Fish measuring tolerance??

[Whiteysonly]

Hey guys,
Now I know it should be cut and dry about measuring fish but is there a "un written" rule on size?? The reason I ask is I caught a walleye about 3 mm or 1/8" for you old guys over the 550 mm or 55 cm Mark at calling lake,being a pipefitter by trade we measure everything to the mm. I did release the fish to avoid any trouble but after thought of the variance in measuring devices is there a tolerance. I have marks on my boat but again it's close within a 1/4". What do you guys think

[Winch101]

I have caught walleyes right on the mark and measured them later to see that they were smallerafter being in the livewell for awhile ...

so I have a 1/2 inch bigger rule ....Any other thoughts on this.

[buckbrushoutdoors]

More importantly, since when does a pipe fitter measure in mm? 1/4" or 16th's or 32nd's but I have never seen mm on a drawing

[Whiteysonly]

More importantly, since when does a pipe fitter measure in mm? 1/4" or 16th's or 32nd's but I have never seen mm on a drawing

Well living in Canada using the metric system I would say every job I've been on in the 13 yrs I've been doing it! Also being Canadian pipefitter is one word not 2. For the record I'm also a journeyman welder. Unless your prints are from a Yankee engineer it's always mm

[BeeGuy]

Hey guys,
Now I know it should be cut and dry about measuring fish but is there a "un written" rule on size?? The reason I ask is I caught a walleye about 3 mm or 1/8" for you old guys over the 550 mm or 55 cm Mark at calling lake,being a pipefitter by trade we measure everything to the mm. I did release the fish to avoid any trouble but after thought of the variance in measuring devices is there a tolerance. I have marks on my boat but again it's close within a 1/4". What do you guys think

If it is over, take a picture that clearly shows its length.

No judge can argue with proof.

[Booner1]

the tolerance is (.000") or (0.0 mm) what ever scale we use...lol

[alacringa]

It never hurts to play it safe.

[walking buffalo]

If it is over, take a picture that clearly shows its length.

No judge can argue with proof.


Lol....

Sure. But a Lawyer would rip that evidence apart.

[ReconWilly]

Maybe its just me but its seems pretty clear to me as i read and understand the regulations, oh and by the way i also do pipe work for a living and as far as measurements go 55cm is always 55cm, 55cm is NEVER 55.1250cm.PERIOD.

I think they cover that stuff by grade2...:test:

[Whiteysonly]

Maybe its just me but its seems pretty clear to me as i read and understand the regulations, oh and by the way i also do pipe work for a living and as far as measurements go 55cm is always 55cm, 55cm is NEVER 55.1250cm.PERIOD.

I think they cover that stuff by grade2...:test:

Oh yeah another smart ass. "pipe work" aka laying sewer pipe is not being a certified journeyman steamfitter/pipefitter that builds plants so I will excuse your ignorance. I had a simple question like when the speed limit is 100 you will not get a ticket going 105. And I also read the regs everything cover to cover which I learned in grade 2!

[BeeGuy]

Lol....

Sure. But a Lawyer would rip that evidence apart.

In this case do you think there would be a lawyer involved when challenging a ticket?

[ReconWilly]

Oh yeah another smart ass. "pipe work" aka laying sewer pipe is not being a certified journeyman steamfitter/pipefitter that builds plants so I will excuse your ignorance. I had a simple question like when the speed limit is 100 you will not get a ticket going 105. And I also read the regs everything cover to cover which I learned in grade 2!

Why you so mad bro?, my comment was not a shot at you or your "superior credentials" cough cough lol, obviously someone with your extensive education should clearly know the difference right?:)

[Rick.]

Keep it up and I'll hire a mechanical engineer to make a ruling to set all of us straight. LOL. I would guess the Fish and Game ruler is the one that matters most. I would guess his will be very accurate. I doubt they would have any tolerance for a person who has kept undersize fish no matter how close to legal it may be. Rick.

[Cad-Tech]

Hey guys,
Now I know it should be cut and dry about measuring fish but is there a "un written" rule on size?? The reason I ask is I caught a walleye about 3 mm or 1/8" for you old guys over the 550 mm or 55 cm Mark at calling lake,being a pipefitter by trade we measure everything to the mm. I did release the fish to avoid any trouble but after thought of the variance in measuring devices is there a tolerance. I have marks on my boat but again it's close within a 1/4". What do you guys think
If you are under you are charged and if you are over its illegal.
63 cm = 24.8031496062992 inches.

