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There's catch to record fish
By MIKE SCARANTINO Merrill "Canoe man" Chandler, a wonderful person in the angling world, says, "I have always felt that whenever one has the chance to fish -- regardless of tide, weather front or moon phase -- it is without a doubt the best time to go fishing." No statement is more true, especially when our weather turns this tropical. The reality is, most of the world record snook and tarpon in Florida were caught March-July. Many were reeled in by trophy hunters in search of a record. Many of the fish were brought aboard by everyday anglers simply out for a good time. It happened to me in 1995, though it was not a recordable catch. They say chance favors the prepared mind, and I wasn't ready for an event of such lucky magnitude. I was fishing the Cotee River in Port Richey on a cold February night. Friends and I were tossing swimming plugs on light spinning tackle. Our 2000 series reels held the maximum 120 yards of 8-pound test line. Two feet of 20-pound leader material was tied directly to our lures. A companion in a fit of no-fish frustration got up, claimed he was going to move to the bank and make a catch. To my surprise, he did. His fish measured 36 inches, a keeper back then. I decided to toss my offering in the same direction. As I began my retrieve, I snagged what I thought was a palm frond from the spongy feel. When I snapped back the rod tip to extricate my lure, the frond jumped and rattled its massive gills. The snook that I thought was palm measured 441/2 inches, had a girth of 271/2 inches, and weighed 28 pounds 10 ounces on a non-certified scale. I kept the fish, knowing it was a large one. Keeping catches that size is for many anglers, but not what conservation is about. Large brood fish should be returned to the water healthy. I searched for a proper scale for my snook, but finding a certified measuring system after midnight in Pasco County was impossible. After exhaustive efforts, we released the fish. It wasn't until two weeks later, a caller told me my catch -- by the pictures and description -- might have been an International Gamefish Association world class line record. I checked, and to my great upheaval, it would have been. Had I been properly prepared, my name would be in the IGFA's archives. The record that lives on is the one in my memory. Today, if anglers conform to IGFA standards and the changes to state bag, size limits and closed seasons, the process of catching and certifying a record snook is tremendously more difficult. By the association's standard, the angler must successfully bring the fish to the landing position. No one may touch the rod or help the angler, other than taking the leader in hand to secure the catch. The line and leader strength is tested to exact standards. The fish must be weighed on land using a certified scale. So what happens if a potential record snook is reeled in? Undoubtedly, it would be over the 34-inch slot limit. Or, what if such a fish is caught during a closed season? There are ways to certify those records if you're in the right place and work fast. If a potential record fish is hooked in a closed season, photos must be taken. First, with the fish lying flat to a tape measure. Then girth and weight must be checked. All of this must take place on land, preferably with the angler in the picture. Another rule is that you can't be in possession of a fish, record or not, during a closed season. What constitutes possession? "If a fish is dragged more than two feet through the water with the intent of moving it to land for weighing, that constitutes possession," said Doug Blodgett of the IGFA. Many of our fish and game standards are subject to the discretion of a wildlife law enforcement agent. The same rules apply to tarpon, yet the practice of moving fish to landside weigh stations is common during some tournaments. The opportunity to catch a trophy fish is here. Weather patterns have blessed anglers with an early season. Tarpon are moving along the coast, and big snook are headed for the spawning grounds. The difficulty in documenting trophy snook and tarpon is real. Be certainbefore harvesting a tarpon -- with a mandatory kill tag -- or a large breeding snook that you have a record fish. Every big catch is a trophy, record or not, and memories live forever. -- If you have a question or comment, call Capt. Mike Scarantino, (352) 683-4868.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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