ANGLER RECOGNITION 2: The days of trying to find a 
certified scale to record your trophy catch are over ... we'll 
explain on Passport to Texas.
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PPT from TPW & the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Effective January 1, 2006, the Angler Recognition Program 
began accepting length-only record applications for the 
catch and live release of selected species in Texas public 
waters.

The problem was, people couldn't find certified scaled. They'd 
just run around and around and around trying to find a scale ... 
and so I was looking for a way to increase participation, and this 
catch and release is one way to do that. :10

Joedy Gray coordinates the program for the agency. He 
considered the benefits of a catch release program in 
2002, after an angler who'd landed an 87-inch tarpon on a 
fly-rod asked him if he could receive recognition for his 
catch.

And the only way you're going to be able to weigh a tarpon is to 
have a shrimp boat right next to it - with a boom on it. And 
that got my mind thinking about catch/release back in 2002. So 
I'm glad to be able to do that now. And that will allow people to 
catch tarpon - to go ahead and take a length, take a good 
picture of it and then they'll be eligible for a state record. :16

Rules and guidelines, as well as a downloadable 
application can be found on the Texas Parks and Wildlife 
Web site. Anglers must take several images of the fish, 
as well as prove its length by taking a picture of it with a 
ruler or marked tape beside it.

That's our show ... .The Sport Fish Restoration Program 
supports our series ... and also helps to fund Sea Center 
Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.