How Big Is This Bass In The Pic A Friend Sent Me?

[primetime]

I was hoping for some help....

 

A friend of mine who just started fishing a few months ago sent me this photo of a Bass he caught last week on a watermelonseed dinger in a pond by his house. I know the pic was taken with a regular phone and he doesn't know the Roland Martin Camera Tricks. He sent me some other photos of fish he called 5lbs, and they appeared to be in the 19-20" area so I was thinking 4lbs maybe 5, so he has a  good idea. He said this fish was easy double but maybe more......

 

I always use the Rapala formula since I never take big fish out of the water, and I just measure girth and length plus lenght to fork. I am thinking this fish is close to 30" and I am basing that on the fact I take so many pics of 24-26" fish which are always in the 7-9 maybe some 10's.

 

I plan on going out to catch this and others this week, as I am thinking these ponds obviouly have some monsters and a 19lb bass was caught in this area in the 70's.

 

Thanks. I apppreciate the Help

[Bluebasser86]

Looks to be really close to the camera, and the mouth and head just don't look like those of a fish that would certainly be in the teens if it was nearing 30".  It's really hard to tell from that picture, but if I were going to guess I'd say somewhere in the 7-10 pound range. 

[mjseverson24]

it has a small head with a largeish body, i would have a hard time going much over 7 with it, but only because the picture is not very good...

 

Mitch

[Brian Needham]

I'll tell you what that fish is....... A STUD.

 

past that, it is so hard to tell by pictures.

[Deleted account]

Terrible picture for weight estimate, but that's a big fish. I'd say 8-9, but could be bigger or smaller.

[Master Bait'r]

Can't really help on the size or weight, but it's certainly an awesome fish and that's all that really matters anyways.  

[F14A-B]

Just doesnt have the huge typical (large) largemouth it reminds me more of a smallie(mouth size) idk... Is it a hybrid of sorts?

That's a good size fish for a small head! No clue on weight!

[J Francho]

Nice fish. Your buddy needs to get scale.

[Dwight Hottle]

I would guess 7-8 ish but we will never know.

[daiwaguy]

I think it is in the 8-9 range. Just tell him it is between 3 and 12 pounds to be safe.

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

I once caught a 22.5 inch bass that made 3 lbs on the scale it was extremely thin and looked sick.  From a distance though without looking at the girth my fish looked like a 4-5lber.  So, I made sure that the people across the river looking at me only saw the side profile. LOL 

 

Maybe its a really bad picture but I am thinking that fish looks 4-5 lbs range.  I have seen a lot of people in my day call a 2lb bass a five pounder.

 

J-

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Not the best picture to judge weight with. Just by what I can see I would say 5.5 to 6.0.

[FrogFreak]

I know I've mentioned this before but be careful when you get a scale. Once you do, all the fish you caught that used to be 5 pounds start shrinking. I say leave the scale at home and estimate, it's much more fun.

[AK-Jax86]

4

[MO_LMB]

Well if you assume your friend is of average height, he probably has a pants inseam measurment of at least 30". Considering the fish is in front of his shin, I don't see it being much longer than his knee to his foot, which in turn means this fish is NOWHERE NEAR 30".

[midgastumpjumper]

nice fish.  Hard to tell the weight.  I would say the smaller mouth and thinner lips would mean that is a younger bass (relative to other bass that size) and one that has eaten well. 

[WRB]

The photo doesn't have any tangible clues to length and girth and that is the only method to judge weight without actually weighing the fish.

You or your friend need to measure the fish and then we can estimate it's weight.

Tom

[flyfisher]

No clue but i have a tough time believing it is 30" long...unless your friend has an extremely long lower leg

[Catt]

3.5-4.5!

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I thought 4 when I saw the pic.

 

Your friend is messing with you or is just being a fisherman.

[fishva]

Based on the perspective, he's approximately one adult human leg long. Which probably makes him a world record. Congrats!

 

[primetime]

I have pics of Legit 7.5's that look like 10's but I am only asking since my friend just started fishing a month ago and he comes into the shop and he was been showing me pics of giant Shiners and legit 4-5lb fish. He would not know a 10lb fish if he saw one and is not claiming 30", I just know from taking tons of pics over the years of fish, that when taken on a phone fish often look small. I took a pic of an 11.7lb fish that was weighed in a tourney at Harris a few years back and it looks like a 4lber.

