weighing bass

[fishingJ]

I find it really weird when people only say how long the bass is and not how much they weigh. I've noticed that here in Canada people say the weight and not the length and in the US people only say the length. Unless I'm wrong.

[Matt Fly]

It is very common to have ruler in the boat and measure the fish as to be a "legal keeper".       Most who have fished for years can eyeball a fish with very good accuracy up untill you reach sizes that arent' the norm.

I'd say its 50/50 on people who weigh them or just let them go and then  estimate the weight.   Looks like 5 so its a easy 6 LOL.

During a tourney, I never weigh anything, I use a culling beam which takes me less than a minute to do.

Might be a polling question as to how many guys weigh fish, or what size do you consider breaking out the scale for.

Hookem

Matt.

[George Welcome]

It's quite common for fishermen to not have a scale: they guesstimate the length and then they guesstimate the weight. Usually they are wrong both on the length and the weight, reaching a guesstimate that is greater in both categories.

[MinnesotaAngler]

I go by weight. I know for other fish species such as Muskie and Northern Pike that it usually goes by length, but for bass I always go by weight. I carry a handheld scale with me, but I don't have a ruler normally.

[Lightninrod]

I weigh(Salter digital scale) and started measuring the length(with a 'cloth' tape...thanks to my DW)about a year ago.  See my pics .

Dan

[Marty]

I find it really weird when people only say how long the bass is and not how much they weigh.

Hardly the first time I've been accused of weird behavior.  ;D

I carry both a steel tape measure and a digital scale. I measure just about every fish that I think is a keeper, but weigh very few (too few), only those that I think may exceed my threshhold for what constitutes a big fish. Thus, in face-to-face conversations, e-mail and forums, I talk about most fish in terms of length.

[senile1]

I used to never weigh my fish unless it was close to my personal best.  Now I'm interested in seeing what my best bag of five would be, so I weigh them if they are near or over 5 lbs.  I usually can determine if a weigh-in is necessary by eye-balling them or by measuring length and girth, so I do measure the dimensions of more fish than I weigh.  

[PITBULL28]

It is very common to have ruler in the boat and measure the fish as to be a "legal keeper".

whats a legal keeper in Alabama

[Fish Chris]

Personally, I prefer to go by weights. I will sometimes measure a fish for length and / or girth also, but usually only if it has an exceptional length or girth..... or its like a PB, or a new lake record or something

That said, if I tell you I caught an 11.5, or a 13.5, or 15.8, its because I put it on a digital scale, and that was, in fact, what it weighed. (all three of my scales have been calibrated, and one has been certified by the Dept of weights and measures)

On the other hand, if I say I caught was that was about 5 lbs, or around 6 lbs, its because I didn't weigh it, and I'm really not too concerned if my guess was plus or minus 1 lb.

All of this said (and not to sound like an idiot... but rather, just to make guys think ahead) if I'm reading a post and I see, "I caught one that was around X lbs, or more than X lbs, or at least X lbs, or between X and Y lbs, I always immediatly think to myself, why didn't the poster just say, "I have no idea how much it weighed, because I screwed up, and forgot to bring a scale" ! Anything else is just a wild guess.

Peace,

Fish

[burleytog]

I always have a ruler with me.  Mainly because I take a silver metallic Sharpie and mark my rods every inch starting just ahead of the handle.

I don't even own a scale, although I've been thinking about buying one.

[SBM-RL]

I go by weight i have a digital scale and i weigh any fish that apears 4+lbs

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Heres how I do it My ex mother-in-law weighs in at 450# I take her to a truck scale let her hold the fish If the scale says 452.3 then I know the fish weighes 2.3#

[Banor]

I only keep a culling beam and a golden rule.

B

[justtrying]

Heres how I do it My ex mother-in-law weighs in at 450# I take her to a truck scale let her hold the fish If the scale says 452.3 then I know the fish weighes 2.3#

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D   --- Good One

[fishbear]

Muddy?  Is your mother in law related to mine????????  ;D ;D ;D ;D :D