I worked (summer seasonal) for DFG for a few years on a creel crew specifically monitoring CWT (coded wire tag) Chinook salmon in the Sacramento Valley.  Funding was cut for that research project so I moved to Kokanee monitoring in reservoirs.  I helped with tagging, recovering and reading the tags.  When we tag the fish they are about 3”-5” long and use a tagging machine to insert the tag.  Grab the fish which is sedated, place fish in nose cone on machine, press button, wire from a spool is forced into the nose and cut at a specified length.  The spool of wire has a series of code numbers which is repeated on the entire length on the wire spool.  Then scan the recently tagged fish to make sure the tag is embedded.  When doing field work and collecting heads at boat ramps or fish cleaning stations we look for adipose clipped fish and ask for the heads and explain the research.  When I was doing this it was voluntary for the fisherman but the rules may have changed.  Rarely were we denied the salmon heads, and usually just cleaned the whole fish as a courtesy.  I understand some of you eat the cheeks or want to keep the head for soup stock and figured out that you usually only need to cut from right behind the eyes down toward the mouth since the CWT is in the top portion of the nose.  DFG should have their metal detector wand, so ask them to just cut the nose off and scan.

22 this morning and icy.  Marked fish by the island and 2nd dam, couple take downs but nothing stuck. Didn't see much at the back end of the lake.  Bring the hot coffee, down jacket, beanie and gloves.  Got our kayaks and lisence checked by DFG Game Warden  Wildlife Officer today too!

1946 CJ2A with a 3B windshield frame.  4.3L Chevy v-6, SM-465 trans, dana 20 t-case with tera low gears. Dana 30 front 44 rear, 4.10 gears and ARB air loockers.  35" mtr's, on board air compressor, on board hot water shower.  Trailer is home made.  Had a metal shop bend a the "U" shaped tub and fenders, we welded frame and front and back of tub.  Painted with single stage PPG along the side of the garage.  Homemade 3 way swivle hitch...list could go on and on.

I have mostly used mine for outdoor activities but it is great for indoor.  Google "gopro diy egg timer mount".  Its a mount on an egg timer that will spin your gopro 360 for some sweet time lapse.  -Matt

Thanks for the info...keep it coming.  Did some measuring and horizontal part of the stock rudder is about 3/16" thick and the rest is 1/8" thick.  Bought some material from Blue Collar Supply in Sac.  Going to use all 1/8" thick.  Tricky part is going to be welding the pieces together.  I would need to set up the wire feed with shielding gas and switch to aluminum wire.  Another option would be using the heat and melt stuff kinda like soldering but not sure of the strength of the weld.  As for the slots in the stock rudder i am going to just drill a bunch of holes instead.  Going to make a few at one time...think its easier that way.  -Matt

Good work!  I've built a few rods with that same rod stand and have used an old bbq rotisserie motor to turn the rod during glue/exoxy drying.  Building a sabiki rod from a $7 walmart balck widow and some old rod building supplies. I'll post some pics when its done.