 

I know the area he fishes and the local bait shop has pics of Bass up to 13lbs, and I was thinking that since we can't see the tail, and he has his fist in the fishes mouth (He was amazed  largemouth have big mouths which I understand as a newbie) and he is holding it twisted as well which distorts the image which I agree.

 

I am guessing the fish is in the 7-9lb range since most of the large Pond bass in Florida always fall in that range. However, I wish I had a tail to compare or different angles as he is not sure how big it was.....

 

He said one of his neighbors took pics with a regular camera and not a small cell phone, so I am hoping to see that image.

 

The good news is that I have drilled it into his head that when fishing ponds it is extremely important to take a few pics, but more importantly get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible, do not lay it on the grass, and do not put a scale in its mouth or damage his jaw. He said he didnt want to get a tape measure since I had sold him green colored worms since Bass are guarding Fry and spawning so he didnt want to waste any time keeping it out of the water.

 

I can usually guess a weight in most photos if I have 2-3 angles by looking at fins, tail, head, and shape. I am not saying the fish is 30", I am saying it looks big for a cell phone shot compared to my 7-10's on my cell phone. I am not sure any of my fish are over 10 since I always use the Rapala formula and I know during the spawn it can varry more than .2 like usuall, and a 9.11 could be 10...I will be heading out that way to check the ponds out in that area since I know they all have monsters in them.

[primetime]

I thought 4 when I saw the pic.

 

Your friend is messing with you or is just being a fisherman.

It was his 3rd time bass fishing. He put his fist in the mouth as he was surprise largemouth bass have such big mouths. Phone pics are hard to judge but since fish is twisted and missing the tail portion, impossible to tell, but I certain it is over 7 since they are quite common in phosphate ponds, and 21" fish are the norm in the 4-5lb range on average.....good catch for maybe his 2nd hour of bass fishing......I think it is big because cell phones lie, and it has that look and shape of a Large fish. He knows what a 4lb fish is and thinks it was 3x that size and believes it, so I am heading out on Friday to see if we can maybe get a few flipping in the part of the pond with heavy cover which he avoids and I may use one of the 12" shiners that are super abundant in the pond. Hope to have a pic of a 12lber but it will be in the water as I don't take them out of the water in ponds for fear of messing the fish up.

[primetime]

Just doesnt have the huge typical (large) largemouth it reminds me more of a smallie(mouth size) idk... Is it a hybrid of sorts?

That's a good size fish for a small head! No clue on weight!

The head is twisted and he is a newbie and was amazed how big the mouth was and put his fish in the mouth for the photo like I used to do when I was a kid. I am thinking the fish is old or spawned out maybe based on shape of it and some others I have caught recently, I think the head is bigger than what pic shows, and I wish I had the tail shot. He said neighbor has a shot from reg camera, but I have advised him to always put fish back really quick in ponds especially during this time of year, so he didnt want to get a tape measure and keep it out of the water. I just feel it looks long based on all the photos and I agree the coloration and look of fish is odd.

 

I once caught a big Bass when I first moved to Florida that was 28", looked deformed with fatty deposits, and loose skin, so I knew the fish was on its last legs as it didn't fight any better than a 3lb fish. That fish is twisted in alot of ways. I hope to get a better photo, but I am glad he is not putting scales in the fishes mouth and bending jaws and killing big fish in small waters. I can't wait to see the color of the water, and to fish the weeds since he avoids them for the open water.

[primetime]

Nice fish. Your buddy needs to get scale.  He needs a real camera and a picture with a clear view. I don't want him putting scales in mouths because I want to get on this pond and do some flipping in the areas he is afraid to go near. I want those fish to grow so I have a new spot to hit when I take the road trips to Orlando. The fish just has a crazy look to it like it is super old, or spawned out, but hopefully he has a better pic like he said, but not a bad fish for a newbie. I hope we can get some pigs on Friday and I am getting good pics and measurements.