A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
A lot of you guys allready know this trick but I thought I would share it. When you catch a keeper trout(15.19") and you throw it in the cooler. You might cover it with ice by hand, and it with thrash and throw it off. The trout is lying on the ice. You get stopped later by the man and you happily show him your fish. He measures the now 14.95" trout and gives you a ticket. What happened!! Your trout that lives in water shrunk by drying out. The trick to stop it is simple. Once you get out on the water, simply put seawater in your cooler until it is 1or2" from the top of the ice(loose not bagged). it will make a super cold brine that will keep your fish from shrinking and they will look just caught when you get home. A fish with bright red gills will taste better than one with light pink ones. Also when you toss a trout in it will thrash and swim down into the ice completly immersing itself.
Hit-n-Miss - you are right on with this... I love the added benefit that they quiet down a lot quicker in Ice slush than on ice alone.
And I always feel better about keeping the little ones and letting the big ones go!
Barry Bevis, Realtor and Owner of BigBendFishing.net
I liked it so much, I bought the company
I think my son had a good way. He's fished the flats with me since he's been about 4 or 5yrs old. At the older age of 8 he was holding his own and figured he didn't need dads help unhooking and measuring fish. He hooked and landed a trout that looked to be just about a keeper so I told him to make sure he measured carefully. Well he got out the golden rule, measured a couple of times then threw it in the bottom of the boat and jumped on a couple of times. Before I realized what he was doing he put it back on the golden rule and said yep 15 1/4inches and threw it in the cooler. From then on I've measured all the fish.
Mark K wrote:I think my son had a good way. He's fished the flats with me since he's been about 4 or 5yrs old. At the older age of 8 he was holding his own and figured he didn't need dads help unhooking and measuring fish. He hooked and landed a trout that looked to be just about a keeper so I told him to make sure he measured carefully. Well he got out the golden rule, measured a couple of times then threw it in the bottom of the boat and jumped on a couple of times. Before I realized what he was doing he put it back on the golden rule and said yep 15 1/4inches and threw it in the cooler. From then on I've measured all the fish.
You’ve reached middle age when all you exercise is caution.
HitnMiss, BB struggled to catch a 15" at St Joe ,don't let him fool you. He also has a live well so he doesnt have that problem,maybe one day I can afford a livewell.
All things are possible when you turn your life to Jesus.If you don't know how just ask.
A lot of you guys allready know this trick but I thought I would share it. When you catch a keeper trout(15.19") and you throw it in the cooler. You might cover it with ice by hand, and it with thrash and throw it off. The trout is lying on the ice. You get stopped later by the man and you happily show him your fish. He measures the now 14.95" trout and gives you a ticket. 
What happened!! Your trout that lives in water shrunk by drying out. The trick to stop it is simple. Once you get out on the water, simply put seawater in your cooler until it is 1or2" from the top of the ice(loose not bagged). it will make a super cold brine that will keep your fish from shrinking and they will look just caught when you get home. A fish with bright red gills will taste better than one with light pink ones. 
Also when you toss a trout in it will thrash and swim down into the ice completly immersing itself. 
Some of us don't have the knack that you seem to have. Some days just legal is all I catch. 
