What would you guess the weight of this fish was?

[gim]

49 minutes ago, Massachusettslargemouth said:

To give you an idea, the biggest bass I caught prior to that one was a 19 inch bass that I measured at just under 4 pounds (I actually had my scale with me that time).  I believe it was 3 pounds 11 ounces if I remember correctly.

That’s ridiculous. To go from a 19 inch PB to a 2 footer is completely unexpected. You’d think at some point you would have caught something in the 20 inch/5 pound range before this behemoth.

[Swamp Girl]

39 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That’s ridiculous. To go from a 19 inch PB to a 2 footer is completely unexpected. You’d think at some point you would have caught something in the 20 inch/5 pound range before this behemoth.

 

It's a Quantum Leap.

 

I've PBed it the old-fashioned way, a half inch at a time. I call it the Quantum Creep.  

 

@Pat Brown: I don't want to catch linebackers. I want to catch offensive linemen, with the big, bulging bellies. ?

 

Seriously, I agree that the northern bass are footballier (<It's a word, I promise ya!). @gimruis's MN bass look like my bass: short, but stocky. They're Gimli bass! Here's the head of a typical Maine bass:

 

 

 

[Catt]

4 hours ago, Mike L said:

7 on the low side 8.5 on high end

 

She weighed 9.2# on a certificated scale. 

 

My suggestion, buy a quality scale, you can't tell from a picture.

[Pat Brown]

12 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

She weighed 9.2# on a certificated scale. 

 

My suggestion, buy a quality scale, you can't tell from a picture.

 

That fish has an awesome looking eyeball.  Her lip thickness is wild.  The more you look at her, the more stuff jumps out as 'big'.

 

Still.  Can't tell from pictures!  Moreover, can't tell from length or looking at it either.

 

 

[Catt]

Ain't saying @Massachusettslargemouth fish ain't a Hawg, cause it is, I just ain't guesstimating. 

[padlin]

I can’t count the number of monster size bass I’ve caught, and then I popped the bubble by weighing them.

[Pat Brown]

@padlin summer is the right time for that!

 

Caught plenty this summer that looked 6 in the lake and were 4 in the boat.  Bellies matter.

[thediscochef]

On 9/1/2023 at 7:49 AM, Catt said:

Some of y'all say that's over 5#, what y'all think this is?

 

 

That is a tournament-winning walleye

[LrgmouthShad]

I’m going to guess somewhere in the range 4.5-5.75. Really hard to guess off of a photo 

[Bazoo]

16 hours ago, Catt said:

 

She weighed 9.2# on a certificated scale. 

 

My suggestion, buy a quality scale, you can't tell from a picture.

I'm somewhat surprised... I was thinking about 6 pounds. Congratulations on that trophy!

On 8/31/2023 at 2:02 AM, Massachusettslargemouth said:

Hey guys, I just signed up on this forum.  I've fished my whole life for largemouth and smallmouths, but since selling my business a few years ago, I got back into fishing as much as I used to when I was in high school and college and I have really been enjoying myself.  

 

Anyways, I was visiting my parents for the fourth of July and I figured I was going to hit this little stream where I spent countless hours fishing as a kid.  Well, I just brought my rod and some slug-gos, because I wasn't expecting anything too exciting. I left my tape measure and scale at home.  Of course, I ended up catching the biggest largemouth bass of my life.  Doing a quick measurement using my hands (pinky to thumb is around 8.5 inches), I got almost 3 hands.  My arm is slightly angled in the photos, but not by much.  My arm is 11 inches wrist to elbow.  My hands are medium sized.  From a very rough esimtation, I put that fish in at least 24 inches.  

 

Sorry for the goofy pics.  I was trying to take a picture with my left arm extended while trying to get both me and the fish in the same frame.  I also was not expecting to catch a big fish that day.

Pretty nice, congratulations on that one! Need to get'ya a scale to keep handy.

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

@padlin summer is the right time for that!

 

Caught plenty this summer that looked 6 in the lake and were 4 in the boat.  Bellies matter.

 

I've observed that a bass can add weight by going long (length), going wide (bellies), or going up. I've caught some Neanderthal bass that weighed more than expected, given their lengths. Here's one, which might reach 21.5" with a pinched tail, but still weighed 6.54 lbs. The weight doesn't come down below (belly), but up top:

 

 

Then there's this girl, who bulges up and down. I didn't weight her and PLEASE don't feel like there's any need to guess. She's big and that's enough for me:

 

[A-Jay]

24 inches is a Long Bass anywhere it's caught.

I have only come across a few.

Both of these weighed out as double digit fish.

A-Jay

[Mike L]

@ol'crickety

The girth on a LMB is more telling about the overall weight than the overall length.  

The easiest way is to compare the girth in relationship to where the tail starts on the end. 
 

A long fairly flat bass weighs a lot less than you realize as in your first picture. 
Even tho the fish in your 2nd is shorter I’d venture to say it’s heavier, and not by a little. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike
 

[Swamp Girl]

5 hours ago, Mike L said:

@ol'crickety

The girth on a LMB is more telling about the overall weight than the overall length.  

The easiest way is to compare the girth in relationship to where the tail starts on the end. 
 

A long fairly flat bass weighs a lot less than you realize as in your first picture. 
Even tho the fish in your 2nd is shorter I’d venture to say it’s heavier, and not by a little. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike
 

 

That would be cool if you were right, Mike. That would make her my first 7 lb. bass! Still, I'll never know because I didn't weigh her. A couple times, I've held my breath when I removed a bass from the water to remind me to return them to their home ASAP. So, I weigh them sparingly because doing so is more time out of the water. When I net a bass, I keep the net in the water while I start my camera and position the bump board. Then when I lay them on the bump board, my camera is ready. A lip and grip photo is even faster. Then back they go!

 

Those Mexico bass are amazing, @A-Jay! I wish I could afford the flights and resort, but I still love, love, LOVE being alone on lonely bogs, guessing where the bass hunker. 

 

 

[Massachusettslargemouth]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

24 inches is a Long Bass anywhere it's caught.

I have only come across a few.

Both of these weighed out as double digit fish.

A-Jay

Monsters.  That bottom one looks like it never skipped a meal.  The top one looks like it never skipped a meal or snack.  lol

[TnRiver46]

I’ve got a bass barely over 24” mounted, it was from Texas bout 8 lbs, not a fat fish. That was back in college when dinosaurs roamed 

 

[Swamp Girl]

Beautiful mount. You hired a master to do that, @TnRiver46. 

[Woody B]

A bass that's 2 feet long is big.  If you don't have a scale message the length and girth.  That will get you close to the weight.  Nice bass regardless of what it weighs.   

 

I think I caught the same bass, pre spawn and post spawn this year.   I'll try to dig up the pictures and measurements.