BigBendFishing.Net

Does anyone know if you are allowed to pinch the tail on trout or reds, or are supposed to? I hate throwing fish back that are perfect eating size.

The new rule installed this year states that the tail should be pinched when measuring I will look it up and post it, I recommend that you print it and keep it with you to educate the FWC officer when he measures it without pinching it

http://myfwc.com/marine/fishing_measurement.htm

"Total Length Max is measured from the most forward point of the head, with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed."

We were checked recently and i asked the officer about it and he told me, he would let me show him how i measured the fish and he would try and do it the same way, trout / reds you can move the tails to make the limit, forked tail fish , measure to the fork. Don't forget fish on ice a long time will shrink some and sometimes are hard to get straight, give yourself some margin for safety. Basically at the beginning of the day don't start throwing 15 " trout in the ice if your fishing all day !

Don't forget fish on ice a long time will shrink some

awww NO WAY!

If they is that close, throw em back..

If they is that close, throw em back..

Hey Sir Reel.. thought of you for some some reason

For what it's worth, I'm kind of slowly coming back around to my old personal rule of don't measure. If it looks close, it's short (or big, as applies). If it looks legal, it is.

It's been said before, but I'll reiterate. Don't trust the inches as they're marked on a popular brand of cooler lid. They get increasingly shorter.

If it's close, I usually stomp them, that's good for an inch or three....

My wife says squeeze the tail and pooch out his lips, and that will get you another inch.......

You can take the boy out of Georgia, but you can't take Georgia out of the boy.

If he's legal he's going in the box.