I'm almost embarassed to admit that it took me this long to come up with this idea (and I'm sure that many, many others have had it before), but here goes:

I was standing on the beach Sunday morning when my el-cheapo measuring tape -- the fourth one I've bought in the past few months -- broke. It left me with nothing to use in the event that I caught a borderline keeper striper. I stood there despondently, certain that I was going to catch a striper that was very close to a keeper - my first keeper of 2007 -- and that I'd have to let it go because I had no way to ensure it was long enough. Fortunately, my angling skills came to the rescue, ensuring that I'd catch no stripers, borderline or otherwise, and that the lack of a suitable measuring device would therefore not be a hindrance.

So while I was standing there in the Jersey surf, gently retrieving my needlefish and contemplating my place in the cosmos, an idea popped into my head: use my fishing rod as a ruler! Put a line 28 inches from the butt, so that I wouldn't need to break out a tape measure, and add lines at 16 and 17 inches, in case I run into a black drum or a flounder! What an idea!

My original idea was to use a shiny silver Sharpie, but then I realized that I could implement this idea into rod construction, and could do things like create a measuring thread wrap, or put a component like a hook keeper in a specific spot so that the wraps ended exactly where I could use them as a measuring point. It's an exciting idea to me, because it solves a very real-world problem: trying to hold a rod, contain a struggling fish, and work a tape measure at the same time. It also solves the problem of keeping a tape working, as the salt seems to destroy almost everything I've used, and I end up with failure at inopportune times.

So my question: has anyone done this? Does anyone have any cool ideas or experience for measuring devices or tricks?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2007 04:57PM by Chris Garrity.

It is a great idea you came up with. Here in Virginia the minimum length for an ocean-run striper is 27". For many trolling rods I have been placing a thin trim band at this spot on the rod so that all an angler has to do is hold the fish against the butt section of the rod to get a measurement. Work and keep angler from fumbling around for the tape measure...

I see we have similar luck fishing (grin).

Lou

I've thought about doing this to. The only problem is that the FWC changes the slots on Snook so much that I'd have to build myself a new rod each season.

One word ... RodRule.

I use them and my customers are very happy to have it. I sell to quite a few kayakers/waders and they like to stay as light as possible. These are very useful for photo and release tournaments, too.

I use a narrow trim band or a location marker using jungle cock nails on all fly rods I build and occasionally on spinning rods. I have also added trim band markers to many factory rods.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Like Stan, I usually put trim bands at the legal size and for pan fish rods I usually put bands at 0-6 -9 - 12-15 inches

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

A one dollar bill is 6 inches long. So check your wallet !! Never leave home without a couple of bucks for gas LOL At the price of gas take a 50. Yesterday I filled our diesel tank and it was 47 dollars and change to get just over 14 gallons
Good Wraps Bob

Folks here on the Texas Gulf Coast have been marking their rods for many years. Our sporting goods stores sell a kit with thin plastic strips in different colors that you tape on the rods. One color for trout, one for flounder, and one for redfish I believe are included. The custom rod builders do a couple of wraps of bright thread and then epoxy them at certain lengths on the rods.

Had a customer return a rod the other day for another wrap as he kept catching steelhead in the 30"-36" range this past winter but his rod only had marks at 20" and 28". Poor guy :).



Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

I have the first 6 sections from one of those wooden acordian style ruler(folding) 7 inches long and about 3/4 " square. if you buy a 6 footer you can get one from each end! new
jersey changes the rules to often. cape May here



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2007 07:28PM by Barry D. Thomas Sr..

I have done diamond wraps on 1 inch centers to actually be able to measure the fish accuratly.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Short of a separate fold-up ruler or small self-retrieving tape, use trim to mark the rod. Or figure out where the salient points are on the rod and tell the customer where they are. For example, if the end of one of the guide wraps is 36" from the front edge of the reel seat, tell him that or give him a little note about it. That even make sit look like you were clever enough to plan it that way.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Russ, that's essentially what I did -- I went home and measured the rod, and the top end (tip-most) of the wrap on my hook keeper was almost exactly 28 inches (it was about a quarter inch longer than 28, but that's close enough for me). I'll probably redo the hook keeper at some point, and wrap some different-colored thread to mark 28 inches. I'll still carry a tape, but it will be a nice to have a backup in case I need it.

Barry, you're right: Jersey does change its regs too often. Just two years ago, there was a slot limit for bass. You could keep one from 24-28", and one over 34. And don't even get me started about the flounder regs. For this reason I like the idea of a bright marker, in a color like flourescent silver: it's easy to remove when they change the regs, as they too often do.

One thing that I should have mentioned: I do most of my surfcasting at night, and in the dark it can be much easier to see a reference point on the rod, like a hook keeper or a guide, than to measure using a tape. It can be hard to see those things when you're up to your shins in the surf, it's dark, and you have a flopping bass at your feet.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.