What Weight Is A "Good Bass"

[Lane]

Raul, Thanks for the info!  I agree, fishing is more of a recreational event for most

people. I used to take my fly rod out to the river every evening and catch those

smaller bass on poppers!  For me, there is nothing like watching a bass explode on

top water lures, even if he is a dink.

The first time I ever used a lure in freshwater, I caught a 9lb 7oz bass. I was bank

fishing and got my Mann's worm stuck in the weeds, right by the bank. Needless to say

the sow attacked my worm. However, someday I would like to catch one over 10lbs!

I just don't get to go fishing much anymore, and when I do get the time, I head for

the coast.

When my father was alive, he used to go down to Mexico every September to dove

hunt on Lake Guerrero. He would take his rod and do some fishing, he used to

catch some big lunkers! I never got to go.

[BassKing813]

A "good" bass for me is 3 to 4 lbs.

[fishingJ]

Non size wise, any good fighter is a good fish to me, size wise I'd say 3+ is a really nice fish.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

similar to Valascus

1-3 lbs = Average Fish

3-4 lbs = Good Fish

4-6 lbs = Great fish

6 lbs and over = Excellent Fish

[ikebass15]

Area: about 7 or 8 pounds.

personal: i'd like a 3 or 4 pounder.

[BucketmouthAngler13]

i good bass where i come from is 2-3lbs.

[YankeesWin]

similar to Valascus

1-3 lbs = Average Fish

3-4 lbs = Good Fish

4-6 lbs = Great fish

6 lbs and over = Excellent Fish

LBH,  That sounds alot like the waters I fish here in the Mid-West.  3-4 pounders will let you know you've got something to deal with.  Any thing after that is just a BLAST!!

[chs773]

3-4 is a good fish anything over 5 is a great fish and over 10 is an amazing fish thats what i think

[Guest avid]

to me, a bona fide (scale weighed) 2.5 lber is a good bass.  I think a 5 lber is real  good bass, and it goes on from there.  10 lbs to me is a true trophy lunker.

[CK14]

i would say for washington a 3lb largie or smallie is a good fish for sure. anything over 5lbs is a monster.

[RoLo]

Though I've spent most of my fishing years chasing "northern-strain" bass (New Jersey to Ontario),

I've also lived 6 yrs in Georgia and the past 8 yrs in Florida.

In my experience, 3 pounds has represented the first weight-plateau,

and this has been true whether I'm fishing in Florida or Ontario. Needless to say, the ceiling weight

of bass from northerly climes is significantly lower than "Florida-strain" bass from Georgia & Florida.

Based on a smorgasbord of input, the table below designates the mean weight-classes of the

largemouth bass. This is a proprietary table however, so you won't find these numbers elsewhere:

LENGTH WEIGHT CLASS

10.0-in      1/2-lb      

11.0-in      3/4-lb      

12.5-in      1.0-lb      

14.0-in      1.5-lb      

15.5-in      2.0-lb      

16.5-in      2.5-lb      

17.5-in      3.0-lb      Adult-Class (good fish)

18.5-in      3.5-lb      

19.5-in      4.0-lb      

20.5-in      4.5-lb      

21.0-in      5.0-lb      

22.0-in      6.0-lb      Male Ceiling (most 6 lbers are cows)

23.0-in      7.0-lb      

24.0-in      8.0-lb      

25.0-in      9.0-lb      Trophy-Class

26.0-in      10-lb      

27.0-in      11-lb      

28.0-in      12-lb      Record-Class

29.0-in      13-lb      

29.5-in      14-lb      

30.0-in      15-lb      World-Class

30.5-in      16-lb      

31.0-in      17-lb      

31.5-in      18-lb      Freak-Class

32.0-in      19-lb      

32.5-in      20-lb      

33.0-in      21-lb      

Roger

[Vyron]

Same as LBH

[George Welcome]

Lane,

The TPFD Sharelunker program is 13 pounds and over -

Someone was pulling your leg with the results for the Intn'l Challenge Cup in Tamaulipas, Mexico on Sugar Lake.

The size plateau for a nice bass seems to be in and around three pounds no matter where you are fishing. If you take this bass chasing thing to man-hours fished to bass produced you would find that 2.5 pounds is an accurate average.

Catch a five pound bass and you just might have the biggest male in the lake. That's where I would put the bar.

Destinations for big fish would include California, Texas, Mexico, and Florida as examples. If the growing season is long than you are in the right place for something over 10 pounds. A bass over 10 pounds is an anomaly, not a commonality. Although they can be caught in any of the above locations, there are lakes that are known for the over-10 mark.

[Craw]

Here in Va. I'd say...

                              Smallmouth-3lbs is bottom line

                                               -4lbs is braggin size

                                               -5lbs is trophy size

                              Largemouth-4lbs is bottom line

                                               -6lbs is braggin size

                                               -8lbs is trophy size

Here in my area of Va. many more trophy smallies are caught than largemouth. These trophy smallmouth are mostly caught from our 2 main river systems, New River and James River.

