Elites culling fish?

[gim]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

I don’t know how they keep a scale working, maybe put it in the camera man’s bag 

I keep anything that has electronics (other than my graphs of course) in a water tight otter box type thing.  My digital scale is one of those items.  Most of the time I do not weigh my fish, I measure them.

[TnRiver46]

Just now, gimruis said:

I keep anything that has electronics (other than my graphs of course) in a water tight otter box type thing.  My digital scale is one of those items.  Most of the time I do not weigh my fish, I measure them.

I bought a new measuring tape today, I think you’re gonna like it ? 

 

had to park the boat outside all day Saturday and it rained 100% of the time, needless to say my measuring sticker is no longer sticky 

[Way north bass guy]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I bought a new measuring tape today, I think you’re gonna like it ? 

 

had to park the boat outside all day Saturday and it rained 100% of the time, needless to say my measuring sticker is no longer sticky 

You need to get one of these, and some stainless steel staples and just go ahead and staple that sucker right to your front deck ?. 

[Fishin Dad]

I would still say the vast majority of pros weigh their fish, save the weights in the scale bins, and cull tag them.  Then with the next fish catch, it is a quick weigh 1 fish, switch them out and get back to fishing.  No need to even get 2 fish out of the box.   This is how we do it once we get a limit.   Easy, fast, and accurate.  No guessing down to the hundredth of an ounce accuracy.  Just the way we like to do it and it has worked well for us in tournaments.  Sometimes I like to go out by myself and see what my tournament bag would weigh for the day.  A fun little challenge.  

[TnRiver46]

11 hours ago, Way north bass guy said:

You need to get one of these, and some stainless steel staples and just go ahead and staple that sucker right to your front deck ?. 

That’s almost what I got!

[dickenscpa]

23 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Those pros fish in some pretty nasty weather too, I’ve seen them unload their tackle boxes and pour water out of them. I don’t know how they keep a scale working, maybe put it in the camera man’s bag 

My boat stays in my garage 100% unless I'm out fishing. It also never even takes a drop of water in the bilge, etc. So I never take my plug out so it's one less thing to forget. I went fishing one Saturday and got back late and knew I was fishing after Church the next day. No threat or forecast of rain so I left it out in the driveway with a cover. Since it lives inside it was not a waterproof cover.

 

While at Church a down pour came out of no where. When I got home, since I didn't pull my plug, my boat was completely full of water. My on board charger was ruined and a lot of gear. I had bought a scale although I never use them and not sure that one ever got used but there was water inside it and tilting it back and forth water was in the screen.

[gim]

5 minutes ago, dickenscpa said:

My boat stays in my garage 100% unless I'm out fishing. It also never even takes a drop of water in the bilge, etc. So I never take my plug out so it's one less thing to forget.

So you never fish in the rain?

 

Removal of the drain plug is mandatory state law here in MN.  You cannot put it back in until you reach the access and you cannot drive away while its still in there.  The first year they implemented this law, they were not issuing citations because a lot of people simply forgot.  Now its just routine for everyone here.

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, gimruis said:

So you never fish in the rain?

 

Removal of the drain plug is mandatory state law here in MN.  You cannot put it back in until you reach the access and you cannot drive away while its still in there.  The first year they implemented this law, they were not issuing citations because a lot of people simply forgot.  Now its just routine for everyone here.

Those launches that have a DNR presence - they actually will come over and make sure your plug is out, your livewell drained, and any vegetation removed from props, hull and trailer.

[TnRiver46]

13 minutes ago, dickenscpa said:

My boat stays in my garage 100% unless I'm out fishing. It also never even takes a drop of water in the bilge, etc. So I never take my plug out so it's one less thing to forget. I went fishing one Saturday and got back late and knew I was fishing after Church the next day. No threat or forecast of rain so I left it out in the driveway with a cover. Since it lives inside it was not a waterproof cover.

 

While at Church a down pour came out of no where. When I got home, since I didn't pull my plug, my boat was completely full of water. My on board charger was ruined and a lot of gear. I had bought a scale although I never use them and not sure that one ever got used but there was water inside it and tilting it back and forth water was in the screen.

I pull the plug every time I extract the boat even though I have a carport, don’t wanna haul water down the road if it was to start raining. You know how it is around here, get about 18 downpours per week haha

[gim]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Those launches that have a DNR presence - they actually will come over and make sure your plug is out, your livewell drained, and any vegetation removed from props, hull and trailer.

Yes, they are usually interns, student workers, or temps.  Never have a problem with any of them when I encounter one.  Back in the day when I worked for the DNR, we used a clipboard, pad of paper, and a pencil.  Now they use hand held tablets which enter the information directly into a DNR mainframe.

