After several years in the making, the IGFA was pleased to announce the All-Tackle Length Record release category. What makes this so different from any of the IGFA’s other categories is for the first time in history, the IGFA will award records for the longest fish and not the heaviest and promoting the mandatory release of the fish to earn the record.
While not meant to replace or usurp the IGFA’s venerable records based on weight, this category offered a new means of awarding angler achievement. In addition, it differs from traditional IGFA records in several key aspects. First, this is an absolutely 100% release category where fish must be returned to the water alive and unharmed. It is important to note that the IGFA does not require that fish be killed for its traditional weight records and that many record fish are indeed released. However, since fish in this category need not be transported to scales on land, the IGFA decided to go with a full release format. Accordingly, fish that are entered for the All-Tackle Length category are not eligible for weight categories.