Personally I think "trophy size" for largemouth is set a bit to high. Length is also now accepted for trophy status. 20" for smallmouth and 22" for largemouth. This is somewhat more realistic for largemouth now in my area. JMHO

[Lane]

George, you are right about the current Share A Lunker. They have changed it since

the start of the program. Now they must be 13lbs and they MUST be the Florida strain

of Largemouth.

As far as the International Challenge goes, there were plenty of 10lb bass brought in.

Chad's sack of 5 fish weighed in at over 41lbs on the first day, and the Big Bass weighed

in at 13.3lbs the first day. The sack weights were IMPRESSIVE in my book!!!!!!  It

was a good year for Team USA!!!!!! Check out www.basschamps.com :)

In Texas your chance of catching a 10lb bass can be pretty good on Fork, Choke, Falcon

Amistad and now Allen Henry. Average, decent, good and trophy class are relative to

what state and what lake you are fishing. I have only seen pictures of 5lb smallmouth,

we just don't have them.

If I ever catch a largemouth over 10lbs, I am having a replica mount made! For me that

is a trophy!

[Matt Fly]

Don't see the reference to the USA vs Mexico challenge this year that Lane and George Welcome are talking about.

don't know what the pulling of the leg was about.   But some huge bass came across the scales from Sugar Lake.    13.3 lbs was largest.    One day lead was 41 lbs 2ozs.   71.20 won for the day and half tourney.   Only fished 4 hours Sunday.   Pretty impressive sack for day and half.

Lots of hawgs crossed the scales for that day and half tourney.

Results can be seen by going to Basschamps web site.  Last year Mexico won by 4 lbs, this year USA won by 70 lbs.   Series tied at 1-1.

Matt.

[George Welcome]

George, you are right about the current Share A Lunker. They have changed it since

the start of the program. Now they must be 13lbs and they MUST be the Florida strain

of Largemouth.

Official ShareLunker Rules

The program is limited to largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more. Fish must be weighed on certified or legal-for-trade scales. Certified scales are scales that have been certified as accurate by the Texas Department of Agriculture, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) or a commercial scales calibration company.

The program is normally in effect from October 1 through April 30.

The fish must be legally caught in Texas waters.

A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department employee will be solely responsible for accepting a fish into the program based on the expectation that the fish will be able to survive and spawn.

Possession of the fish must be transferred to a designated Texas Parks and Wildlife Department representative within 12 hours after capture. The angler must sign a release absolving all sponsors, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department employees of any liability resulting from the loss or death of their fish.

Employees and families of program sponsors are not eligible for participation in the program.

Anyone catching a fish that may qualify can call our toll-free, 24-hour pager at 1-888-784-0600 (October 1-April 30 only) or (903) 681-0550.

[Fish Chris]

Of course their are a lot of variables. If I'm fishing a place where 10 plus lb fish are rare, I might take a photo of an 8 lb'er.... especially if its an 8 lb Northern strainer oir something.

On the other hand, I caught 3 or 4, 9 plus lb'ers last year that I didn't even bother to break out the camera for.

So generally speaking, I consider anything over 10 lbs to be a "good bass" because it adds to the list, and I will probably remember that fish a year from now. On the other hand, for me to get all excited and jittery like a kid, it helps if its over 13. And then, anything over 15 really whacks me out ! Geez, its been a while :-)

Peace,

Fish

PS, With all of this said, I certainly view 5 and 6 lb bass from other parts of the country, and even 3 or 4 lb'ers from guys who have not been doing it for very long, as "darn good bass" !

[wacky rig]

The kind of tackle plays a big part for me.

ultralite - 2 pounder

medium light - 3 pounder

medium - 5 pounder

I will leave the med/heavy and heavy gear to you jig, f/p, and swim bait boys.   ;D

[liquidsoap]

Well! From ohio theres not that many big bass.

Id first off consider any bass that kept (tournament wise) a good bass.  

But in a lot of tournaments up here 3lbs is big bass.

I would say 3lbs- Good basss

5-7lbs- Great bass

7lbs+ Call the press  

My biggest is only 5.5 theres not that many big fish up here.

[Captain Cali]

I'm with RoLo.

[Lane]

George, I realized after I made the post that I did not post the current required weight

of 13lbs. My husband was on the original board in 1986 when it was called Operation

Share A Lone Star Lunker. He was lead researcher for Jungle Labs at the time, and was

issued shares 100-109. The money was donated to build the hatchery. The original

stock certificate is framed, and hangs in my office. The sponsors and program has

changed through out the years, but he still consults with the biologist over the program.

DNA samples are collected from ALL of the female bass brought to the hatchery, and

provided they are the Florida strain, they are then spawned with males from the previous years

Share a Lunkers. The Florida strain has a faster growth rate.

Now if you come to Texas and fish the lakes that I mentioned during the spawn, you

have a VERY GOOD chance of catching a 10lb LM bass! It just depends on what state, species,

body of water and time of year. I don't think that there is a right or wrong opinon when

it comes to what weight is considered a, "good bass".

[Topwater_Popper]

For me, a five pounder is a good fish.  A an eight pound is spectacular.  

[kfx400rob]

2lb is alrite, 3 is pretty good, but 4lb is a good fish to me.