brag mats

[Owen]

10-20mm short could be the difference between a good day on the water & copping a hefty fine.
I wouldn't expect them to be exact to the millemetre, but I would expect no more than +/- 5mm over the full length of the mat if it's to be considered any use at all.
Otherwise you have to stress the fish even longer while you get out you certified tape measure and run over it.

What next? Warnings on charts that say "not to be used for navigation"?

On they up side I suppose I can use one to become the next John Holmes.
Now that WOULD be a brag mat

[Sea-Dog]

10-20mm short could be the difference between a good day on the water & copping a hefty fine.
I wouldn't expect them to be exact to the millemetre, but I would expect no more than +/- 5mm over the full length of the mat if it's to be considered any use at all.
Otherwise you have to stress the fish even longer while you get out you certified tape measure and run over it.

What next? Warnings on charts that say "not to be used for navigation"?

On they up side I suppose I can use one to become the next John Holmes.
Now that WOULD be a brag mat

So who is John Holmes ??

[ffejsmada]

I agree that the brag mat should be spot on in measurement. It's a farce that it's not.
The only consolation to it being incorrect, is that it measures shorter than longer.

If this is the case, there's no way you'll get stung for undersize fish.

[ffejsmada]

Sorry, retract last post, made a mistake. What was I thinking!!!!!!

[GPB]

Brag mats are for more catch and release where you aren't keeping the fish to eat or 'brag' about, You have to still measure keepers properly [even fibreglass builders tapes are not accurate as they can stretch].
JH was a 'Big' man in movies , who didn't make fishing movies and died of aids.

[TheSaint]

If more people practiced Catch & Release you wouldn't have a problem of getting done for undersize fish..

[kingtin]

Sorry, retract last post, made a mistake. What was I thinking!!!!!!

That yours is smaller and other people's are bigger?

kev

[TinarooTriumph]

If more people practiced Catch & Release you wouldn't have a problem of getting done for undersize fish..

Im hearing ya Sainty! Fully agree

Well early this morning I checked both my bragmats, and sure enough they are as stated earlier 1cm shorter at the 50cm, and 2cm shorter at the 120cm mark. However you can't get a perfect measurement from them with re-measuring them with a tape measure... the ripples and bumps due to the material used probably cost 2cm in the overall length of the bragmat. Pretty much impossible to get them perfectly flat. So they could well be accurate enough... go and check again and you'll know what Im talking about.

Noel - $25 for a bragmat? If you pay anything over $15 for them your getting robbed.

Theo

[disorderly]

I wonder if the same company(that make this brag mat) also makes scales.

Be great to add a couple of kilo's to the real weight of my fish.

cheers Scott

[candogu]

Im hearing ya Sainty! Fully agree

Well early this morning I checked both my bragmats, and sure enough they are as stated earlier 1cm shorter at the 50cm, and 2cm shorter at the 120cm mark. However you can't get a perfect measurement from them with re-measuring them with a tape measure... the ripples and bumps due to the material used probably cost 2cm in the overall length of the bragmat. Pretty much impossible to get them perfectly flat. So they could well be accurate enough... go and check again and you'll know what Im talking about.

Noel - $25 for a bragmat? If you pay anything over $15 for them your getting robbed.

Theo

lol makes it easier to lie to your mates too........... 2 or 3 cm is not a couple a mm here or there . mate i get robbed all the time

[StevenM]

Get all the bumps and folds out and lay it straight. It should be fine as mine is.

[the gecko]

Yup, I did the experiment too. Interesting topic.

At first glance it appeared to be 1 cm out at the 60cm mark.

Then I noticed it made a difference if I flatened out all the bumps. This means you may have to stretch it out by hand.

I also see it make a diff if you measure from the inside or outside edge of the hard metal lip on the mat. The way they have been stitched seems to account for the metal lip, and they measure perfectly from the outside of the lip.

I also got bad readings by using a tape measure that starts off on top of the lip, ie-2cm HIGHER than the mat, and then goes down at an angle to the mat. If you measure it parallel to the mat, it seems correct.

Try and measure from 20cm to 1.2m or 30cm to 1.3m and see where its out - you cant find any error. See what I mean?

Its all about where you start from, and if you are measuring flat or bumps.

The mat is correct, its just the way you use it.

Myth busted.

cheers
Andrew

[peterreb]

Just a thought, if left in the sun, it will expand, what happens then

[dogsbody]

It stands to reason that if something is soft and pliable it can in no way be accurate. If left in sun it will expand slightly and if it's cold it will shrink slighty. The only way around this is if it was thicker the more thicker the more stable it would become but then that would make it less foldable. If you want something accurate measure on your boat and stick a little piece of decal at intervals of your choice or even make a scratch at lengths to your liking.

Dave.

[GPB]

As stated 'ITS ONLY A GUIDE NOT A LEGAL MEASUREMENT', if you want to keep legal fish use a legal measurement.
Tackle shops where selling a GPS SPOTS book with out of date QLD fish lengths in the back of it, doesn't mean you can blame the book or shop if you are caught with undersize fish.