STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

More Fishing and Boating

• Fishing report: Fay's effects giving way to great fishing
• Anglers Outlook: Fishing and more activities for September
• MICKYS regatta — not child’s play

Share and Enjoy [?]

A standard way for anglers to measure saltwater fish accurately against size restrictions took effect July 1. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is implementing a series of rules approved last year to clarify and standardize how to measure the total length of saltwater fish.

Saltwater fish are divided into two categories. Fish that have "flat" or irregularly shaped tails are measured by "total length." Fish that have forked or angled tails are commonly measured by "fork length."

Special to the Banner

Michael Scipione with a 5 pound jack caught and released on a recent backwater Fishbuster Charter in Estero Bay.

New rules provide that saltwater fish that are regulated by total length must be measured by determining the straight-line distance 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 together, while the fish is lying on its side.

This method is sometimes called "squeezing" or "pinching" the fish tail, which essentially involves measuring the maximum possible length of the fish. The total length measurement is used to measure the snapper and grouper family, red and black drum, snook, spotted sea trout, weakfish, tripletail, bonefish, sheepshead, flounder and a variety of aquarium species (such as angelfish).

No change has been made to "fork length" fish, which should still be measured to the rear center edge, or "V," of the tail. They include amberjacks and rudderfish, hogfish, dolphin, cobia, mullet, bluefish, king and Spanish mackerel, permit, pompano, African pompano and gray triggerfish.

More information on how to properly measure saltwater fish is available online at http://www.myfwc.com/marine/Fishing_Measurement.htm.

• Rain and gas prices seem to be hampering fishing these days. Or maybe it's just too darn hot for folks to want to venture out on the water. In any case, our sole correspondent this week was Capt. Dave Hanson.

Hanson, of Fishbuster Charters, fished with live shrimp and cut-bait in 35 feet out of New Pass last Tuesday with Mike Sokol, wife Ann, and the Sokol children, Michelle, Michael, Phillip and Brian. They caught Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, triggerfish, grunts, and released lots of blue runners. The kids had three big fish run away, and those were likely bigger mackerel or small sharks.

Submissions to Fish Tales should be made by noon each Monday. Contact Cathy Cottrill at 213-6031 or by e-mail at cccottrill@bonitanews.com. Her fax number is 213-6099.