. If you want to catch numbers of 50s use the stick. If you want an accurate measurement, use the bump board. |
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| Bump boards mean more handling, fish out of the water, dropped fish, flopping fish, more stress overall. None of it is necessary. So you need an exact, to the 1/4" measurement? For what? Why do you fish? To catch the things, or measure them? Does it matter to anyone but you how long the thing is? If you aren't sure if a fish is 49" or 50", so what? Just say it was a nice one. Seriously - get out a ruler. Look at how long 1 inch is. Stare at it for a while (isn't far, is it?) and then ask yourself if there's really a qualitative difference between a 49-incher and a 50-incher. If you have to measure it, use a stick in the water. Fish > ego.
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Location: Contrarian Island | I like accurate measurements...so sue me...if it's a 50 I want to know...I don't get why guys have to knock guys for measuring fish accurately....why do YOU care what I do...I don't care what you do...so get over it...go fish.
takes 3 seconds ...doesn't harm fish....funny you fish with 8/0 hooks that can and do kill fish but you are worried about measuring a fish on a bumpboard...funny.
Edited by MSKY HNR 6/23/2009 10:07 AM
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I've always used the floating ruler, and I do think it's pretty good for the fish. BUT, I am going to make a bump board this year. I've caught a few fish in big(er) wind and waves, and measuring a longer fish in those conditions can be tough. Every wave bends the fish, and to keep the fish straight you have to have a solid hold on the tail as well as the gill plate hold. Sometimes i seems to take more time than it should to get within that 1/2 inch measurement accuracy. When it's a longer fish and the waves are big, each wave can change the length a couple inches. Then you have to make sure the tail is right to the end of the ruler, at the same time you are looking at the nose of the fish 40, 45, or (hopefully someday) 50 inches away.
I think a bump board would be a lot quicker. The fish is out of the water for a picture anyway. Lay the fish down, bump it, and back in the water. Sometimes in warm water and big waves, I feel using the stick is not as fish friendly as quickly bumping it on the board and getting it back in and gone.
curleytail |
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Posts: 335
Location: Minnesota | The bumpboard takes less time to measure a fish and therefore would seem to be less stressful for the fish. I don't buy the argument about more fish handling to use a bumpboard versus a stick. If you put the bumpboard in the water to measure the fish you could get the most accurate measurement with the shortest fish handling time possible.
I use a stick for everything I measure becuase I don't have a bumpboard yet. After I buy a bumpboard I will probably use it almost exclusively and only use the stick if I forget the bumpboard at home. |
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Posts: 1220
| Don't want to beat the dead horse, but for a lot of us (when fishing for fun) it's just not that important if the fish is 48 or 49 (or 38 and 39) It's just not. Of course, you are more accurate with the board, but you have to lay the fish down on a flat surface to make it work and the bigger the fish--the more stress that will cause. If it's worth it to you to get it that exact...well it's your fish and your right.
Marty Forman |
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| after measuring it on my bumpboard i take a picture of the fish.
oh my gosh!
Fish > ego.
actually it's an Id-based need: immediate gratification for what feels good.
this is in conflict with the SuperEgo: our values that harming a fish is wrong.
it is managed by the Ego into socially acceptable forms: measure/photograph the fish quickly to meet both objectives.
soooo...perhaps you meant to say: Fish > Id. but let's not quibble.
muskies are valuable sport fish, and we should make every reasonable effort to release them successfully. conscientious people will balance their enjoyment of the moment with the fish's well-being.
imho, the key word here is balance.
it's absolutely OK to want to have a measurement and a picture; it's also the right thing to do to take good care of the fish by doing those things quickly.
we're all interested in releasing fish right. getting a quick measurement in or out of the water plus a photograph is always going to a part of that in my boat.
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | This is frustrating that no one has really answered my question. Its turned into a debate on to use a board or stick. Regardless of your personal opinion I will still use a board. and for those that are worried about "putting undo stress" on a fish maybe you should stop fishing for them, what; you don't think that causes stress on them? Get over yourselves and give me a break. |
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| fish stress? on a true measuring device? what about all these so called elitest on hot water? double standards rule the day! members of clubs fishing hot water. guides fishing hot water.either you truly care about the fishery or not! measuring fish should really be the least of our ego driven sport! |
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| To all of those that use a floating ruler and say they don't care if it's 38 or 39, why even bother with a ruler??? Just estimate it, cause that's all a floating ruler is, an estimation within an inch or two.
For me, I bust my a$$ trying to catch these fish, I want to know how big they are when I catch them so I use a bump board.
I'm not a biologist, but my guess is that the fish eating a lure with metal hooks all over it, then struggling for it's life while I crank it in is much more stressful than any form of measuring.
Oh, and jay, sometimes they just like to flop around, I've measured lots of fish over the years and for whatever reason, some are more lively than others. Not really much you can do, just hang on tight!
John
Edited by Oneida Esox 6/23/2009 1:01 PM
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Measuring the fish should be the least?
Not for me, sorry. I bump fish I want to measure, and guess at fish I don't. I don't like to offer an estimated length on one I don't measure, too sketchy.
These are fish. To me they are to be respected as a quarry and understood as to the conservation tactics involved.
Bumping the fish isn't going to unduly stress them if done properly. John puts it pretty well as to why some are pretty active and some not. Most I measure just lay there.
If the fish is trying to move around too much, maybe one could use that stick to whack 'em a little and settle them down.. |
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Posts: 8782
| I just have one question for the guys who are worried about putting "undue stress" on the fish:
Is ramming sharp metal hooks through their faces and dragging them through the water while they are trying to escape ok? What about netting them, and using pliers to rip those same hooks back out of their faces? What about taking them out of the water and holding them in the air for a picture? If you were REALLY worried about their well being enough that you thought using a bump board was putting undue stress on them, how could you POSSIBLY justify catching them in the first place??? Maybe we ought to try kissing them on the forehead before we release them, do you think it would make them feel better? |
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Posts: 2037
Location: lansing, il | wow |
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Posts: 462
Location: Madison Wi. Chain | Getting back to the original question, I always pick up the fish with my left hand. I know that if I pick up the fish with my left hand I can easily put the head in the correct position on the board for a quicky measurement. If you can put the board in the water that is even better, but at least get the board wet. Always, have the fish firmy gribbed and hang on tight if it flops. BG |
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| Jay it is hard to stop this from happening I try to do most of the fish handling in my boat. Most of the time I try to get a measurement for the customer that caught it. I also try to use 2 hands on the fish so they cant move as much. When I give the fish the person that caught it I ask them to use 2 hands also. It is even more nessesary when they are bigger fish. Even though the bigger ones are not as spunky at the board when they get tense it is hard to hold on to them. If a fish is not being nice I will some times not take a measurement or do it with a soft tape in the water and try to do the picture a differnt way.
What ever you do take your time and do what is best for the fish. |
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