Measuring and Releasing
 

How would you guys reccomend going about measuring tuna to see if they fall within the new slot limits. Also, how would you reccomend reviving and releasing them.

how about taking a grease pencil and marking the side of the boat or gunnel.

Get a carabiner and put a piece of rope that is 27" on it. Get another one that is 59" and piut that on a carabiner. Send down line. If fish is within the rope then stuff it with a gafff or lilly. If not set it free. Easy to do and fairly accurate.

Thanks had actually just come up with that and made them up right before you posted.

Don't bother with the 27" rope.
if it is that small, just haul it in, and do a quick measure....

I took some 400lb leader, 300lb snap on one end, bright red 3-4 inch poly ball on the other end (some water injected inside the ball for some weight to stretch it out)
Measures 73 long
Given the hook should be in the corner of the mouth, so there is length to spare before sinking the harpoon.
As mentioned, slide it down the line for the measurement, should cutting the leader and not getting the hook back possible, the small polly ball should keep this thing afloat to get it back.
27-59 should not be a problem controlling for the boat side measurement.

I haven't done this but saw it suggestedand am going to try it. Use the caution tape to rope off a road site. Make a good visible mark at like 57" and have the tape 74" long attached to the clip. The tape floats and stretches out in the water when motoring.

I like to put a 6 inch strip of brightly colored cloth on the end, makes it easier to see where the line ends. Just remember if you did or did not include the cloth in your measurement.

All good suggestions. Going to make something up before I head out again. Surprised that no one is marketing something for the wannabe fleet. A measuring device should be required equipment, just as the de-hooker is down south. With so many fish expected to be in this range, my fear is that there will be a lot of fish in the 59-72 slot being released to die on the bottom...... I'd bet that at least half the fleet of weekend warriors are not capable of pulling off a successful revival and release.....

Ron (anyone), not sure this works on a squid bar?
Should I be so lucky to have on bite.....

You'll need two, one to measure fish on a bar and the other for fish on a single lure. For the bar just add in the distance from the bar to the hook.

Don't forget that the measurements for Atlantic tuna is curved fork length, not just fork length. A fish that's not legal to keep on a standard fork length measurement may be legal if measured correctly.

Definitely makes measuring them a pain, however. We measured a 69" fish on Sat during the revival process the old-fashioned way with a tape. It wasn't easy, but it worked...