[Cbump]

On 2/27/2023 at 1:33 PM, Logan S said:

have a scale in my boat but the only time it gets used is if I want to weigh a big fish just for the heck of it...It doesn't come out during a tournament because the fish will get weighed on the tournament scale

Yessir. The only reason I have a scale is my buddies like to put together friend tournaments where 8-10 of us fish a local lake that has a slot. So we just weigh our 5 biggest and bring pictures back to “weigh in”. 

[dickenscpa]

21 hours ago, gimruis said:

So you never fish in the rain?

 

Removal of the drain plug is mandatory state law here in MN.  You cannot put it back in until you reach the access and you cannot drive away while its still in there.  The first year they implemented this law, they were not issuing citations because a lot of people simply forgot.  Now its just routine for everyone here.

Actually I don't really fish rain. I've went fishing when it was nice and got caught in some surprise rain but even that was rare. If something like that happened then obviously I pulled the plug and let it drain before it took on much water. But if I was on the water and it started raining I was heading in. Where I live if it rains you have about a 99% chance of lightening.

 

I'm only afraid of two things in this world - birds & lightening so if it started raining I was heading in.

 

I rarely fished a tournament in my boat. Now I've gotten really into kayak bass tournaments and if there's big rain in the forecast I don't enter. If I get caught in some surprise rain and paid my fee I'll usually stick it out unless it starts lightening.

[dickenscpa]

21 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I pull the plug every time I extract the boat even though I have a carport, don’t wanna haul water down the road if it was to start raining. You know how it is around here, get about 18 downpours per week haha

I've been checked one time leaving a ramp and when they saw that my bilge was dry as a bone and I'm not sure I ever put water in my livewell, they told me to carry on.

 

I keep some straps for transport in that back area and have to get in it to get them and secure the boat to pull it home. If I ever saw water in there I would obviously comply and pull my plug.

 

I will say one thing - when you RARELY pull your plug and so used to it being there and ready, if you ever do pull it like to wash it or some rain, it's super easy to forget it on your next fishing trip.

 

Yes, I know how TN is. From May to Oct there's about a 100% chance you'll have a pop up thunderstorm. I used to ride Harleys and there was a saying here in TN - "If you take off on your Harley in the sun and get caught in rain you're unlucky. If you leave in the rain you're stupid." LOL!

 

I think this is why I have taken to kayak fishing so much. I LOVE TO BASS FISH. But, I live in the burbs 25 miles east of Nashville. My office is in Brentwood 42 miles from home. I'm not pulling a boat thru downtown rush hour traffic to and from home. I'll throw a kayak in the back of a truck though. I would get a new boat every 3 years or so and because of my schedule, commute, etc the boat was a pain. There were times my boat only got wet 2 times in a year. One year not at all. So kayak fishing really gave me the opportunity to fish again and fish more often.

[gim]

14 minutes ago, dickenscpa said:

I will say one thing - when you RARELY pull your plug and so used to it being there and ready, if you ever do pull it like to wash it or some rain, it's super easy to forget it on your next fishing trip.

Completely understand.  Many people in MN were the same way when the drain plug removal law was implemented which is why the first year people got off with just a warning.

 

What I might suggest is just to get into a habit of removing it and putting it back in as a part of your launch or load routine.  Eventually it will just become a habit.

[dickenscpa]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

Completely understand.  Many people in MN were the same way when the drain plug removal law was implemented which is why the first year people got off with just a warning.

 

What I might suggest is just to get into a habit of removing it and putting it back in as a part of your launch or load routine.  Eventually it will just become a habit.

That used to be a part of my routine and no problem. I might have a smidge of water in the bilge and I always pulled it and let it drain on the way home. My garage has a floor drain and I left it out and it was routine and part of my launch procedure.

 

My last boat spoiled me. I actually sold my last boat to a client after I bought my first kayak in 2019. I saw it wasn't getting used and sold it. Recently he's been going thru a nasty divorce and I bought it back so he could pay attorney fees. I haven't even thought about taking it out and when he gets his stuff in order he plans to buy it back.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Completely understand.  Many people in MN were the same way when the drain plug removal law was implemented which is why the first year people got off with just a warning.

 

What I might suggest is just to get into a habit of removing it and putting it back in as a part of your launch or load routine.  Eventually it will just become a habit.

Checking the plug is number one on boat launch checklist whether you take it out or not. Going to Launch a boat? check the plug. It’s universal. I mean, there’s one sure fire way for it to start sinking, check that first .

 

I’ve got 15-20 different people that join me to fish, most of them don’t own a boat. When I’m backing down the ramp they holler “is the plug in?” I can’t fathom backing it toward the water and not even bothering to check, even if it hasn’t been pulled in 30 years 

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Checking the plug is number one on boat launch checklist whether you take it out or not. Going to Launch a boat? check the plug. It’s universal. I mean, there’s one sure fire way for it to start sinking, check that first 

Yep - I'm back in that area for two reasons before launch/after landing

Before: Insert drain plug, close livewell drain valve.

