Question About Fish Scales

[Tuckahoe Joe]

hey guys. sorry for the dumb question but i was wondering how to use a fish scale. the one i got is kinda cheap (it came with a fish cleaning kit i got at walmart for like 5 bucks). its made by berkley and its not digital. its got a hook at the bottom and pulls down on a spring which lines up with the weights printed on it. anyway, i wanted to how to get the fish on the scale. where on the fish should i hook it?

[Marty]

I use a gripper to hold the fish's jaws and put the scale hook in a hole in the gripper. A friend carefully puts the hook into the opening to the gill covers, which is not recommended. You could put the fish into a wet plastic grocery bag that has handles or use some other container that's suitable.

[papajoe222]

I know where you should put it, and it isn't anywhere on the fish! If you're really concerned with the actual weight of a fish, keep it and weigh it on a certified scale. Other than that, I suggest either spending some cash on a digital, or taking length and girth measurements and using a fish calculator to determine the approximate weight. I personally just put them up to a ruler and if they top 24in. I call my heart doctor because I know that puppy is going to give me a heart attack when I find out exactly what it weighs.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

i was thinking the gills but it seemed to me that it would end up hurtuing the fish and i definitly dont want to do that so im glad you said not to. getting the weight from the measurements sounds like a better plan. so is it just 'LENGTH x GIRTH = WEIGHT'? or what are the calculations?

[SirSnookalot]

Don't weigh, measure or photograph them unless it's something really special or you're in a tournament, get them back in the water. Special is something different to everyone, whether it be size or a memorable event, I don't really care about the weight, an estimate is fine.

[roadwarrior]

We have a calculator in "Tools" at the top of the page.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

thanks roadwarrior. i actually found your calculator right after i posted that. gonna use it next nice size fish i catch.

[Marty]

thanks roadwarrior. i actually found your calculator right after i posted that. gonna use it next nice size fish i catch.

Calculators can be unreliable. But it depends on how badly you want to know the actual weight. For the most part, I'm satisfied knowing the length of most fish. My general guideline is to weigh it if I think it may go 4#. Whatever scale you use, test it by weighing things that have already been weighed on certified scales at your supermarket so you know what you're dealing with.

For what it's worth (probably -0-), I've never measured the girth of a fish.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

i mean i guess the weight doesn't really matter that much. the length is definitly easier to go by but everyones always like "yeah man, i caught this 6lb bass". i dont care about the smaller ones but eventually im gonna catch a nice sized fish and if its a new PB or something, id like to have an approximate weight. maybe ill just use 3 different calculators and take the average of the 3 different weights.

[tomustang]

Joe, a good way to approach weighing is to learn off some bass, Then you will have a good figure and be better in range with the majority of bass you or others catch.

Post 7 and 16 are good read for you

[Tuckahoe Joe]

thanks for that tom. very helpful!

[Sun Fish]

I use a gripper to hold the fish's jaws and put the scale hook in a hole in the gripper. A friend carefully puts the hook into the opening to the gill covers, which is not recommended. You could put the fish into a wet plastic grocery bag that has handles or use some other container that's suitable.

I do this it works great. Get a fish gripper, mine has a little rope on the end of it I guess to hang on the wall or put around your wrist. I use that to grip the fishes lip and simply put the hook of the scale on the little rope on the grip weight and subtract the weight of the grip. It's very quick, easy I doubt anymore harmful to the fish than thumbing it and you get the fish back in the water in about 10 or 15 seconds more than if you didn't weight it.

[retiredbosn]

Joe ppl have been weighing fish for years, slipping the scale weight in the gill area will not harm the fish if done correctly. Spring scales are easier to get certified and don't rely on batteries, I would argue more accurate and reliable. I only weigh the big ones additionally weighing them allows you to be more accurate in estimating the weight of future catches. Fish aren't so fragile that weighing them will adversely effect their survival, in fact weighing them on the boat and releasing them then is quicker than photography and much more humane than transporting them in a live well to some arena and weighing them there. I hate tournament weigh ins, u can bet there has been studies done on that practice.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

im not sure but i think ive seen grippers with scales built in. maybe something to pick up when i have a couple extra bucks.

[SirSnookalot]

I don't carry a scale or tape measure, I have a mark on my rods freshwater rods are at 20" and my inshore rods have the snook slot 28-32". They get released anyway it's just for my own curiosity.

[LuckyHandsINC.]

Joe ppl have been weighing fish for years, slipping the scale weight in the gill area will not harm the fish if done correctly. Spring scales are easier to get certified and don't rely on batteries, I would argue more accurate and reliable. I only weigh the big ones additionally weighing them allows you to be more accurate in estimating the weight of future catches. Fish aren't so fragile that weighing them will adversely effect their survival, in fact weighing them on the boat and releasing them then is quicker than photography and much more humane than transporting them in a live well to some arena and weighing them there. I hate tournament weigh ins, u can bet there has been studies done on that practice.

X2 I agree 100% with every point you made.