What is the equivalent of a 10lb Largemouth?

[the reel ess]

On 10/10/2020 at 11:18 PM, Glenn said:

My wife can cook like an executive chef, has great credit, no kids, knows how to operate a baitcaster, plays darts better than most guys, can't stand a dirty home, can drive a boat, and likes beer.

 

Beer is good

[Columbia Craw]

Six

[TnRiver46]

Technically a pound of feathers and a pound of bricks both weigh ........... a pound 

[ICFishing]

I agree with many on 6 pounds being the magic number, at least for Pennsylvania. There are a few areas on the extreme end of the spectrum, like Erie and St. Lawrence, that can put up big averages but outside of those places I am sticking with 6 pounds.

[gim]

Biggest smallmouth I've caught is 21 inches, several times.  I weighed one of them once just to see if my weight estimate was accurate and it was, about 5.5 pounds.  Like Frydog, one of them is from Mille Lacs but it has become increasingly difficult to catch SMB out there with all the pressure lately.

[Dwight Hottle]

37 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Biggest smallmouth I've caught is 21 inches, several times.  I weighed one of them once just to see if my weight estimate was accurate and it was, about 5.5 pounds.  Like Frydog, one of them is from Mille Lacs but it has become increasingly difficult to catch SMB out there with all the pressure lately.

 

One of my buddies had a 21" from Erie & I measured & weighed it at 7-1 lbs. 

[JLBBass]

I'd say 6lb.

but if you are fortunate enough to fish places where huge numbers of smallmouth are 4lbs+, then that 6 doesn't seem as big of a deal, compared to catching a 10 lb largemouth. . I've probably caught 25+ smallmouth over 6 lbs., only becuase I fish one of the best places in the world for trophy smallmouth, Lake Erie. Biggest smallmouth was a 7lb 14 oz SLOTH! Only caught 3 largemouth over 10lbs, and all 3 were in Georgia.

[gim]

8 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

One of my buddies had a 21" from Erie & I measured & weighed it at 7-1 lbs

 

Probably depends on what time of year it is too.  The photo above was a pre-spawn fish in late May and I went back with my Father a couple weeks later and he caught a 20 incher that was just under 4 pounds.

[Dwight Hottle]

5 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

Probably depends on what time of year it is too.  The photo above was a pre-spawn fish in late May and I went back with my Father a couple weeks later and he caught a 20 incher that was just under 4 pounds.

 

 

 

Caught in May prespawn.

[Deephaven]

I'd adjust regionally for both fish.   For instance, MN record LM 8lb 15oz, SM 8lb 00oz.  My PB in MN is just over 7 on a SM.  A 7.25lb LM was caught in my boat here...but not by me

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, Deephaven said:

I'd adjust regionally for both fish.   For instance, MN record LM 8lb 15oz, SM 8lb 00oz.  My PB in MN is just over 7 on a SM.  A 7.25lb LM was caught in my boat here...but not by me

You’re knocking on the door!!!!

[Lucky Craft Man]

I have to admit, I have always loved this debate.  Actually, I like thinking about all the major species I fish for and what their size equivalence would be compared to the Gold Standard of the 10lb Largemouth.  What makes it a challenge is all the different fisheries and the “depends where you fish” argument.  However, I like to think of it as there are no constraints where you can fish, what would the comparison be.  Since not many of us really have that opportunity and data, except for maybe Dwight due to his years of being able to fish prime Smallmouth and Largemouth waters, I would have to defer to his opinion.  

 

With that being said, I know Dwight has also fished prime water for walleye, musky, northern pike, lake trout, etc. and I would love to hear where he thinks the trophy threshold is for all those fish when compared to the 10lb. Largemouth.

[Dwight Hottle]

On 1/14/2021 at 8:18 PM, Deephaven said:

I'd adjust regionally for both fish.   For instance, MN record LM 8lb 15oz, SM 8lb 00oz.  My PB in MN is just over 7 on a SM.  A 7.25lb LM was caught in my boat here...but not by me

 

If your PB smallie is just over 7lbs you should change your profile to 7-8lbs. Congrats on having a smallie PB bigger than your largemouth PB. That's unusual. 

[Dwight Hottle]

46 minutes ago, Lucky Craft Man said:

I have to admit, I have always loved this debate.  Actually, I like thinking about all the major species I fish for and what their size equivalence would be compared to the Gold Standard of the 10lb Largemouth.  What makes it a challenge is all the different fisheries and the “depends where you fish” argument.  However, I like to think of it as there are no constraints where you can fish, what would the comparison be.  Since not many of us really have that opportunity and data, except for maybe Dwight due to his years of being able to fish prime Smallmouth and Largemouth waters, I would have to defer to his opinion.  

 

With that being said, I know Dwight has also fished prime water for walleye, musky, northern pike, lake trout, etc. and I would love to hear where he thinks the trophy threshold is for all those fish when compared to the 10lb. Largemouth.

