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I'm going to hold off on finalizing the measurements as a new rule for Fall 2026 Big 4. As there seems to be some uncertainty regarding the practical issues I'm going to ask folks to do this voluntarily for the Fall and see where this takes us. Appreciate the feedback and hopefully we can consider this for the Spring Big 4 in 2027

Dave P - Thanks for doing the trial run. I have to say that looks good for a first go and the metal tape offers an interesting option for the length shot.

So, I did a trial run. Photos are below. Fish was 14 lbs., 23 inches long and had a girth of 18 inches. i will say you need to REALLYbe ready and have everything set up before you catch the fish. For the shot of the fish, I used a camera holder and did it by voice control. No problem here- same as what we used to do. For the length I used a metal measuring tape. It was more rigid and stayed in place. Plus bigger numbers. It was difficult to eyeball an exact length because the tape was under the fish. Plus, does not show up well unless you enlarge the photo. I did the girth with a fabric tape measure. The fish flopped when I put the tape under it. First photo my finger was in the way. Second photo was ok but still tough to do since you are measuring, holding the tape and then taking a photo. All of this would have been easier with 2 people. So, can it be done-yes. But, I can guarantee most fishermen will find this cumbersome. Some will find it very difficult. It’s something you will need to get used to if we adopt it. Not easy.

I gave it a try a couple of times, out of curiosity, and frankly, it's much easier (and faster) to do than to take a proper Big4 sideview picture! Just adding some water on top of the fish before proceeding with the measurements will make it perfectly safe for the fish. I only tried with a mat, but I don't see the issue with a cradle. It's a tad tricky to hold your phone and the measuring tape for the length measurement, but I guess practice will help. After all, pretty much every other species is judged & regulated by length, so we carp anglers should be able to measure it too... The hardest part will be to REMEMBER to do it in the excitement of catching a big fish... I would suggest everybody gives it a try with an open mind, and see what goes. What is clear is that we need to add an extra layer of verification, as we're receiving way too many complaints based on sideview pictures, which can indeed be quite misleading, notably with bulky fish. And video-recording of the whole weighing process doesn't seem realistic, notably when fishing in a remote/cramped spot without a tripod and so on.

I also agree with the others above that this seems like more of a chore and can be difficult if fishing solo. I’d like to think that people aren’t cheating in this friendly competition, but we’ve all seen articles about fishermen getting caught. It can be difficult judging the size of a fish from a pic. I have a friend who can make a 20lb carp look like a 40lb just because he’s good at taking pics with his phone. When fishing solo or at night, I’m happy when I can get a pic of me holding the fish and the sign/scale in the photo. However, I think it’s good to look at a possible change since it may help combat the ability to use AI and some anglers not being honest. I love fishing this event since it encourages me to get out more often than I normally would. I feel this would be a little more difficult to accomplish and may not be good for the fish.

I can say that with tournaments for other types of fish measurements aren't that difficult. Its more difficult for me getting a pic holding the fish when i am by myself. My PB of 26lb 7oz was just a picture of the fish on the mat since I was alone at the time. Will a picture be 100% accurate with the fish moving, slime, gravity, water, hell even a sneeze can make it change slightly. Needing to be "approximate" may be easier if it has no bearing on the outcomes of the results. unless someone puts a 18 inch fish 10 inch girth and calls it 28lbs would it come into effect. Again i agree if its for "research" or if that 1/4 inch will make the difference between a win or a loss. I have invested 60$ into a "pov" camera that has had decent results for me and i can screen grab from it. but it is also not night vision. I can give the you tube link to anyone who would like to see the quality of the one i got for reference. That said I follow rules so if its a rule i will abide by it. especially since this upcoming fall big 4 will be my first non locale specific tournament. (i'll be in baldwinsville)

I really hope this is still a "PROPOSAL" and not a new rule. Has there been a vote yet? How many anglers have been suspected of or called out on submitting untruthful weights? If it's the same anglers being called out, maybe reach out to them and ask for additional information per catch. I'm assuming it's a low number? For every picture measuring length, there will be photos taken on a slight angle to skew even an inch for untruthful measurements. There will be more emails reporting cheating. There will be constant zooming in because you can't take a closeup of a measurement right above the fish. For every picture measuring girth, holding a measuring tape and a phone in the other, trying to snap a picture is difficult. Not all anglers are tech savvy and you will be getting emails asking how to work their android or iphone hands-free commands. Many anglers fish alone and this will be too difficult. I think further discussion to address concerns before a final vote is needed.

