New "home" lake PB lmb!

[osbornj2]

Had a GREAT day on Friday out with a buddy on my "home" lake (Carvins Cove).  Caught a total of 5 bass, including my PB for this lake! (right at 6 lbs / 21.5 inches). 4 came on a Chatterbait, and the pig fell to a Mattlures Baby Bass in the striper pattern (see the enclosed photo).

Water temps were down a little from 2 weeks ago, but the water levels are up considerably.  Can't wait to go back and try to catch her again!

[fishinfiend]

She inhaled that thing. Great job!

[soccplayer07]

well done. i picked up one of mattlures too. cant wait to try it out.

[rondef]

Thats a nice looking hawg you got there.

[5bass]

Dude......the Cove? Nice fish man! I may have to slide over there this week. Whats the water temps? That fish in the bottom pics looks like a spot.

[drmnbig]

Nice catch!  I don't think I've ever heard of a bass that size coming out of there.

[slomoe]

Great Fish! I was out yesterday throwing the hard gill even though I knew I should be throwing the baby bass but, I just couldn't help it. ;D

[fourbizz]

Congrats bud!

[Randall]

Nice fish!!! Great pics! That fish inhaled it.

[Mottfia]

Great Catch! Keep em coming!

[Aluma-Bass]

Nice one!!

[roadwarrior]

Nice fish, great pics!

8-)

[osbornj2]

Thanks guys for all of your nice comments!  I am proud to finally have a pig to post on here after looking at all of yours for so long It was a double treat to be able to catch 2 of them on the same trip.

One thing has been bothering me though, and maybe somebody can give me some assistance...

My little digital scales (Rapala grippers...i.e. Boga style with a digital scale built in) recorded the "smaller" bass in the bottom pic (the one that Scott suggested might be a spot...which I wouldn't honestly be able to tell the difference!!) right at 4 lbs.  Obviously, she was not as fat as the momma in the top pic, but she was still a healthy pre-spawn fish that was about 20 inches long (on the Golden Rule).  She seemed heavier, but I figured that maybe I was just excited and over-estimated her weight in my head.

Then, when I caught the pig and put her on the scale, she only registered right at 6.0 (fluctuated for a couple of secs between 5/15 and 6/1-2).  She measured on the Golden Rule right under 22 inches ( I was squeezing her tail to get her to 22, but it just wasn't there!! ). She OBVIOUSLY is a fattie and was full of eggs.

Are my scales accurate?  Is it likely that a bass of that size could only weigh 6 lbs?  I should have gotten a girth measurement, but I already had her out of the water for a little while, getting pics and measurements.  Every bass fisherman that I show these pics to says that she has to weigh more than 6, and that the smaller fish (the Spot) was maybe even closer to 6.

I don't know what to think!! I do not want to overstate my fish, as I would rather underestimate.  But, I would like to know if the scale could potentially be off.

Any advice or suggestions or formulas would be GREATLY appreciated!

[Froggin]

Try taking something that you know the weight of.  Like a weight off a weight bench or dumb bell and tie a rope or shoe lace around the weight and then hook it to the scales.  I know that my rapala scales are 2 ounces off.

[VABasser]

I'd say those weights are pretty close.  20 inches and around 4lbs sounds accurate.  But yeah I'm with froggin, find a weight for a bench and see what your scale reads.  We've got a weight bench in my basement so I periodically check my Berkely digital scales.  They are at most an ounce off which is pretty good considering they were only $20 or so

[osbornj2]

That is a great idea to use a weight!  I dunno why I didn't think of that already!!   :-[