I've been fishing with my dad for a few years on a 'here or there' basis - but I'm just recently a new boat owner and hope to find myself in the situation where a nice piece 'paper' is in order... If I am so lucky, what do you have to do to get a release citation? (take a picture, length/girth measurements, what form to fill out, etc?)

Thanks,

Matt

Measure the length and have a witness on the boat. Most of the tackle shops have the form you need to fill out. I know you can download the form for a freshwater citation off the computer, but I don't think it is available online for a saltwater citation. Good luck on the releases. I'm still trying to catch that 44+ this year.

Saltwater citations must be filled out within 7 days in person at any official weight station with your witness. I asked Claude last year what was the deal if you had out of town guest that fished with you too late to register the citation due to bait shope being closed, then you parted ways and could not get back together within the 7 days. He was like rules are rules. We should have taken a picture.

Obviously if its a weight citation all you need is an angler and a fish that makes weight.

If you are alone then a picture of the fish being measured will be in order.

http://www.mrc.state.va.us/vswft/index.shtm

Matt just make sure you check the box marked "plaque". VA sends out in mid March the following year any citations you have earned during the current year for that species. Last year in Dec. I got a 44" and March 13th I recevied a nice plaque with the released # 1 on it. You only get one plaque per year.

In Jan. I got 2 over 44" release citations and hope to add to it in the next couple of weeks. Here's the deal, I got to get em in before Jan 1st. to get that number up on the plaque that I will get in March of 08.

My buddy's white marlin he caught in NC on my boat in August hit his house about 3 weeks ago.

Everyone answered your question I just thought I would expand on it.
Steve.

A buddy of mine fished with a charter captain out of Lynnhaven last weekend. They KEPT 3 fish in the low-mid 30lb range and applied for RELEASE citations with lengths over 44"! Unbelievable. I saw their names in the Daily Press Friday. Filet and release at its worse.

They applied for release citations on fish that were harvested? If so that is jacked up.

That's not cool...releasing the fish into the fishbox...not what a release citation is intended for!