After: Remove drain plug, open livewell drain valve.

[gim]

9 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I mean, there’s one sure fire way for it to start sinking, check that first .

The first year I had my boat (2016), I forgot to put it in once.  Sped off to the first spot, and started fishing.  An hour later, on a sunny, calm evening, my friend says "Grant, there's water down here in the cockpit."  I thought "huh?"  So then it dawned on me, forgot the plug.  I had taken on water for over an hour.  I reached around, put it in, and started the bilge.  Within 20 minutes most of the water was gone.  Once back on dry land, I pulled the pug and drained a little more.

 

Could have been a much worse outcome if it was raining, or we had take on some bigger waves.

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, gimruis said:

The first year I had my boat (2016), I forgot to put it in once.  Sped off to the first spot, and started fishing.  An hour later, on a sunny, calm evening, my friend says "Grant, there's water down here in the cockpit."  I thought "huh?"  So then it dawned on me, forgot the plug.  I had taken on water for over an hour.  I reached around, put it in, and started the bilge.  Within 20 minutes most of the water was gone.  Once back on dry land, I pulled the pug and drained a little more.

 

Could have been a much worse outcome if it was raining, or we had take on some bigger waves.

We’ve all forgotten it at some point. But to launch and intentionally not check is something I can’t fathom. Luckily @dickenscpa’s kayak probably doesn’t have a drain plug haha

[MN Fisher]

9 minutes ago, gimruis said:

The first year I had my boat (2016), I forgot to put it in once. 

 

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

We’ve all forgotten it at some point.

Yep - one trip last year I wasn't going to use the livewell, so didn't think of it. Put the boat in the water, parked the truck and when I got back to the boat the auto-bilge was spewing water. Put the plug in, waited till the level was low enough then took off.

 

Proved the auto-bilge worked as advertised anyway. ?

[Susky River Rat]

I am shocked so many of you leave the plug in. I always took mine out before I left the lot. Now that I have a jet there will always be water in the splash well. That’s just the nature of jets and their spray.

[dickenscpa]

On 3/1/2023 at 1:53 PM, TnRiver46 said:

We’ve all forgotten it at some point. But to launch and intentionally not check is something I can’t fathom. Luckily @dickenscpa’s kayak probably doesn’t have a drain plug haha

When I very first started kayaking it took me quite a few trips of being 30yds from the ramp and getting that "ooops did I forget my plug?!"

 

My VERY best friend since diapers - and the term "best friend" gets thrown around - but he and I were like brothers from diapers until his unexpected death at 32 from a brain tumor. When we got our drivers license at 16 we bought an OLD 16' fiberglass bass boat. It was Ensign with a 60 hp Mercury that was 1 year older than us. He had a truck and I had a sports car so it stayed at his house and he did all the towing, launching and loading and I paid for boat gas and oil mixture.

 

As we got older we bought nicer and nicer boats. When he died (he wasn't married) his parents sold our boat. I saw it at the end of their driveway for sale and even though I paid for half there was no way I was going to his parents wanting the boat or half the money. I also couldn't have bought it and fished from it anymore.

 

My son was 2 at the time and loved being with me fishing so I bought a new Skeeter and picked up on a Friday in April. That Friday it was 77 degrees. I took my wife and son fishing the next day and it was 48 degrees. Upon getting to the ramp I realized I'd owned and fished from a bass boat for over 16 years but never launched on my own and to be honest a bit nervous.

 

I put my wife and son in the boat and backed the truck down a STEEP ramp. Radio on and window up 'cause it was cold. I didn't hear my wife yelling STOP! STOP! We're taking on water! I hadn't put the plug in. I'd swamped it so bad some of the stuff in the boat was floating and I had to retrieve it.

 

Luckily I always keep spare clothes and a blanket in case I get stranded in bad weather and I got wife and son squared away and the heater on. I was so embarrassed.

 

The next day after Church we took the boat back out and I sat in the parking lot for just a bit until I saw someone who looked nice. Walked up and told them my story and offered him $20 to show me how to launch a boat by myself. He was super nice, refused my money and took the time to show me everything to do.

[Cbump]

On 3/1/2023 at 9:59 AM, gimruis said:

What I might suggest is just to get into a habit of removing it and putting it back in as a part of your launch or load routine.  Eventually it will just become a habit.

This made my head hurt. 

[gim]

15 hours ago, Cbump said:

This made my head hurt. 

State law is more complicated for some than others.

[Cbump]

How do you get into a habit so that It becomes a habit? Wouldn’t It already be a habit if start with It being a habit?