Stickers get fishos unstuck
Stickers get fishos unstuck
Fisho recently received an email from reader David regarding the use of bag and size limit stickers as issued by the various state fisheries departments. In this particular case the enquiry related to a NSW angler who had used a NSW Fisheries sticker to measure the legal length of a kingfish, an action that later almost saw him come "unstuck".
David's email:
A guy in Sydney had an education from Fisheries several weeks ago.
The story goes like this....the bloke caught a Kingy....measured it on his Fisheries sticker and it measured 65cm....happy days with one for the BBQ.
Along come Fisheries....check the bloke has a licence which he does....they then check the length of his Kingy....slight problem....Fisheries measure it at 64.1cm .....the bloke asks Fisheries to measure it on his Fisheries sticker and sure enough it measures 65cm....Fisheries let him off with a caution...it could have been a $300 fine!!!.....Fisheries advise this guy that their stickers are not a legal form of measure, it does say this in small print on the sticker....when the guy gets home he measures each sticker he has in his boat ( two of them)...the first measures 64cm at the 65cm mark and the other measures 63.8cm at the 65cm mark.
Anyway just something to keep in mind.
Fisho contacted a spokesperson from NSW I&I about this issue and received the following clarification on the use of these stickers:
Response to Fishing World magazine re rec fishing stickers, 14th January 2010.
Industry & Investment NSW (I&I NSW) provides these stickers free of charge as a service to the anglers of NSW and clearly states on the product that it is a guide only and not a legal measure of length.
The stickers are produced using the highest quality vinyl, however I&I NSW is aware the stickers may be affected if stored at high temperatures for an extended period of time, which may result in slight shrinkage.
In an effort to reduce this issue, I&I NSW will advise agents who provide the stickers to store them out of sunlight and to avoid long term storage.
In most cases the stickers will not shrink once the sticker is adhered to a hard surface such as the side of a boat, esky or tackle box.
NSW Fisheries Officers are aware that the stickers are a guide only, as clearly stated on the ruler, and provided as a service to anglers.
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Out of interest will measure
Out of interest will measure the stickers on my boat having read this.
For KGs we have a pvc tube at 31cm (SA lengths) in length with and end cap. (tube cut on an angle at open end) we simply slide the whiting in headfirst - if the tail sticks out its a keeper.
Cheers
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUVNa-ViyGm_FTDSv4Nqzg/videos
bear
Posts: 184
Date Joined: 30/03/06
This has come up a few times
This has come up a few times on another site after some anglers were caught out during a Beam Comp. Once measured the stickers were should to be as much as 10mm out. Stick to rulers or gauges you've made yourself. I'd prefer Fishers put something else out than catch out anglers who use these as gospel.
JMO.
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
I've seen one boat with a
I've seen one boat with a measurement sticker with lines around the outside of it showing that it had shrunk (cant remember whos boat though, and they did have another sticker which they used instead of the older one).
If the whole sticker is out by 10mm then for bream sized fish, it'd only be a third of that out (assuming the whole sticker shrunk evenly) so only about 3-4mm.
64.1cm is fairly close to the 65cm limit though. He must have been taking fish that were spot on what he thought was the 65cm mark, no room for error. Even if the sticker is accurate then there could be slight variations in measurement if fisheries decided to check. E.g. stretching the fins a bit or having them a little lopsided or even just not aligning the nose up properly.
I've caught a few fish which were just on legal, but usually decide to release them to err on the side of caution.
I like the PVC tube idea Paul, would make it easy for that kinda fishing (and stop them squirming around while measuring). You'd want to make sure you set it up right and trusted it of course though. Do you cut the whole tube at an angle, or just part of it?
Lucky Tim
Posts: 2536
Date Joined: 28/11/07
Matt, the PVC whiting
Matt, the PVC whiting measuring device is usually 310mm x 50mm pipe with a cap on one end. Then about halfway along its length you cut at 90 degrees down halfway through the pipe, then cut parallel along the rest of its length. Effectively you have a piece of pipe that is cylindrical for half and a "half pipe" for the other half. Chuck the whiting in head first and fan its tail out, if it is longer than the pipe then into the esky, if not, overboard.
Here is a drawing I just did. It took longer than you would think and is copyright.
Toby Roe
Posts: 118
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Yeah hlokk I have the same
Yeah hlokk I have the same attitude, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Having said that though, the fisheries officer would have to be a miserable P#$ck to book you for half a centremetre with only one fish in the esky.
Cheers
carnarvonite
Posts: 8627
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Measure
When you measure your cray you do it with a shop bought measure most of the time.Fisheries do it with a verneer guage,it only has to be one mm under and your in it.
Usually when using the stick on strips for fish I measure to the fork of the tail not the overall length,that way it gives me the advantage.
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
I'm with Canarvonite
just catch really big fish. Why bother with tiddlers?
If I catch a fish and think I need to measure it, back it goes.
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Depends on where I'm fishing
Depends on where I'm fishing (and the av size being caught) as to what I keep I'm all for just catching the biguns but doesn't always work that way. Often releasing them if under 35-38cm or so, so often not a problem particularly when fishing on the west coast of Eyre Pen in SA where the average size is over the limit anyway and they go straight into the ice slurry without having to be measured
Lucky Tim your diagram is spot on for the PVC tube but on ours the cut out section is probably only 1/4 to a 1/3 of the total length. Tube was measured acurately and makes it very easy to check when catching them around the size limit - also saves on the old man dropping the odd wriggly one overboard when trying to line it up on the gunwhale.
Only have one for whiting though so with other fish rely on the sticker on the side. That being said most other fish kept snapper etc are more than a few cm over the limit so no real issue there anyway. If I am in doubt I'll throw it back as its not worth the risk.
Tube is very easly to use as Tim says - slide it in - if it sticks out drop it out into the esky - if not drop it out over the side - probably helps with those released as less handling with the hands and less slime removed etc (assuming you don't leave the tube in the hot sun) and they tend to be quiet and don't flap around once in the tube.
Don't know if the fisheries officer is that miserable for booking people just under, its up to us to know the rules and abide by them. fish don't shrink by 9mm as far as I'm aware.
Cheers Paul
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUVNa-ViyGm_FTDSv4Nqzg/videos