Ideas for Alternate Methods to Tally Weights While Culling?

[spinnerbation]

Ideas for Alternate Methods to Tally Weights While Culling?

I keep all my fish separated using color coordinated "Glory Bags" instead of tags. I weigh all my fish once, tally the weight and will only use a beam when my 2 smallest are clones.

What I am looking for are some opinions of what guys use to tally weights with while culling. I have tried a few different options and ran into some problems or potential problems.

White Board & Dry Erase Markers:

- Marker gets wiped off too easily causing me to waste time re-weighing and the extra handling of the bass can't be a good thing either.

Note Pad & Pens / Pencil:

- Works better than the White Board at keeping the weight recording, until you get the paper wet. Can also get confusing if you don't pay attention to what's crossed off on the chart for each cull.

Electronic Culling Device:

- I tried this and it was handy, but I always cringe at the idea of leaving something to the chance of batteries or electronic / computer failure.

So what I am hoping to arrive on is a Tally system that keeps a recorded weight of each fish without the possibility of electronic failure or losing tallies due to tally board getting wet. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[spinnerbation]

Nevermind, think I just answered my own question... Think I'm going to get me one of these:

http://www.notalloweddotcom/Accu_Cull_Culling_System/descpage-ACCUCULL.html

Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for!


Links for that company not allowed on this website - please see the no links policy in the help and support forum - thank you

[dartag]

Grease pencil on a white board.  Water proof and reusable.

[TimH]

I just struggle to barely catch five on tournament day which seems to be the easiest cull system for me.

[21XDC]

I use a china marker in white or yellow and write colors, numbers, weights on my windshields. Nothing is better for me. I can see while fishing and add or manage sizes from a glance. Rain don't wash it off, But a dry paper towel will. I used to use Crayola white or yellow crayons, But I have had the sun melt them.

This is what I have been using for the last few years. I bought a bunch and gave them to many of my friends.

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-pack-yellow-marking-crayons-65201.html

[djkimmel]

That's an interesting idea. I don't have a windshield on my boat though?

Keep up the tips. These are real helpful!

[spinnerbation]

I use a china marker in white or yellow and write colors, numbers, weights on my windshields. Nothing is better for me. I can see while fishing and add or manage sizes from a glance. Rain don't wash it off, But a dry paper towel will. I used to use Crayola white or yellow crayons, But I have had the sun melt them.

This is what I have been using for the last few years. I bought a bunch and gave them to many of my friends.

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-pack-yellow-marking-crayons-65201.html

I've always just used the dry erase marker on my white boards, never tried anything like that. Might be a more effective alternative! Thanks!

[djkimmel]

Someone on Facebook suggested just getting a balance beam to compare your 2 smallest bass when you need to cull, and not actually weigh your bass in the first place to save time and stress on the bass.

[fishstick]

Someone on Facebook suggested just getting a balance beam to compare your 2 smallest bass when you need to cull, and not actually weigh your bass in the first place to save time and stress on the bass.

That makes sense to me, I don't bring the beam or the scale out unless it's needed. Handling the fish as little as possible is always a good thing. The only situation I see weighing every fish put in the well a benefit is if you know you are going to be catching a ton of clones or maybe you only have 1 livewell to use.

I also don't put cull tags in fish I don't think I'll cull out throughout the day. If it gets to the point where I have a bunch of 4lbers swimming around with no tags and no weights, I'll be happy to deal with that mess.

[djkimmel]

Me too!

[dartag]

I use a china marker in white or yellow and write colors, numbers, weights on my windshields. Nothing is better for me. I can see while fishing and add or manage sizes from a glance. Rain don't wash it off, But a dry paper towel will. I used to use Crayola white or yellow crayons, But I have had the sun melt them.

This is what I have been using for the last few years. I bought a bunch and gave them to many of my friends.

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-pack-yellow-marking-crayons-65201.html

That's what us Old People call Grease Pencils.  Waterproof is the key.  Dry erase is gone with a little moisture

[Manxfishing]

I agree with those that don't like handling the fish
I have clip on tags and only tag the small fish that I need to get rid off

Plus without being a wizard, I like to guess the weight before there weighed in
And I'm usually within a 1/2 pound. Inland lake SM are always less then I think they are

[21XDC]

Attention all cullers... Please watch this video to the end...

[21XDC]

PS: I hate a balance beam... You need to re weigh each and every similar size fish many times over. Way too much time and handling of fish.

Clip this to your scale in place of hook and it will make things a lot better.

http://www.basspro.com/Rapala-Floating-Fish-Gripper/product/2231137/?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions

[djkimmel]

My cull tags didn't poke a hole through the jaw. They grabbed the edge of the jaw kind of like the grip above but thinner so they can mostly close their mouth. They almost never came off. The company went out of business though probably because they never caught on with people who think you have to poke a hole in the jaw to hold right.

When I balance-beamed bass I would put them in the small cull bags and weigh them in the bags instead so I put the weight scale through the grommet in the bag not through the fish. I could do the same thing with a balance beam.

[1javelin]

I've tried a few of the clip methods, and have not found one yet that does not come off a couple times a day on a few fish.  While I want to leave as little of an impression behind as possible on the fish, I also want as much convenience when culling and weighing.  We don't weigh, we simply tag and balance beam them to cull.  You never know which fish will weigh 2:8 and then spit up something in your livewell and now he weighs 2:6, and you keep him anyways.  Not that an ounce is a big deal to all, but some of the tournaments, an ounce matters.  If anyone has an excellent, fail-proof clip system, I would love to use it.

1jav

[spinnerbation]

I've tried a few of the clip methods, and have not found one yet that does not come off a couple times a day on a few fish.  While I want to leave as little of an impression behind as possible on the fish, I also want as much convenience when culling and weighing.  We don't weigh, we simply tag and balance beam them to cull.  You never know which fish will weigh 2:8 and then spit up something in your livewell and now he weighs 2:6, and you keep him anyways.  Not that an ounce is a big deal to all, but some of the tournaments, an ounce matters.  If anyone has an excellent, fail-proof clip system, I would love to use it.

1jav

Some trails allow you to weight regurgitated fish I believe but you do make a good point, how do you decide which one did it if you have clones in the box without re-weighing or balancing....

[spinnerbation]

Personally I've always felt if it's that close I will just keep the newer more lively catch. I try to cull for lbs not oz. But sometimes oz does make a big difference...

[djkimmel]

On the competitive lakes where ounces mattered I would use the bags and balance beam on close bass to make sure. I never had too much bad luck with things getting spit up in the livewell too often. I think if you practice really good livewell care you get less of that.

[1javelin]

So nobody has a great clip system that works 99% of the time with no ill effect?  Maybe time for me to become an engineer...

1jav