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I carry ALS tags; but I use them sparingly and always with forethought: I tend to tag only larger fish which seem to handle better on the beach rather than smaller ones that are able to do flips and somersaults while trying to work on them. I tag more when the water is cold; the fish definitely revive faster. I have the tag loaded and ready on a needle jammed into a wine cork. Getting a measurement is key for ALS tagging. Getting a fish weight is a luxury depending the fish and the conditions of the catch; so, don't jeapordize the fish for the release.
I have a bombproof method for weighing bass for release which I would like to share: I DO NOT use a boga grip. I think they are inaccurate, or more specifically, they are read inaccurately and rather optimistically by the angler focusing a line or three further down. I carry a 10/0 stainless steel tuna hook with the barb filed off. Poke this through the thin membrane just under the lower jaw. Now pull out your digital scale and loop it through the tuna hook eye...lift the fish NOT YET with the hook and scale, but rather thumb and fist. The fish may kick once or twice going from horizontal to vertical. EASE the weight of the fish from thumb grip on the jaw to the scale, get your digital reading, fish down and horizontal again-- all under 10 seconds. A couple of unexpected fish flops with just a tuna hook under the jaw is are darned site better than it thrashing around with a 3 pound boga grip attached to it.
Bonds to those who love cows enough to release them!
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