[Cad-Tech]

Keep it up and I'll hire a mechanical engineer to make a ruling to set all of us straight. LOL. I would guess the Fish and Game ruler is the one that matters most. I would guess his will be very accurate. I doubt they would have any tolerance for a person who has kept undersize fish no matter how close to legal it may be. Rick.
funny....lol.....

[HunterDave]

Last year I filled my three 43 to 50cm walleye tags in Lac Ste Anne with 49cm walleye so I guess that 1 cm is my comfort zone. Three mm is cutting it close if it was measured by a F&W Officer but if it's legal, it's legal I guess.

[BeeGuy]

Lol....

Sure. But a Lawyer would rip that evidence apart.

I just figured out what that ruler is used for, lol

[Cad-Tech]

Lets measure the fish to .0001 of an inch and that will confuse the pipe fitters...oh yea !!!!!!

[billie]

Wait til the milwrights weigh in, you guys are sooooo out to lunch!

[Mayhem]

My buddy and I were checked a number of years ago at Fawcett lake when the min size was 43 cm. As the CO was measuring one his fish he commented "this one is close", to which my buddy jokingly replied "it's a hot day, maybe it shrunk"...The officer followed up with a firm "they don't shrink"...The fish ended up being 43 3/8" on his board and we went on our way. Personally, I allow a 1/2" when measuring just for possible error on my part.

[B-rett]

I work in the trades as well. No one uses cms or mms. My first day when I was doing carpentry my boss took my tape measure as threw it away. His excuse was "no one uses cms" To this day I've never seen anyone use it. Anyways, about measuring fish, I can't answer that. New to fishing so I haven't measured anything yet. I just had to say that we don't use imperial.

[Kim473]

Last year I filled my three 43 to 50cm walleye tags in Lac Ste Anne with 49cm walleye so I guess that 1 cm is my comfort zone. Three mm is cutting it close if it was measured by a F&W Officer but if it's legal, it's legal I guess.

No tolorance period. Keep your fish that are 1 cm inside the limit and your good, 44 to 49cm. If your one mm over or under you will get fined. Why take the chance.

[zabbo]

I work in the trades as well. No one uses cms or mms. My first day when I was doing carpentry my boss took my tape measure as threw it away. His excuse was "no one uses cms" To this day I've never seen anyone use it. Anyways, about measuring fish, I can't answer that. New to fishing so I haven't measured anything yet. I just had to say that we don't use imperial.

Wow! Must be really tough to measure anything, if you don"t use Cm / Mm or imperial????? Just saying........ :scared0018:

[Drewski Canuck]

Guys, more important, pinch the tail fully.

Drewski

[Jamie Black R/T]

my brother was stopped coming off of calling about a month ago with a 55cm walleye....right on the money 55cm

The CO harped on him that it was "too close" but when my brother kept asking him to write a ticket for a fish "too close" he obviously let it go as the fish was legal.

carry a board and measure properly. I have 43-50cm tags and i wont keep anything under 49-49.5cm.

[Lefty-Canuck]

carry a board and measure properly. I have 43-50cm tags and i wont keep anything under 49-49.5cm.

X2.....Set a limit, stay within it :)

LC

[SnoochyBoochy]

;)

I wish I caught more fish that size but all the fish I seem to catch are monsters sooooo...

To B-Rett- All the regs and F&W tools are in cm's...just saying perhaps you should dive in that dumpster you threw your tape in and throw it in your fishing gear.

A better question is how much allowance did SRD give when writing the regs...Like for instance a Fish that is 43cm in a lake is at what stage of maturity "Prime Spawner" and what is the window of inches. My opinion is that they probably already regulate over what is safe for the species. Like a "Prime Spawner" is prob 40cm+ maybe even smaller.
My point is that I would guess that we are already on the SAFE side with the current reg's, no need to have an over standard.


Cheers
Snooch :acigar:

[Buck9]

Not sure if it's true but have heard that fish measure longer on one side than the other? I just play it safe and if they are close put them back

[m.wood]

I ran into this at lower K a couple weeks ago. Got a rainbow 2-3mm short of the 50cm limit. Of course I put it back, and sure enough a CO showed up less than an hour later. I asked him the question, and he explained that some CO's will give a little grace, but it's at their discretion.

[moose maniac]

More importantly, since when does a pipe fitter measure in mm? 1/4" or 16th's or 32nd's but I have never seen mm on a drawing

Measuring in mm is so much easier and faster. No fractions to deal with,every pipefitter i know including myself works in mm

[Dewey Cox]

The unit I use to measure is "fish". As long as my catch is one fish long, I keep it.

