Measuring Fish
Submitted by Sean8 on Sat, 2010-01-30 15:00
Question, when measuring fish that have a V shaped tail where do you measure too? Some people say the natural lie of the fish (including the tail) and other say only to the point where the tail splits.
Redfin 4 Life
Posts: 942
Date Joined: 07/11/09
You measure the fish from
You measure the fish from the tip of the fishes tail. So right at the end of the fork. We got a 2010 fisheries measure for our boat and it says it on there so i know thats how.
Unless the fisheries got it wrong.
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Fisheries wise, its always
Fisheries wise, its always to the end of the tail. Quite often for research purposes, they'll measure to the fork as its 'more reliable' when used for determining growth rates, etc.
Sean8
Posts: 55
Date Joined: 13/07/09
And for competion?
Thanks guys, I should have been more clear. I am refering to competion measuring rather than for taking for a feed.
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
If its important to the
If its important to the competition, they'll usually state it in the rules (it can vary between comps, and some only use weight not length). If not specified, then I guess til the tip is the default (seeing thats what fisheries use).
dumper
Posts: 1027
Date Joined: 03/04/08
Yeah, I noticed that on the
Yeah, I noticed that on the afc bream comp today. They were measuring to the fork.
Redfin 4 Life
Posts: 942
Date Joined: 07/11/09
Some comps will have a prize
Some comps will have a prize for best weight and length.
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
IMO
it should be to the fork - more reliable measurement and you dont get people "feathering" the tail to get it "legal".
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Sean8
Posts: 55
Date Joined: 13/07/09
Agree with you Huggy.
Agree with you Huggy.
Colin Hay
Posts: 10407
Date Joined: 23/10/07
What about running a rolling pin over a fish a few times
That would make it a bit longer (Lol).
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Redfin 4 Life
Posts: 942
Date Joined: 07/11/09
Having it to the tip of the
Having it to the tip of the tail makes it easier to get a size fish but in some ways its harder to measure. But that is the formal rule of measurement made by the department of fisheries.
swagman
Posts: 3
Date Joined: 01/02/10
fork or tip
W.A. is the only state I know of that measures to the tip Qld and all the other states I have fished in all measure to the fork. Best way I have found around it is add two to three cms to the stated length and return any below that. One other thing the eastern states in particular Vic have had problems with the free measures given out by their fisheries, being up to 2cm out and people have been charged by fisheries for undersized fish.
Old fishermen don't die we just smell that way.
Lucky Tim
Posts: 2536
Date Joined: 28/11/07
SA and NT are all to the
SA and NT are all to the tip, the legal length of the fish is the longest possible length from one end to the other. Some fish are measured differently ie sharks from the last gill slit to the base of the tail in SA- this allows heading and tailing to bleed and maintain table quality.
Redfin 4 Life
Posts: 942
Date Joined: 07/11/09
Can the department of
Can the department of fisheries charge you if you have an up to date fish measure that is sold by them if the measurement are wrong as swagman said?
i think that would be unfair if they charged you because they made a dodgy measure.
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Pretty sure they can charge
Pretty sure they can charge you as the sticker says 'not to be used as a legal measuring device' or something to that effect. They can do checks on the quality as the stickers leave the factory, but they dont have much control if the stickers shrink when exposed to very hot conditions after someone has picked one up. Even if they picked a sticker material that didnt shrink, then maybe some unscrupulous people could put it in the oven and shrink it a bit and get away with keeping just undersized fish.
Lucky Tim
Posts: 2536
Date Joined: 28/11/07
at the end of the day the
at the end of the day the onus is on you to present a fish above the legal length, the method of measuring is of no relevance, unless it goes to court and you can tell the judge a sob story.
Remember though that most fisheries officers apply the "attitude test" so some manners early will always go a long way.
Redfin 4 Life
Posts: 942
Date Joined: 07/11/09
well i spose you just carry
well i spose you just carry a measuring tape and use the sticker as a quideline as to what you are measuring and how long it has to be.