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21TightLinesBulletin-SummerFall2011shingfodder...ClubSnookSlingModifiedModiedslingnowhasangledendcaps.ScrubYourTarponAfterafewyearsintheeldandre-ceivinginputfromanglerstheWestPalmBeachFishingClubsSnookSlinghasundergoneafewmodications.TheoriginalSnookSlingsweremadeoutofawhitematerialandwerealittlelargerthanthecurrentdesign.Thenewver-sionismadeoutofadurablebluematerialcalledtextilenethatdoesnotshowstainsasmuchandhasamoreopenmesh.Ad-ditionallythenewlyupgradedSnookSlingsfeaturesmallendcaps.Anglersareusingtheslingstoweighmorethanjustsnook.Theyareusingitforsharksamberjackbarracudabullredsandothervarietiesofsh.Thesmallendcapsweresewnintotheopenendsoftheslingtokeeptheshmoresecure.Undersomecircumstancesshwereslidingoutoftheolddesign.TheangledendcapsminimizethatfromhappeningsaidWPBFCpresidentTomTwyford.TheFishingClubdevelopedtheSnookSlingseveralyearsagotopromoteamoreconservationorientedtechniqueforweighingandreleasingshespeciallysnook.Weighingandreleasingsomespeciesofshespeciallysnooktarponandtroutinaverticalorientationcandamagevitalinternalorgansorsometimesdamagethethroatlatchorgills.TheincreasedpopularityanduseofhandscalesliketheBogaGriphasfueledthisconcern.TheWPBFChascertiedoverthirteenhundredhandscalesforitsmembersinrecentyears.BecausetheFishingClubisanadvocateofcatchweighreleasewewantedtodevelopatoolthatminimizesourimpactonthesh.UsingaSnookSlingisjustamoreethicalapproachtoweighingyourcatchcontinuedTwyford.WPBFCSnookSlingsaremadefromtopqualitymaterialsdesignedforasaltwaterenvironmentandcanbeeasilyfoldedandstoredonaboat.Bynocoincidencetheslingis28widetheminimumsizelimitforsnookduringopenseason.ForWPBFCcompetitionpurposesSummerWinterFishingContestsclubrecordsannualNorasnookawardetc.theweightoftheslingwhichis1poundwillbedeductedfromtheshweight.Thereisagenuineneedforaproductlikethis.ItmakessensethattheWestPalmBeachFishingClubwithitsstrongconservationethicistheonethathelpsinitiateitsdevelop-mentandusesaidclubchairmanandWPBFCAnglingCommitteememberPeteSchulz.TheSnookSlingsellsfor45.TheyareavailableattheWPBFCclub-houselocatedat201FifthStreetinWestPalmBeachandatFishingHeadquarterstackleshopinJupiterlocatedat633AlternateA1A561-743-7335.Slingscanalsobepurchasedonlineattheclubwebsite.ChrisGardinalaFisheriesResearchTechnicianwiththeFWCsFishWildlifeResearchInstituteinSt.PetersburgrecentlyvisitedtheFishingClubinformingmembersabouttheTarponGeneticRecaptureStudyacollaborativeeffortbetweenthestateandMoteMarineLabinSarasota.ResearcherslikeChrisarereachingouttogroupsliketheWPBFCforassistanceincollectingDNAsamplesfromcaughtandre-leasedtarpon.IfyoucatchtarponhereshowyoucanhelpTheFWCprovidesanglerswithfreesamplingkitsenoughtosamplethreefish.Freekitsarealsoavailableatmanyareatackleshops.Includedinthekitareinstructionssmallabrasivepadslabeledvialscontaining20ethanolandcorrespondingdataslips.ArmscrubwiththepadontheouterjawofatarponwillyieldenoughsilveryskincellsforresearcherstogetaDNAngerprintofyoursh.Todatemorethan3000tarponhavebeensampledresultinginover70tarponrecapturesshthathavebeenscrubbedmorethanonce.Datacollectedfromthiscosteffectivemethodologyrevealsim-portantinformationontarponmove-mentsgrowthratesandpostreleasesurvivability.Visithttpresearch.MyFWC.comtolearnmoreorsendanemailtotarpongeneticsMyFWC.com.