Our club’s year-long tournament had rather old-fashioned rules for the “Catch & Release” division. The current form calls for having your fish witnessed by another person–rather a hindrance if you are out fishing alone and catch a fish that might win you that prize!  We will also accept entries by “Catch, Photo, and Release.”  This strategy is used by the MSBA and other sport fishing clubs.

Please note that every bit of time you take to measure and photograph a fish is very stressful to the fish, so do your measurement and photography as quickly as possible.  If you are fishing with a buddy who can vouch for the length of your fish–don’t take the extra time to take a photograph.  Get your fish back in the water and use the paper affidavit or the online form for submission with witness verification.

For verification by photograph the process is:

1. Catch a fish.

2. Photograph your fish.

Take a photo of the fish alongside a measuring stick or measuring tape (pulled out nice and tight). Do not drape a measuring tape over the curve of the fish from head to tail–it must be pulled tight along a flat surface underneath the fish. Here are two acceptable photographs for submission.

Metal tape measures (as shown here) lie nice and flat. They work better than paper or plastic tape measures, which can curl up. If you use a tape measure that curls, pull it out straight and taught for your picture.

Unacceptable Photographs

The tape measure on top of the fish is unacceptable. It curves and exaggerates the length of your fish.

The picture must show both ends of the tape measure alongside the fish.

Sometimes the fish just doesn’t cooperate and you have to take another picture.

Some of these photos come from the MSBA Facebook page, where the rules are explained for MSBA members.

3. Release your fish!

Proper release is more than just tossing the fish back in the water (although that works pretty well for small schoolies.)  Larger fish need more TLC.

A demonstration by club member Eric Roach:  Hold your fish to let water flow over the gills until the fish swims away on its own. (This is the proper method for a Striped Bass.  Other fish like False  Albacore require a different technique.)

4. Submit your photos to the Tournaments Director

Submissions can be via email or with an online submission form.   Paper submissions will continue, but anyone with a smartphone (or tablet or computer) and an email account will be able to submit entries without the old paper affidavits. All you need is the proper digital picture of your catch and internet access.

We hope this method will make it easier for you to submit entries. Submissions done this way will speed things up and make it easier for us to keep track of entries and put up a running tally of entries and current leaders on the website. A prime objective is to have an up-to-date leaderboard on the website so that you can check where you stand in the tournament.

Many of you may like this new system for submitting entries. Anyone preferring to stick with the old paper slips can still do so. Just catch your fish and submit your entries for the tournament.

Here is the paper affidavit for submitting an entry. (Click to open in a new page and print.)