Measuring Board

JoeS · Post by **JoeS** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:57 pm

I don't want to re invent the wheel, I remember somebody making a pretty good one and selling a few......Or any good ideas on making a light weigth measuring board for the up coming PADDLE-FISH Series.....
Joe

Rik · Post by **Rik** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:06 pm

Go to Home Depot or Lowes.

Buy a section of vinyl gutter. They only come in 10' lengths so you'll have enough to make a three. About $5

Buy end caps for the gutter. About $3 each

Cut the gutter to length (36 inches is standard), put on an end cap.

Then glue a measuring sticker in the gutter with the 0 line at the end cap.

You'll have about $5 in each one.

JoeS · Post by **JoeS** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:09 pm

Ahhhhhhh the Wheel from the Big Wheel...................
Thanks Rik.......

Rik · Post by **Rik** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:20 pm

Now, if you want to jazz it up, make two circles of bungee cord that wrap around the gutter. Slide the fish under these when measuring and they will hold the fish in place. It also won't flip around and throw your poker chip in the water.

Also, a leash is nice. Damn things are hard to store and seem to go swimming quite often.

Shep · Post by **Shep** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:45 pm

If anybody's interested, I have an extra end cap and big chunk of gutter left over from the one I made. Whoever wants it can have it.

whodog · Post by **whodog** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:25 pm

Shep wrote:If anybody's interested, I have an extra end cap and big chunk of gutter left over from the one I made. Whoever wants it can have it.

I'm interested if it's still available.

Shep · Post by **Shep** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:35 pm

It's all yours. Either take what you need, or take it all and pass on the rest.
Let me know when you can come pick it up.

LivelyBaits · Post by **LivelyBaits** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:07 pm

Get one of the fish stickers that has the bigger numbers on it. To be quite honest, I think that this should be a BAC,K project for the future. And I'd like to see it done with rain gutters.

The beauty of a piece of rain gutter is that you can get a measurement on a fish while it's in the water

forekayaking · Post by **forekayaking** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:37 am

where do you get the fish stickers with big numbers....I saw a picture someone posted, but never have seen it ....

Todd · Post by **Todd** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:00 am

I don't like the rain gutters. As a judge of these, many times, the rain gutter pinches the tails a lot which leads to an inaccurate measurement.

I made mine out of PVC facia board (actually stole the idea from fishfinatic). The fish lays flat on the board and the numbers are easier to read.

I will post some pics later on to give you an idea.

CooKnFish · Post by **CooKnFish** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:22 am

Todd wrote:I don't like the rain gutters. As a judge of these, many times, the rain gutter pinches the tails a lot which leads to an inaccurate measurement.

FWC pinches the tail, why doesn't P-F.com?

Rik · Post by **Rik** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:56 am

CooKnFish wrote:FWC pinches the tail, why doesn't P-F.com?

They pinch the tail for a completely different reason. They want to make sure you fall within the legal limits.

Here's the sceanrio that begs for a natural lay. You are standing thigh deep in the water, have the fish on whatever measuring device you use with a camera in one hand.

Now you need to use the other hand to hold the fish. If you are trying to pinch the tail, the fish can flop all over. Plus, you end up with your arm or hand in the part of the pic - the length - that really needs to be seen clearly.

Todd · Post by **Todd** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:24 pm

CooKnFish wrote:FWC pinches the tail, why doesn't P-F.com?

They pinch the tail in a much more natural manner than a rain gutter. It is also hard to put a "Fat" fish in a rain gutter for an accurate measurement.

Everyone does the best they can. In my experience a flat measuring board does a much better job than the rain gutter.

Shep · Post by **Shep** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 3:24 pm

I used the dremel to cut away one side of the gutter. It's more like a piece of angle iron (vynile) sp?) now, so only the bottom of the tail will be pinched. Then I glued a chunk of noodle to the end cap with shoe goo, just in case I go spazz and drop it overboard.

whodog · Post by **whodog** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:46 pm

Clay, thanks a bunch for the measuring board kit. (gutter & endcap) I should end up with a nice section of gutter left over so if anyone wants it let me know & I'll pass it on. (You will have to get your own endcap, though.)

I saw his board & with the side cut off the way he has it I don't think he will have a tail pinch problem. With the cutout like that it will fit as fat a fish as he would like into it, too. Like he said, only the bottom might get pinched, but not much.

Shep · Post by **Shep** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:07 pm

Hey, no problem.
Just one thing though. My name's not Jeff. It's Clay.