In your opinion ...

[Mass_Bass]

How much does a bass weigh that is about 20"-23" long, and with a decent girth?  I caught this big boy about a week ago, and didn't have a scale on me!!!   >  Sadly I let him go, I feel like I made the wrong choice there, but oh well.  I know you guys won't be able to give me an exact answer, I'm just looking for an estimate.

I caught him on a 7" green pumpkin/blake flake senko.

[dman]

20-23"   could be a couple pound difference in there......Why is it a bad thing that you let him go.  i think its great,  I woulda did the same.

[Mass_Bass]

20-23" could be a couple pound difference in there......Why is it a bad thing that you let him go. i think its great, I woulda did the same.

Well I'm thinking he could have been around 8 pounds ... which is close to a Massachusetts record.  But maybe he was only 6 pounds ... who knows.

[roadwarrior]

20" = 4 lb 10 oz

21" = 5 lb 7 oz

22" = 6 lb 6 oz

23" = 7 lb 5 oz

* Source:

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,

"Weigh Your Fish...With a Ruler!

[tntitans21399]

The good thing is since you released him you might be able to go catch him again and maybe he has gotten bigger since.  

[Jimzee]

I think RW's right on the mark.

[Sam]

Always release the fish.

May I suggest taking a camera with you and taking photos of the bass next to a ruler lengthwise and then again grith wise.

You can send the photos to those companies that can reproduce the fish, have it mounted, and send it back to  you ready to hang on your wall.

We need big fish to repopulate the population so you did the right thing by letting her go.

Now the challenge is to catch her again.

[RoLo]

If the bass was not distinctly slender or distinctly obese,

call it a 6-pound bass and you'll be remarkably close!

By the way, 22" (6 lb) is a very stubborn weight-plateau for LMB.

Roger

[Gatorbassman]

I think RW's right on the mark.

Except at Lake Varner here in GA. That lake has some of the longest bass many of us have ever seen. It is unreal.

There's always and exception.

[Randall]

I think RW's right on the mark.

Except at Lake Varner here in GA. That lake has some of the longest bass many of us have ever seen. It is unreal.

There's always and exception.

I was thinking the same thing when I read RW post. I wish Varner fish were that fat. Most Varner fish are almost two pounds behind those weights most of the year.  

[granadethrow]

cool i live in mass too, where did you catch it? Watchusett? qunsigamond? quabbin? or long pond?

or some place unknow?

I caught a fish that long but it was really skinny, almost 4 and a half at a secret location