Steve here is my response based on my experience chasing multi-species in trophy waters. 

10lb largemouth equivalent in scarcity & hours spent

10lb walleye

4lb pickerel

20lb northern pike

25lb musky

25lb king salmon

30lb lake trout

2.5lb grayling

15lb artic char

[billmac]

Dwight:  Your Musky weight seems a little light.  Can you elaborate on that one?  In NY, 25lbs would likely only be a little longer than the minimum legal length.  Of course, just catching a legal sized musky is pretty rare, so perhaps that's where you are coming from.

[Dwight Hottle]

1 hour ago, billmac said:

Dwight:  Your Musky weight seems a little light.  Can you elaborate on that one?  In NY, 25lbs would likely only be a little longer than the minimum legal length.  Of course, just catching a legal sized musky is pretty rare, so perhaps that's where you are coming from.

 
The musky is a tough one. It used to be considered the fish of 10,000 casts. On a really good day on lake St Clair you could troll up a half dozen but most would be on the small side. Trophy musky guys have always set the holy grail at 50”. A 20lb musky usually measures out around 42-43” with average girth. A 25lb musky measures more like 45-46”.  A 30lb ski would measure more like 48-49”. So if you use the 50” standard as a trophy the bar is set too high. To me the 50” standard is more the equivalent of a 11 or 12lb largemouth. Now about minimum lengths. Some states set minimum lengths low while others wanting to protect or grow a trophy fishery set them high. I like to see musky minimums set at 50” or 52” to promote catch & release. I probably caught 25-30 musky in my lifetime but only one over 50” and only a few over 25lbs. I can tell you I racked up more shunked fishing days while fishing for skis than any other fish species. Lol. 

[billmac]

Thanks.  The statewide minimum in NY is 40", with a 54" minimum in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region. I've caught several muskies, but never a legal sized one. Although I have hooked several, I was always fishing for bass or walleye and they broke me off.

[Kreagerc]

This only pertains to ohio but I would consider the following to be on par with a 10lb bass:

- 7lb northern bass

- 5+ lb river smallmouth

- 55+ inch muskie

- 180+ inch whitetail

- winning a euchre game in 3 hands (loner, loner, sweep)

- ohio state not choking in a big game

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, Kreagerc said:

This only pertains to ohio but I would consider the following to be on par with a 10lb bass:

- 7lb northern bass

- 5+ lb river smallmouth

- 55+ inch muskie

- 180+ inch whitetail

- winning a euchre game in 3 hands (loner, loner, sweep)

- ohio state not choking in a big game

That bower concept is beyond confusing 

[Kreagerc]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

That bower concept is beyond confusing

What is the "bower concept"..... Asking for a friend

[TnRiver46]

Just now, Kreagerc said:

What is the "bower concept"..... Asking for a friend

Euchre. Just the bower thing is confusing, concept wasn’t a good word choice Sometimes a jack changes suits?? Heck I can’t remember. The locals said I caught on quick until these certain scenarios that came up 2-3 times where you don’t follow suit and the bower changes or something crazy 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

160oz largemouth is the equivalent to a 10lb

[Big-Bass]

7lbs. on the St. Lawrence would equal a 10lb. largemouth.  However, in PA, I would say 5.5 - 6lbs. not coming from the Great Lakes.

[Dave Hull]

Came across this question after not being active on this site for over 5 years. Funny I remember an '09 post by posed by Dwight Hottle covering this same topic! Thread went off topic and did not go far so I wondered what he thought about chart below so I PM'ed him this list that I made when I caught his '09 post in '12 after wondering "10 lb Largemouth = ?? lb Smallmouth"

10-13 lb Largemouth = 7 lb Smallmouth
13-16 lb Largemouth = 8 lb Smallmouth
16-19 lb Largemouth = 9 lb Smallmouth
19-22 lb Largemouth = 10 lb Smallmouth
22+ lb Largemouth = 11+ lb Smallmouth
He was catching plenty of 6+ pounders at the time so I didn't even start there!

He replied "Very reasonable indeed."

I then asked him "what fish & (its length or weight) do you consider the toughest "benchmark for a lifetime trophy" in North America to be?"
He said a 50" or 30lb pike. At the time he equated that 50" pike to a 8lb smallie and a 35" walleye to give you some perspective on what such an accomplished Fisherman thinks constitutes a lifetime trophy when comparing those species like we do for SM vs LM.
I see that Mr. Hottle is following this thread and another 9 years have passed so I was wondering if you ever got that 50" pike? Said he'd caught them up to 49" back then!

[Dwight Hottle]

Dave I haven’t done much pike fishing since I caught the 49’’ which weighed 32lbs. I kinda knew that was as good as it gets for me. My chance to beat that was infinitesimal. I shifted my interest to other species. Nice to see you back posting.