This may be a good time to ask this, but it has probably been asked before. I had previously marked a paint stick to 10 inches and measured crappie with it jigging in the shallows. I measure all of my fish the way the TPW booklet illustrates. Someone pointed out to me that I may have a couple of short fish on my stringer. I threw 3 back for a precaution (all alive and kicking) and I purchased 2 of those triangular measuring devices at academy to be absolutely sure. This person showed me that the crappie has to exceed 10 inches. If it is 10 inches, but not over, it's a $175 fine. Not worth it to me! Can anyone shed some light on this. I hate to see good people get fined for not knowing any better.

I have been checked once and was OK - my fish, boat, registration, safety equipment. etc...

I have also seen people checked twice within an hour. I just thought this was important. It can ruin your day really fast.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

as long as the tail is sticking out of the measuring device you will be fine dont take any chances

PROUD TO HEAR SOMEONE THAT TRIES TO HONOR THE GUIDELINES. MOST 10 INCH FISH ARE NOT WORTH THE TIME TO CLEAN THEM. I PERSONALLY TOSS BACK A LOT OF 10 1/2 INCH FISH SO THEY CAN GROW. IT REALLY FRUSTRATES ME TO SEE FOLKS FISHING AT COLLIN PARK MARINA AND KEEPING ANYTHING WITH EYEBALLS. I WOULD WELCOME THE GAME WARDEN TO INSPECT A FEW BASKETS DOWN THERE.

I use the crappie checker (triangle thingy).

You have to ensure that the nose of the crappie is all the way to the bottom. Sometimes the dorsal fins are extended and the fish doesn't slide all the way to the bottom.

A barely 10" crappie is a little fish when you put it next to some fish that are 12-16 inches. If your looking at them on a stringer next to each other, it may make you think you mismeasured. If I have to squeeze the tail to make past the 10" mark, I throw it back. That is just me though, and squeezing the tailfin together is the proper way to determine the legal size of a fish.

If your bumping the top length on a slot fish, you can trust that the game warden will squeeze the tail to get the maximum length measurment.

I like the quick checker because it is easy and quick to use. Nothing wrong with using a ruler or paint stick if you are positive that the paint stick is 10".

I was bank fishing on Ray Roberts. Saw a guy put on his stringer not over 9". Also, a 10.5" Crappie is best to fry whole.

To answer your question...if the fish is exactly 10" long...it is a legal fish, and may be kept.

JUST REMEMBER THE RULES ON MEASURING FISH. MOUTH CLOSED AND JAMED AGAINST THE END LINE. A LOT OF FISH WILL MEASURE 10" WITH THEIR MOUTH'S OPEN THAT ARE NOT LEGAL.

If the fish are exactly 10" when I measure them with my "triangular thingy", I toss them back. Too many things can happen that can get you in trouble. The number one thing is, what may be 10" to me, may NOT be 10" to the warden.

Flounder, it may be best to make your tape mark 10-1/2" just to be on the safe side.

Eggman, explain "...best to fry whole." Nothing gets fried other than fillet meat and, if they are big enough, cheek meat. No frying whole with this guy!

Flounder,
I overheard the help you were getting Saturday morning, most of what I heard him say was quite untrue. If anyone called Leroy that day, it was him. And I doubt that as well..Leroy will not fine you for a fish that is exactly 10" either.
BUT, if it were me, and it was barely 10" when I measured it, there is a chance it won't still be 10" when Leroy measures it. If the tail gets messed up or anything else happens, all that matters to Leroy is that the fish is 10" when he measures it. Give yourself some room to be sure. That would be the best advise I can give. The triangle thingy is a great tool as it makes it easy to throw back small fish too.

I think I figured out the best way to stay out of trouble in this area. Every one of my crappie stiks now have a piece of orange tape on them, indicating exactly 10 1/4". If the crappie touches the tape, he goes to dinner with me, if he doesn't, he swims another day.......and I stay out of trouble with TPW's finest

I dont know about the rest of you, but I would be all for a 12" min. on crappie and sandbass. Just think of the monsters we would catch then.

There was a 12" minimum on sandbass for Conroe and Somerville for years. The TPWD determined that the extra 2" had zero effect on the sandbass population or average size.

This year they reduced the size and eliminated the 12" test program statewide.

The person that I fish with is legealy blind, on our measuring boards we have added a 1/4 in mark at the 10 in mark so all ours measure 10 1/4 if it does not exceed the 10 1/4 mark it goes back.