Catch and release fish data recording system

A portable system for recording, while on board a fishing boat, information concerning a caught fish, said system comprising:

• a carrying case having a pair of case halves hingedly interconnected to each other along one edge for opening and closing movement relative to each other;
• a handle on one of the case halves for carrying the closed case;
• latch means for latching the closed halves in the closed position;
• fish weighing and measuring means located within a first of said case halves and including:
• means for visually portraying a fish in the course of weighing, and concurrently portraying a digital readout of the weight of such fish;
• and
• means for visually indicating the length of the fish concurrently with the weighing of the fish;
• a liquid crystal diode data readout display carried in said first case half adjacent said weighing and measuring means and including a display panel with zones thereon for the visual display of information, including fish weight, fish length, fish species, date, location and fisherman;
• a keyboard mounted within said second case half;
• electronic signal conversion means between said keyboard and said data readout display panel for converting keyboard input to visual information displayed on said data readout display panel;
• and
• means for photographically recording the information visually appearing on said data readout display panel and concurrently photographically recording a fish being weighed and measured by said fish weighing and measuring means.

A portable system for recording, while on board a fishing boat, information concerning a caught fish, said system comprising:

• a carrying case having a pair if case halves hingedly interconnected to each other along one edge for opening and closing movement relative to each other;
• means for stopping the movement of said case halves relative to each other in a position in which the halves extend at substantially a right angle with respect to each other, whereby said second case half can be rested upon a horizontally extending surface and said first case half can then extend vertically so that a fish can be vertically suspended against, and supported upon, said first half for purposes of weighing;
• a handle on one of the case halves for carrying the closed case;
• latch means for latching the closed halves in the closed position;
• fish weighing and measuring means located within a first of said case halves and including:
• means for visually portraying a fish in the course of weighing, and concurrently portraying a digital readout of the weight of such fish;
• and
• means for visually indicating the length of the fish concurrently with the weighing of the fish;
• a liquid crystal diode data readout display carried in said first case half adjacent said weighing and measuring means and including a display panel with zones thereon for the visual display of multiple items of information;
• a keyboard mounted within said second case half;
• electronic signal conversion means between said keyboard and said data readout display panel for converting keyboard input to visual information displayed on said data readout panel;
• and
• means for photographically recording the information visually appearing on said data readout display panel and concurrently photographically recording a fish being weighed and measured by said fish weighing and measuring means, said means for photographically recording the information comprising:
• a camera;
• and
• expandable means mounting said camera in said second case half and movable to a position at which said camera faces said first half and a fish supported thereon when said halves extend at substantially a right angle with respect to each other.

A portable system for recording information concerning a wildlife specimen, such system including:

• a two-part carrying case defining a hollow interior when the two parts are closed, and having the two parts hinged to each other for pivotally opening apart from each other upon pivotation about the hinge by which the parts are joined;
• an electronic weighing means mounted in a first of the parts of the carrying case for electronically weighing the wildlife specimen and developing a digital readout portrayal of the specimen weight while concurrently measuring and visually portraying, at least one physical dimension of said specimen;
• and
• means mounted in the second part of the carrying case for simultaneously making two records, at least one of which is written, recording said specimen weight and physical dimension, whereby one of said records can be mailed to an official registry, and one of said records can be retained by the wildlife specimen collector, said means for simultaneously making two records further comprising:
• a camera for making a photographic record;
• and
• printing means including:
• a tape;
• and
• means for printing at least said speciman weight and physical dimension on the tape;
• means connected to said second case part and to said camera for adjusting the position of said camera and aiming said camera toward the center of said first part.

A catch and release fish data recording system comprising:

• a carrying case having two cavity-defining parts hingedly interconnected to facilitate pivotation of the parts relative to each other from a first, closed position, in which the case is closed, to a second, open position in which a first of said parts extend substantially normal to the second of said parts after pivoting through an angle of about 90.degree. from said closed position;
• a fish weighing and measuring subassembly mounted in said first case part, and including:
• means for measuring and visually portraying the length of a fish;
• and
• means for weighing said fish;
• means connected to said weighing means for reacting to the weight of said fish to visually and digitally portray the weight of said fish adjacent said means for measuring and visually portraying the length of the fish;
• and
• a camera mounted in said second case part and positionable by limited movement, without detachment from said second case part, for photographing said means for visually portraying the length of said fish, a fish suspended on said weighing means, and the visually and digitally portrayed weight of said fish at the time when said case parts are in said second, open position.

A catch and release fish data recording system comprising:

• a pair of mating cavity-defining parts interconnectable to each other in a first, closed position to form a case having an encloure on the interior thereof, and interconnectable to each other in a second, open position in which the two parts of the case extend at an angle of at least about 90.degree. to each other;
• a fish weighing and measuring subassembly mounted in one of said parts, and including:
• a measuring grid for measuring and visually portraying the length of a fish;
• and
• means for weighing a fish comprising:
• a suspending element upon which a fish can be retained in position against said grid in a position to be measured thereby;
• and
• means for weighing the fish while it is positioned against said grid and on said suspending element;
• means to visually portray in a digital fashion, the weight of said fish in response to said weighing means and at a location adjacent said grid;
• and
• a camera mounted in the other part of said two-part case and positionable by limited movement, and without detachment from said other part of said case, for photographing said grid, a fish positioned adjacent said grid, and the visually and digitally portrayed weight of said fish at the time when said two case parts are in said second position.