Measurements Or Weight?

[Rhino68W]

I have noticed that a lot of people measure their catches and weigh them. I have a scale and only wiegh them though. What are the benefits of measuring the bass? I asked one guy what his biggest catch was and he told me 19'', but didn't have a weight for it. Kind of seems pointless IMO. Am I missing something here?

[J Francho]

Displacement, while not practical at all, would be the true measure of what's "largest," though I agree that mass is a better measurement than just length.

[Rhino68W]

Displacement, while not practical at all, would be the true measure of what's "largest," though I agree that mass is a better measurement than just length.

 

Makes sense. I don't even carry a tape measure! Haha

[aavery2]

I have noticed that a lot of people measure their catches and weigh them. I have a scale and only wiegh them though. What are the benefits of measuring the bass? I asked one guy what his biggest catch was and he told me 19'', but didn't have a weight for it. Kind of seems pointless IMO. Am I missing something here?

Master Angler certificates are awarded when fish of a certain length are caught.   Length determines if a fish is a legal catch and if it can be kept for consumption or used in a weigh in. 

[Dwight Hottle]

Catch & release formats often go by length rather than weight to facilitate quicker release of the fish. I personally just weight them if I want to know. But I do carry a measuring tape in case I want to know length & girth for a replica mount. If you weigh & measure enough fish you get a pretty good idea what the relationship is between weight & length.

[OkobojiEagle]

weights vary with scales... length is more uniform between anglers.

 

 

oe

[Raul]

a 19 incher can weight 5 pounds or 10, depending upon body condition and that is given by the girth.

[Senko lover]

Weights are much easier, just stick 'er on the scale and there you go. With a measurement, you have to typically lay the fish out, which is potentially endangering the fish. Unless, that is, you have a scale with a tape measure, in which case you could just weigh her anyway.

[Lund Explorer]

Having fished tournament for years, there is always a bump board sitting out on the deck of my boat.  Very quick and easy to measure and release as I still count the number of "keeper" sized fish I catch on each trip. 

 

And in all those years, I've never seen the day when my Golden Rule had dead batteries!

[J Francho]

 

And in all those years, I've never seen the day when my Golden Rule had dead batteries!

 

Same goes for my spring scales.

[WRB]

Length measurements are only as accurate as how angler measures; bass laying flat closed mouth to end of tail or center of tail or start of tail (biologist), or open mouth bass hanging down....no standardized method is established. Length without girth you can't calculate weight.The weight varies from scale to scale depending on the scale accuracy, battery strength etc. If weight is the end criteria to establish or authenticate the fishes size, then use weight with length and girth measurement, along with a picture.

Tom

PS, 19" bass may weigh 4 1/2 lbs.

[Catt]

Having fished tournament for years, there is always a bump board sitting out on the deck of my boat. Very quick and easy to measure and release as I still count the number of "keeper" sized fish I catch on each trip.

And in all those years, I've never seen the day when my Golden Rule had dead batteries!

Toledo Bend has had a 14" minimal limit for about 30 yrs now so I can spot a 14" fish but it hits bump board away. After five 14" bass are in the livewell its weighing to cull.

[Lund Explorer]

Toledo Bend has had a 14" minimal limit for about 30 yrs now so I can spot a 14" fish but it hits bump board away. After five 14" bass are in the livewell its weighing to cull.

 

I used culling rings and a balance beam.

[Scott F]

In the crowd of smallie fishermen I hang out with, NOBODY weighs fish. A quick length measurement is about all anybody does. No tournaments or competitions are held so even length measurements aren't held to exact standards. We all wade or fish from kayaks, canoes or 'toons in rivers. A "20" is everyone's goal. If it's under 14 inches, our "man laws" dictate you aren't even allowed to post a picture of it.

[A-Jay]

 

I start out with a length measurement and then decide if a weight is in order.

 

Bass over 20 inches (both Brown & Green) almost always get weighed.

 

Depending on girth, the weights can & do vary greatly.

 

Even after doing it this way for a while now, the expected pre measurement weight rarely actually meets or exceeds the true post measurement weight.

 

Imagine that.

 

A-Jay

[Paul Roberts]

Once upon a time I measured and weighed everything, and made my own length/weight chart. I use length now, usually to keep track of growth rates (how year classes are coming along) in various waters I fish. I'm pretty good at guestimating lengths now. Body condition varies throughout the year so weights vary with it. Fish over 20" I may drop on a regularly calibrated spring scale though.

[bassindon]

I put them on a scale i feel confident with. I use two of them. I have my own PB games going on and records so I keep track. I keep a tape also just incase I hit a record. You never know......   BTW!  For those who may want to know. I caught a record fish once and got it all on video. However because It was weighed on a Boat it was void. You must have the boat landed (stationary ) to be legit. Just so you know ; ) They still said "nice fish" though LOL!!

[Darren.]

If a fish is, by my eye, long enough and 

fat enough, I'll measure and weigh. Just 

for my own tracking.

 

Now that I'm getting a Boga Grip, I think

I'll weigh more since it is rather accurate.

Might even send it out for certification.

 

Kayak fishing tourneys around here use 

bump boards - you have to measure your

fish and take a photo.

[Dwight Hottle]

I put them on a scale i feel confident with. I use two of them. I have my own PB games going on and records so I keep track. I keep a tape also just incase I hit a record. You never know...... BTW! For those who may want to know. I caught a record fish once and got it all on video. However because It was weighed on a Boat it was void. You must have the boat landed (stationary ) to be legit. Just so you know ; ) They still said "nice fish" though LOL!!

.

That is a good reason to belong to IGFA so you know the rules. If you do not become a member you can still research there records & protocol. It is imperative if you are a trophy hunter like basin don.

[papajoe222]

 

 

 

I start out with a length measurement and then decide if a weight is in order.

 

Bass over 20 inches (both Brown & Green) almost always get weighed.

 

Depending on girth, the weights can & do vary greatly.

 

Even after doing it this way for a while now, the expected pre measurement weight rarely actually meets or exceeds the true post measurement weight.

 

Imagine that.

 

A-Jay

 

Been doing the same for many years. What's nice about only taking a measurement is that five or ten years from now, that fish can gain a pound or so.  Once you take a measurement, that girl ain't getting heavier. Unless of course you're an outright liar.  I recall a 20In. smallie I caught back in '86. Had to go at least.................

[Angry John]

I fish for my own satisfaction.  I used to weigh them all but i did not like the hook in the gill slit method for getting weight.  I have a tape sticker on my paddle and i get a rough measurement very quickly and get them right back in the water.  I try to respect the fish as much as possible, as i have already stuck it, and i have no plan of eating them, so i send them again on there way!

[Bluebasser86]

I'll often do both with my fish. With the real big ones I'll get a weight, length, and girth in case any naysayers decide my scale is wrong they can feel free to punch the numbers into a fish weight calculator which almost always produces a larger number than my scale does  

[CDMeyer]

Yeah I know a lot of people who measure their fish..... If I am in a tournament, and am trying to get a limit I will measure them to get a idea of their weight

[SirSnookalot]

I don't do either, I do have a 20" and 25" mark on a couple of bass rods just for curiosity.  I C & R everything, even slot snook, I fish strictly for the fun.  I'm sure I've caught some really nice bass here in Florida as well as some great saltwater fish, just not hung up needing to know a fish to the tenth of an ounce.

[FD.]

I teach a lot of people how to fish and always have two scales and a golden rule on the boat for them.  When I'm fun fishing I hardly ever even take a picture of a fish under 5 pounds.  But on tournament days that's a different story.