# Question about fish lengths



## Cat O' Lies (May 21, 2004)

Texas law states that the legal size of a crappie is 10" when caught. Once the fish is in the cooler for a period of time, it will shrink about 1-1.5% of it's caught length. 

Here is my question. Why would a game warden write a citation for a crappie that was 1/8 " short when measured after being in on ice for a while?
I know what some will say, "Make sure the fish is at least (insert length here) and you won't have to worry about it"


Anyone have this experience?


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## Hayniedude24 (Jun 15, 2016)

He doesnâ€™t know how long itâ€™s been on ice. Make sure the fish is at least 10 5/32â€ and you wonâ€™t have to worry about it.


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## Cat O' Lies (May 21, 2004)

Texashookset said:


> He doesnâ€™t know how long itâ€™s been on ice. Make sure the fish is at least 10 5/32â€ and you wonâ€™t have to worry about it.


Yep! I hear ya. But the law does not say the fish has to be 10" after the fact that is was in a cooler, just 10" when caught.

When the game warden was measuring the fish I asked, Is that fish cold? He answered, Cold as ice!. To that I replied, You know it has shrunk at least 1/8? He said Yes I do.

The fine is $217, so I'm going to go talk to the judge about it.


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## Hayniedude24 (Jun 15, 2016)

Ouch, dam! You must not have had one of the GWâ€™s on those tv shows they have out nowadays. I get pisseed that they give such small fines, like $25 if one at all, to dumbasses performing way more serious violations compared to one once legal fish thatâ€™s been on ice.


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## Bozo (Jun 16, 2004)

Whether you are able to get the judge to see it your way or not, that is a painful lesson to learn. You're either out some pocket money or at worst valuable time to get it dismissed. 



I hope that fish tasted so good that it was worth flirting with being undersized.


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## Hayniedude24 (Jun 15, 2016)

Doubt he got to keep it.


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## tommy261 (May 3, 2006)

*Crappie*

I really dont think he will throw the ticket out completely...maybe he will reduce the fine...good luck, let us know the outcome


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## Cat O' Lies (May 21, 2004)

Bozo said:


> I hope that fish tasted so good that it was worth flirting with being undersized.


Didn't get to keep fish. Not sure what you mean by "flirting with being undersized"! The fish was 10" when caught, which is legal. I don't set the rules, I try my best to abide by them.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Sorry the GW gave you a ticket.
I mostly don't trust the new people fishing with me. But, I have made 10 1/2" the min size in my boat for the ICE and if someone measures wrong.
I have cleaned a few WB that were questionable.
Saltwater Specs shrink big time.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

All fish GW's measure are normally on ice. I have never heard of one saying its OK its been on ice. If its that close not worth the risk IMO.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

At anytime a GW wants to check your catch it should always meet the state minimum length requirement. IF you knew the fish would shrink why would you risk all this trouble you have brought onto yourself. Now you are making this issue you have with GW's public. This might not be the best thing to do. Just my 2 cents here.


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## Cat O' Lies (May 21, 2004)

Mattsfishin said:


> At anytime a GW wants to check your catch it should always meet the state minimum length requirement. IF you knew the fish would shrink why would you risk all this trouble you have brought onto yourself. Now you are making this issue you have with GW's public. This might not be the best thing to do. Just my 2 cents here.


All things with shrink and expand with temperature. . My argument is that a fish that is legal length in it's *natural, unadulterated state* is legal to keep.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

If you have to squeeze the tail over the rail. Or use a livewell. Or pay. I hate it when mine shrink.


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

I won't keep a crappie unless it's 11anches I don't care what the law says....
I've never had a GW have to put any of my fish on a scale.....
I like it like that.....


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

My limit is 12 inches since you only get a couple small potato chip fillets off of anything smaller. Not worth killing a fish for miniature fillets.


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## Bozo (Jun 16, 2004)

Cat O' Lies said:


> Didn't get to keep fish. Not sure what you mean by "flirting with being undersized"! The fish was 10" when caught, which is legal. I don't set the rules, I try my best to abide by them.


Did you witness the warden measure the fish? If you did, was it shorter than 10"? Do you agree that the device used to measure the fish was properly calibrated to a true 10 inch measure?

If the fish was short while in your possession then you were in violation. It doesn't matter what the fish measured an hour ago, yesterday or tomorrow. I fully believe that at one point the fish measured 10 inches. And that is why I was sugar coating it by saying you were flirting with a violation. Heck you even admit that you had full knowledge that fish shrink on ice, yet you iced a fish that you knew would be short if you did so. So, you willfully put yourself in violation. Pretty straight forward to me.

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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

:headknock:headknock:headknock


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Texashookset said:


> He doesnâ€™t know how long itâ€™s been on ice. Make sure the fish is at least 10 5/32â€ and you wonâ€™t have to worry about it.


or just sit on him for 5 minutes before place it in the cooler!


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Crappie Stretchers on sale at Walmart


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

The fish must be legal at time of measurement. That is the only way it can be the GW wasn't there to measure when you caught it. If he did say "close enough" on the 9 7/8" fish you would just got lucky.

I would err on the side of caution simply because of the differences in measuring devices. Has anybody checked to see if the ruler molded into their ice chest is accurate? If you use a tape measure are you accounting for the slop in the hook on the end? If you are using one of those ruler decals for your boat or fishing rod have you checked it for accuracy? How accurate is a check it stick? Is your store bought length checker the same as the GW's?

See to many variables to cut it right on the line. Typically if I can't tell it's legal by looking and have to measure it to make sure I don't measure it I throw it back. If I do measure and the fish is not clearly over the line back it goes in my book.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Cat O' Lies said:


> Texas law states that the legal size of a crappie is 10" *when caught*.
> 
> _Here is my question. Why would a game warden write a citation for a crappie that was 1/8 " short when measured after being in on ice for a while? _


*Crappie
*

*White, black, their hybrids & subspecies*

Daily Bag:25 (in any combination)Minimum Length:10 inches

I hate to kick you while down but .....
You are trying to get technical (laws do need to be technical), but you added or inserted the "when caught" part above. The law reads "Minimum length: 10 inches" without any further description. The GW measured it and it was under 10". Basically you have admitted that by the time he measured it, it had shrunk and was under 10". I doubt seriously that a judge will accept your changing of the wording of the law.

Most of us are answering your question with a question: Why would a guy keep a fish that was exactly the minimum length, knowing full well it would shrink quickly?


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## ML56 (Dec 30, 2008)

Sugars Pop said:


> My limit is 12 inches since you only get a couple small potato chip fillets off of anything smaller. Not worth killing a fish for miniature fillets.


 ^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^, applies to whitebass under 12" too
for me, just not much there when you clean em!
Glad we live in a country where you can at least appeal to a judge.
Good luck -Mike


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Did you learn the lesson?
Actually two, make sure your fish will cross the minimum length line, and never, ever post on the freshwater board something that will get you flamed ;-)


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

I am with ML56. Under 12" and they go back. If you have to measure, they are too small.


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