Shrinking Brag Mat

[arpie]

Hi guys

Read an interesting article the other day - seems that some Brag Mats (Environet) have actually shrunk a bit when left in the sun (as could happen on boats when out for hours!)

The main danger to you, as an angler, is that if your fish are 'just' legal on the mat & unbeknownst to you it has shrunk, they can come up 30mm+ short .... hence you may have kept an illegal fish!

Has anyone tested theirs against an official Fisheries measure? Might be worth doing every month or so, to be sure, to be sure!

Cheers

Roberta

[robeebee]

i keep a tape measure plus a laminated fisheries measure with me every time i fish

no probs mate

[johnno]

Never heard about that

thanks for the heads up if its true

[Penguin]

I can just see people out there leaving there brag mats in the sun.

Any one notice that Kings shrink a couple of cm,s.from when they are

caught to when u get them home?

I dont know if this is the case if there put on ice asap after capture.

penguin

[johnno]

Penguin

i am 100% sure jewies shrink once put on ice.

A mate got 2 small jew's 1.5cm and 2cms over legal.

We then got home and they where both just legal

[Mik]

Wow, thanks for that Roberta.

I guess it makes sense, they are made of the type of stuff that would be subject to heat shrinkage I guess.

I have a tape on my boat, think I'll be checking the mat regularly from now on.

[arpie]

Hi ya

I'd never really thought about it before - I was considering getting one, but up till now have used the Fisheries tapes (permanently on the sides of my yaks & on the seat of my boat.)

Makes sense that they can shrink, especially if sitting on metal - ever sat on tin that has been painted a dark colour? Twice as hot as 'au natural'.

If I get one I guess I'll just leave it at home or under cover as proof of my 'monster' for the Brag Section!

Cheers

Roebrta

[netic]

Like most i measure all captures against the fisheries stickers on the sides....only use the brag mat for photos so its size is clearly visable and i cant be accussed of exaggerating my catches size.

But interesting to see if they do shrink...i have an old brag mat that i might leave out and see what happens

Edited March 25, 2007 by netic

[GregL]

I need one of them for the bream comps atm, I seem to only get 24.5cm fish!

[Wastin Time]

[Flattieman]

For anyone interested in this topic, I found an article about shrinking fisheries stickers on a NZ site - it's in today's (May 11th's) Friday Fishy News.

Flattieman.

Edited May 11, 2007 by Flattieman

[fishyfingers]

doesn't bother me, I only plan on catching jewies over a meter!!!