how big is this bass?

[TeamPhntom]

I'm a little embarrassed to ask this question since I'm a noob but I've been curious for too long. let's hear some guesses! Although the angles make the fish look quite different, it's the same fish,

I better include an intro...

24 years old, montana, been fishing since the wee days but don't remember the last time I caught a trout which I get made fun of A LOT for since I live in trout country. Race motocross, fish, and try to study. Gonna graduate this fall in Business/information systems.

Thanks guys!

[.dsaavedra.]

SWEEEEEET FISH!!!!!!!

im gonna say 8-9lbs.

[mattm]

Wow.......dsaavedra.  I'm going to say more like 4lbs on the low side and 5lbs on the high side.  Its very hard to tell by pictures though.  If your fish is more like 8-9 please accpet my apology.

[Catt]

3 1/2 to 4  

[.dsaavedra.]

haha now that i look at it more i say more like 6-7, but still.....3 1/2??? no way! that thing is way bigger than that. i think 4 is even low.

[mattm]

If I was only looking at the bottom pic I would of guessed 3-3.5.   I pretty sure your over estimating that fish.  I would bet a good chunk of money that that fish doesn't weigh 6lbs.  Very nice fish though.

[mattm]

BTW...Welcome ;D.

[Jake.]

Welcome!  8-)

I think that fish is about 4 lbs.

[TeamPhntom]

I weigh the decent fish I catch but unfortunately didn't have the scale when this was caught. Having weighed quite a few fish in the 5-6 range I was hoping people would say 7-8 since this is for sure the biggest fish I've caught especially with the girth. Record in montana is a little over 8.

Thanks for the input guys!

[mattm]

Do you think it was over 6lbs?  Like I said pics are deceiving.  If you have weighed more than 20 5-6lb bass and say its over 6lbs I would disregard the 4lbs guesses, and go with my gut.  Also if you are catching that many 6lbers in Montana stop leaving home w/out a scale or you are going to be sorry one day.

[Jake.]

I weigh the decent fish I catch but unfortunately didn't have the scale when this was caught. Having weighed quite a few fish in the 5-6 range I was hoping people would say 7-8 since this is for sure the biggest fish I've caught especially with the girth. Record in montana is a little over 8.

Thanks for the input guys!

It could have been 7 or 8 pounds. It is VERY difficult to guess the weight of the bass just based on pictures. Next time, don't forget that scale!  

[RWHusker.]

What lake did you catch her in?  I grew up in Livingston and had no clue there were large mouth of that size in MT.  

GO BIG RED

[David P]

Fish was under 7lbs for sure.

But if I was to guess I'd say 5 - 5 1/2lbs

First picture looks about 4 1/2 - 5lbs , and second picture looks about 3 1/2lbs.

Fish below is 5 1/2 lbs and looks roughly about the same size.

[TeamPhntom]

Do you think it was over 6lbs?  Like I said pics are deceiving.  If you have weighed more than 20 5-6lb bass and say its over 6lbs I would disregard the 4lbs guesses, and go with my gut.  Also if you are catching that many 6lbers in Montana stop leaving home w/out a scale or you are going to be sorry one day.

HAHA! I'm already sorry! Honestly, I do think it was over 6, but I don't know how much if any. When people in MT see that pic the first thing they talk about is the mt record, but you all know how us fishermen get!  We feed off each other and it just snowballs!

Somewhat on topic: I appreciate you acknowledging how slow the bass grow here and how it's not extremely common to see +5lb bass. Bassin in MT is getting better. It's becoming more popular and the management is improving. last winter a guy showed up with a pic and a scale sayin he just let go a 8 1/2 lber he caught THROUGH THE ICE.

edit:

brokejew-good reference shot. I agree, <7 for sure.

RWHusker-Echo lake, 15 minutes from kalispell.

[bassmaster8100]

id guess about 5lbs

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

That's a great northern bass!  I would guess it's on the 4 lb line, could fall to either side.

[fourbizz]

I think that that fish is ALL of 6 pounds.

I think people think about fish 2 dimensionally too often. You have to think about how thick across the shoulders the fish is. to me that looks like a thick bodied fish. that difference in width will affect weight a TON!

Regardless, an AWESOME fish for Montana.

[Josh VanderMeer]

for a 6lbs bass u can ussually fit ur hand it its mouth... i highly doubt u could do that on that one

this is 6lbs:

needless to say ur bass is very nice

my guess is 4-5 but not 6

[grimlin]

I'm saying around 5 1/2 give or take a few oz. Looks very close to brokejew's fish.

That's still something to be proud of.

Northern bass have smaller mouths compared to a southern bass....so just because you can't fit your fist in their mouth doesn't mean it ain't 6 pounds.I go by width and girth.I rarely take pictures anymore...but i always have a ruler handy...that gives me a close estimate of the weight.

i really do need to invest in a scale...but right now my money's going to other things i rather have.

[fourbizz]

for a 6lbs bass u can ussually fit ur hand it its mouth... i highly doubt u could do that on that one

this is 6lbs:

needless to say ur bass is very nice

my guess is 4-5 but not 6

his hand IS inside its mouth in the second picture, LOL.

[Fish Chris]

I've seen very fat, small framed trout-eaters, which were 8 or 9 lbs, and would probably barely fit a hand in there mouth. I've also see big framed, but scrawny bodied bass that would only go 4 lbs, but which one kid easily fit a hand in there mouth. Point being, this is not a good indicator of bass weight.

Nice fish though. I'd give it 6 to 7 lbs..... and I'd recommend picking up a digital scale, so you can say, this fish weighed X.X lbs.... Then people could just take it or leave it :-)

Peace,

Fish

[roadwarrior]

Welcome aboard!

I would say either side of 4 lbs.

Most "unweighed" 5-6 lb bass actually weigh around 3 lbs. It takes a "7-8 lb" unweighed bass to actually go 5 lbs.

At any rate, nice fish!

[tntitans21399]

It's to hard for me, I would say high 4 low 5ish, but if it felt heavier then other 4-5 that you have caught then it was bigger.  But without weighing it you don't know for sure.  Next you forget the scale, measure the lenght and the girth, and then you can go online and find out a rough idea of his weight.  Either it's still a nice one.

[T-rig]

Nice fish! My estimate is 5.5lbs.

[Davis]

Being a fellow northern fisherman I would say 6lbs.

There is no way that fish is only 3.5-4 lbs IMO.

That looks to be a nice thick fish with a nice little belly on her. That fish is pretty close to BrokeJews for sure.