total length measuring

[Si]

gday,
i know it pretty simple thing to understand and this may seem like a dumb question but i have seen differences between people measuring total length. some people i have seen pull the caudal fin down when the fish is on the brag mat to get maximum possible total length whereas i have seen other people not touch the back fin and let it rest normally. this can account for 1cm differences on standard squire and other fish that have fork style caudal fins for example. i normally throw them back anyway if they are close and often over but just something i have queried for awhile and couldnt find the relevant info from fisheries.

[STUIE63]

I hope this helps http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_3011.htm
Stuie

[Cheech]

You are allowed to move the tail down as it is a total length measurement. You cannot measure to the extreme tip if you just flop it on and take whatever it rests at. Sometimes depending on how the fish sits in the esky, the tail spreads out, and sometimes it squishes in, so taking it at what it flops on the measurer as will not give anything like an accurate measurement.


What you are not allowed to do is artificially distort the length. An example would be to snip the backbone (via the gut cavity). Apparently you can gain an extra couple of centimeters on a larger fish. I once heard of a charter operator doing this to a just under Red.

[Si]

I hope this helps http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_3011.htm
Stuie

yeah cheers. i did see this but it only shows a fish with the caudal tail at rest not being pushed down but does say 'extreme' length.

cheers.

[Si]

You are allowed to move the tail down as it is a total length measurement. You cannot measure to the extreme tip if you just flop it on and take whatever it rests at. Sometimes depending on how the fish sits in the esky, the tail spreads out, and sometimes it squishes in, so taking it at what it flops on the measurer as will not give anything like an accurate measurement.


What you are not allowed to do is artificially distort the length. An example would be to snip the backbone (via the gut cavity). Apparently you can gain an extra couple of centimeters on a larger fish. I once heard of a charter operator doing this to a just under Red.

thanks, agree re the inconsistancies with the tail at 'rest'. appreciate the clarification.

[Scott nthQld]

I always measure my fish with the tail at rest in a natural position. I have found everytime that a fish will 'lengthen' when the tail is pushed down so i do it that way to basically get the shortest measurement of the fish tip to tip so that whatever way fisheries measure, it will be legal. I also allow at least 1cm over before it goes in the esky ie barra legal size 58cm, won't keep them below 59 just to be safe.

One thing i have noticed though is some people will lay the fish down and using a tape will measure over the top of the fish. I've tried this myself and compared the the way described in the link Stuie supplied, I have found measuring over the top will 'increase' the total length by an average of 2-3cm obviously makes a bigger difference if the fish is larger, less of a difference if the fish is smaller.

[finding_time]

What you are not allowed to do is artificially distort the length. An example would be to snip the backbone (via the gut cavity). Apparently you can gain an extra couple of centimeters on a larger fish. I once heard of a charter operator doing this to a just under Red.

Cheech

That takes me back.. years ago when i was club fishing the odd bream just went 23cm's but of course over night it would shrink in the esky so would end up around 21.5 cm's!! Now you lost big points for undersized fish so to solve the problem you just had to take the Bream stick it's tail in your mouth, bite down on the tail fin then pull the head away from you ... Problem solved:o They always came back to the original lenght of 23cm's or sometimes they actually gained .5 cm:D The only real downside was having the GF accuse me of cheating on her instead of going fishing!!:-X :P

[Stuie]

Where do you measure to on a coronation trout? If you can measure to the end of the whips on the tail then a just legal coronation trout would be very small indeed!

[Cheech]

Cheech

The only real downside was having the GF accuse me of cheating on her instead of going fishing!!:-X :P


LOL .........

[BC....]

LOL too ;-)

[odes20]

I was fishing out at Windorah on the Coopers Crk in June and one evening on dusk a policeman turned up at our camp who works in with the Fisheries fella from Longreach. He went on a bee line to our 3 dingies as I think he had a tip off that 3 dingies must equal nets!

Anyway in the end and obviously finding no nets became more chatty and had a look at the few smaller but legal yellowbelly we had in the esky. One was a full centimetre over the size limit but he suggested we should have thrown that one back ???

We pointed out it was a full cm over the size . He obviously could not prosecute for being a centimete over but it makes you wonder how some of these blokes think.

Some people just like to keep you on edge I think, but I am quite comfortable bringing home a legal size fish if I want. Legal size is legal, whether its just legal or a foot longer!

Anyone who stretches fish though, is just asking for trouble.

Cheers

[wamjam]

I was fishing out at Windorah on the Coopers Crk in June and one evening on dusk a policeman turned up at our camp who works in with the Fisheries fella from Longreach. He went on a bee line to our 3 dingies as I think he had a tip off that 3 dingies must equal nets!

Anyway in the end and obviously finding no nets became more chatty and had a look at the few smaller but legal yellowbelly we had in the esky. One was a full centimetre over the size limit but he suggested we should have thrown that one back ???

We pointed out it was a full cm over the size . He obviously could not prosecute for being a centimete over but it makes you wonder how some of these blokes think.

Some people just like to keep you on edge I think, but I am quite comfortable bringing home a legal size fish if I want. Legal size is legal, whether its just legal or a foot longer!



anyone who stretches fish though, is just asking for trouble.

Cheers



Sometimes ... I think the people in uniforms are disappointed that you are doing the right thing !!!. :-?

Scott