Unofficial Catch and Release fishing database

[AaronM]

Hello HSO Family,

I have been tossing the idea around about the feasibility of starting an online database of CPR'd fish. "Records" would be unofficial, and based on length alone. Fish submitted would need to be pictured against a fishing measure tape, preferably a bump board. Measurements would be rounded to the closest 1/4 inch. Everything would be based on the honor system.

Why?

I believe it would be interesting for people to be recognized for fish released. "Records" would no longer have to be kept to be noticed. It would be fun to structure it as a 501 ©(3) charity and collect donations to amass prizes for the largest fish in each category. This would be a way to promote CPR whilst letting anglers loosely compete for the largest fish of the year. Down the road, an App could be made to simplify the entire process.

I have no problem doing the legwork for this. I have legal friends who would be more than happy to help me with the paper side of things. I just would like to find feedback on your thoughts whether this would garner enough interest to be worthwhile.

So, what do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? Ways to improve?

[RawHog]

I think that's a great idea! I would without doubt participate.

[Fish Head]

Anything promoting the catch and realease of quality fish, I'm all for it. I think its a good idea.

[TruthWalleyes]

Sounds great. Like the above posters, anything to promote CPR.

Only thing i'll add, and DTRO can maybe give you some advice on this, is that you will get a TON of bad pictures. I've heard this from him in the KOTC contests, and we're just doing that one mostly for fun. When there are prizes etc...that will only make things worse.

Great idea though. Hopefully someone can help you follow through on it.

[fishnowworknever]

I like the idea.

The app(I'm assuming smartphone app) would need to enable GPS for location of fish...

[h8go4s]

No smartphone here, and even if I had one, you wouldn't get the GPS location of any fish I caught.

[AaronM]

Thank you for the replies thus far. If an App was developed, it would be used to simplify the measurement process and photo verification all in one. It would not be used to GPS locations of fish.

Keep the opinions and ideas coming. To kick this off the ground, we would need many people willing to participate.

[Kyhl]

I like it as long as it doesn't turn into a pi$$ing contest.

I'd also vote that values get rounded down instead of simply rounded to the nearest quarter. A 24 7/16 in should always round down to 24 1/4 in my book, never up to 24 1/2.

Of course it would be easy for the person entering to round it up before recording it but that can't be controlled.

Another suggestion would be for the app to compute the total inches by species for the account. I don't expect to catch a 28" walleye this year but I do expect to catch a bunch of 24's.

[esoxrocks01]

What a cool idea. Considering I already do CPR for fish above 17 inches, this is going to make it more fun! Count me in!

[JohnMickish]

I like the idea, but if GPS it would be a bad deal. I know you said it wouldn't, but things can run in the background without people knowing. A running total would be cool, but if it turns into a competition there will need to be some kind of ballance. Catching 50 25" walleye does not even come close to catching 4 30" walleye in one year, even though the totals would show differently.

[Esox_Magnum]

MI already does this for membership, be cool to have something similar for all species....

[jbach]

yea , good idea, got a 23" smalllie last year, would be interesting to see how that rated. Did not weigh it just took hook out and dropped her back. Be fun to see if some records were caught without turning them in.

[Kyhl]

I am curious about all the GPS concerns. I thought you could turn that function off on your phone.

On my phone I turn on GPS only when I want to use it.

The picture setting is disabled permanently.

Also turned off it network triangulation.

Do pictures still have the GPS coordinates even with these features turned off?

[AaronM]

Thanks again for the feedback. Again, the App is down the road, and no GPS would be enabled.

I appreciate the positive thoughts so far, but if this is going to work, we need all the hands on deck we can get

Keep the opinions coming!

[RawHog]

Ya dude that would turn into an absolute S***show if the app showed where exactly fish were caught on lakes. I dont think it should be a competition either,but rather simply a database of what fish came out of what lakes, and if they got put back of not.

[AaronM]

Good thoughts, but this would be only for released fish. No killed fish would be eligible.

[Fish Head]

Yeah, I don't think the GPS part would be a good idea. In general, people wouldn't want to give up that spot. Especially when muskie fishing! I think you should give the lake, but don't even ask for the spot. What do you think about divulging the lure and tactic? I would be for that.

The AIM walleye tournaments use a catch and release format where you have to have a good quality photo of the fish on the measuring board, and another photo of you holding the fish. They always round up to the nearest 1/4 inch. If your walleye was anywhere from 16 1/4 to 16 49/50 inches, they consider that 16 1/2. I'm not necessarily suggesting this... just mentioning it because I think it's close to what was suggested here.

[AaronM]

At the time of this post:

690 views. 8 definite "Yesses"

Clicking at a whopping 1.2% right now

Looks like this needs to go back to the drawing board!

[Wolffy]

sounds like a great idea.