Agree with everything that has been said. It’s hard enough to get a photo of the fish with the logo and scale. More difficult if you are fishing alone. Furtermore , most fishermen use cradles for their unhooking. Impossible to get a measurement in a cradle if you are alone. You would need a flat Mat also to do this. i also think the girth measurement would be tough to do alone with a fish flopping around, trying to get the measurement and a photo. i would also be concerned about the time to fish would be out of the water to get all these photos. Finally, does the website have the storage/memory for 3 photos for every fish? One idea might be a trial run where a few anglers try this before it is adopted as a rule. Unsure what has prompted this rule change. If it is to combat suspected cheaters, deal with the offenders. If it’s for data collection, set up a separate thread where volunteers can enter the data.

I agree with James.I am a solo angler in this event and would seem quite impossible to document everything as stated in the proposed rule change. Maybe to better document as stated should be left to a social event. Respectfully

I'm good with the rule either way, but let me start by saying I don't participate in the Big 4 because I don't want my fishing to feel like work. I know if I entered it, my personality would make it a full time job. With the technology we have, why not require a short video of each fish over 25lbs. This video would position the Big 4 sign, mat, etc, as is required now, but show the angler lift the fish to the normal position, then rotate the fish to show the belly, rotate back down, and then pivot to see the head. Something like this would be faster than taking the length and girth, yet provide visibility of the bulk of the fish. If the goal is to get data of length and girth, then for sure that can be an option. On the Delaware River, I have seen carp, postspawn into the fall, that have the same length and girth that have pretty significantly different weights. Here we call them fighting weight males verses spawned out females. So if the length and girth is to try to get more of a handle on if people incorrectly reporting weights, I'm not sure it won't cause other problems. But Lee Hurn once saw a photo of me with a 30lb carp and thought I was lying. He, jokingly, said "I had to be 50 stone for that carp to be 30lbs." I pointed out I was 350 pounds and 6' tall and if you thought the carp was even a tenth of my size than that made the fish even bigger than the 30lbs.

Proposed New Rule for Fall Big 4 2026 Any BIG 4 entry of a common carp weighing 25lb or more will also require length and girth measurements to be submitted. Girth is measured at the widest part of the carp in front of the dorsal and pelvic fins Length is measured from the front of the head to the fork in the tail (not the tip of the tail). All measurements should be recorded in inches to the nearest ¼ inch. A photo of the (1) Girth and (2) Length measurements with the carp on your mat with the tape measure will be submitted along with the regular front view photo (see Rule 7). This new rule will allow everyone to better document the bulk of a big fish, as front view photos can be misleading in this respect. It will also help us in submitting critical data to State Fishery scientists to help with determining protection limits for trophy sized carp. A soft flexible tape measure of the type used by dressmakers etc is ideal and can be purchased for around $2. Please post your thoughts and comments as a reply below. Thanks!

We only accept payments via PayPal which can be linked to a credit card. If you are still unable to sign up please send me an email: iain@carpanglersgroup.com

having same issue will not let me pay with a credit card help please

If my PayPal account is blocked, not sure why that is, but whatever. Anyway to pay for CCC w/o PayPal? Payment page always goes to PayPal. I’ve even gotten the PP app but still can’t pay. Is there a place I can mail a check to? I don’t want to get shut out of the tournament. Thanks, Tom Brown.

By a unanimous vote of the BOD, Joe Jellison has been voted State Co- Chair for TN. Thanks, Joe, for volunteering and good luck in your new position.