[Pinhead]

A better question is how much allowance did SRD give when writing the regs...Like for instance a Fish that is 43cm in a lake is at what stage of maturity "Prime Spawner" and what is the window of inches. My opinion is that they probably already regulate over what is safe for the species. Like a "Prime Spawner" is prob 40cm+ maybe even smaller.
My point is that I would guess that we are already on the SAFE side with the current reg's, no need to have an over standard.


Cheers
Snooch :acigar:

Actually a 43cm walleye is NOT sexually mature yet. A walleye in Alberta does not start to spawn until closer to 19 inches, with the 22-28 inchers doing the vast majority of the spawning. This is what destroyed the Alberta fishery. Keep all the spawners and throw back the non spawners. Sounds to me to be a great way to increase a population. I heard Mike O'Sullivan's (head fishery biologist for F&W back around 1995) speel many years ago when he instigated the new walleye regs, I argued with him then and I thank him now for destroying the fishery. I sure wish I could talk to him now. Everywhere, province or state, that has a thriving, spawning walleye population has a slot limit, but no - according to Mike Alberta was so special. Well thanks a lot look what you have a accomplished!!

And on top of ruining the walleye populations it has messed up the whole balance of the lakes and now we have had a crash in the pike population.

Don't let anyone tell you that the fish are gone because of the influx of people to Alberta (this base on legal catch, not the illegal catch which can also be a detriment to the fishery), because there are many fisheries that are fished as hard or harder that Alberta lakes and have survived both in Canada and in the US.

Dan

[catnthehat]

I keep fish if they are at least 1 1/2" over the limit - that way there is no arguing, and I don't take a lot of fish for the table, only a few every now and then if the wife wants some for dinner.

Oh, and I'm a carpenter/scaffolder and have been working with metric and "standard" prints for about 30 years now, both in residential and industrial construction.

Cat

[huntsfurfish]

Actually a 43cm walleye is NOT sexually mature yet. A walleye in Alberta does not start to spawn until closer to 19 inches, with the 22-28 inchers doing the vast majority of the spawning. This is what destroyed the Alberta fishery. Keep all the spawners and throw back the non spawners. Sounds to me to be a great way to increase a population. I heard Mike O'Sullivan's (head fishery biologist for F&W back around 1995) speel many years ago when he instigated the new walleye regs, I argued with him then and I thank him now for destroying the fishery. I sure wish I could talk to him now. Everywhere, province or state, that has a thriving, spawning walleye population has a slot limit, but no - according to Mike Alberta was so special. Well thanks a lot look what you have a accomplished!!

And on top of ruining the walleye populations it has messed up the whole balance of the lakes and now we have had a crash in the pike population.

Don't let anyone tell you that the fish are gone because of the influx of people to Alberta (this base on legal catch, not the illegal catch which can also be a detriment to the fishery), because there are many fisheries that are fished as hard or harder that Alberta lakes and have survived both in Canada and in the US.

Dan

Actially 43 cm fish may be spawners on some lakes/reservoirs. Males are smaller than females.

On some waters by the time females hit 50 they have spawned twice(but at least once), replacing themselves before being removed.
If you think they have destroyed the fisheries than you havent been around long!
15 or twenty years back size limit was 16" that was one of the prime reasons the walleye fishery collapsed. People switched to pike to take up slack and that has not helped pike fishing. 63 cm limit on pike will help them recover a bit too.

If you dont think the population/fishing pressure makes a difference in fishing? Wow.:) Many factors involved in fish numbers.:)

[bowhunter79]

I have been stopped at Calling by the Game warden and he measured my fish all within tolerance and we got to talking and he said the slot is the slot if it's close throw it back, I won't hesitate to fine you if your over. So my general rule now is the middle of the slot to be safe. Just so you know they will ding you if your over or under by 1 mm

[Scottmisfits]

I haven't caught a fish anywhere near the regulations but I would say that 20mm or more away from the upper or lower limit would be a safe bet.

As far as the metric vs imperial debate, I haven't seen imperial prints in 10 years or more. I was at CNRL, Suncor, Syncrude, the new Hospital on the south end of Calgary, fertilizer plants in Medicine Hat and Carseland, refinery in Regina, a bunch of office towers downtown Calgary, etc. all in metric. And yeah, I'm a ticket plumber and steamfitter.