Dont you just love when people say things like...

[DINK WHISPERER]

Like many have stated already, if you catch enough big fish and weigh them, you can estimate the weight very closely. Providing you get a very good look at it that is!

[Mattlures]

Muddy again I almost never call anybody out, I let them have their "10" But you asked why it bothers us?

Ok here is why. I have been bass fishing for a little over 30 years. I caught my first DD about 5-7 years ago. I had been wanting one forever. I had been seriously targeting them for about 3 years before I got one. My overall size shot way up but I couldnt break 10. Now you have these guys who completly diminish the acomplishment by catching an 8 and calling it ten. I could have done that to but I would always know it wasnt 10 and it would mean I failed at my goal. Basicaly when somebody lies about how big their bass is its a direct insult to those who have caught one. Its would be like you going up to a mountain climber and saying "yeah I climbed Everest too" The difference is anybody can claim they caught a 10 and get away with it.

Its like the guy who always has a 1up. most of us have known one of these people and they have irritated us all.

like I said I rarley call them out but that doent mean it didnt irritate me. I give them the benefit that they actualy belived it was 10 and arent intentionaly lying. I still remeber catching an 8 '10. I knew my scale was off. I just knew it. Ha ha the scale is never off

[WRB]

Matt, nearly every bass fishermen wants to catch big bass and it's human nature to over estimate due in part to the excitement of hooking a big fish.

In regards to guessing the size of a bass based on experience and having a yardstick (so to speak) to estimating the basses length and girth, it's not rocket science to come up with a ball park weight...looking at a good photo. Trying to estimate the weight of a bass in the water is difficult because the bass is moving and water distorts the fishes size.

Believe it or not it's easy to under estimated the size of a giant bass during the fight and realize how big they are when hand landing them.

You become very focused on getting the bass in the boat, telling yourself to claim down and control the bass.

Tom

[Muddy]

I think you consider the source, if you care... If I say I dropped a 5 at the boat, it was probably closer to 6 or 7. When you catch enough fish that go over 5 (on a scale), you will easily recognize a fish over 5.

I give some people 100% credit for "I lost a XX pounder at the boat"... and with others I can't even get close to the number when I see pics.

But what do I care? unless they really talk smack and bring others down, I just shake my head. It's like cheating in school, you really only cheat yourself and your own credibility.

Thanks Flethero you expressed what I am feeling about this, much better than I did. 8-)

[Muddy]

I fish cause I love to fish, if I someday get blessed with a bigun, can't say I wouldn't be grateful, but that's not why I fish. I can't speak for any other fisherman

[kms399]

i got my brother on this. he caught a bass with a big belly and called it an easy 4 i weighed it and it was 3.3 next day he caught one "has to be 5" he says i weigh it, 3.6 ill give him credit though he doesnt bass fish much.

[bass wrangler569]

Some guys say "I lost a 5lber" and I have complete confidence that they did, another guy says "I losta  5lber" and I know its probably closer to a 4lber. I personally always underguess fish weight/length. Always. Its not intentional I just do. I'm never far off, but I am always under.

[Mattlures]

Muddy I fish for different reasons at different times. Most of the time its for fun and trying to beat my buddies. But when I am hunting big bass it is different. Now I am fishing for results. It cant always do it becuase I get burnt out that I why I mix it up plus I like to target big fish of all species. Bass is the only one that I get real serious.

Now back to the original post I think when guys say they lost a 5lber they realy dont mean that as an exact weight. Its their estimate and its just easier to say 5 then to say between 4-5.

I do think it is funny though because I havee heard guys who bed fish say they were fishing for a 14 or 15 etc. Now I think I am pretty good at guessing bass weights when I am holding the fish but when they are 20ft I could easily by off by a couple pounds either way

[RoLo]

Until our recent address change, I authored the local angling column for our home waters here in Florida.

In view of the ole saw, "One picture is worth a thousand words", a photograph was often provided.

Although the weight of the bass was normally omitted, I come to learn that the imagination of the audience

was generally greater than my own

Indeed, I still weigh and measure every "good" bass that my wife or I bring to the boat,

but do so only for my own edification and not to bore the reader.

Roger

[Fish Chris]

Well, I dumped one last week that was about 8, and one yesterday, that was about 6. But I'm not saying this like > Ahhh man ! It was huge ! I swear it was like an 8 lb'er !!! Ahhh dude ! What a bummer  :-[  

It's more like, "Yea' I dumped one about 8.... but who really cares (making the fart sound ...at least it wasn't a double digit

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt, we are so often on the same page. It does totally feel like people are "stealing" from me, and from other guys who have worked as hard as I have, when they BS.

One time I let that bug me enough, until I finally got into it with a high profile figure {on another forum}. Lots of people like this guy. And he is a "good" fisherman. However, pretty much everyone knows the guy BS's a lot. I was really ruthless on this guy, and publicly bashed the #$#% out him.

Later, I felt bad about all that. I mean, everyone already knew the guy BS'ed a lot anyway. So now, they probably felt like they had a guy who BS'ed a lot over there, and a hateful, rude, idiot who bashes people on public forums over here

I'm sure that guy is still BS'ing about big fish..... But I learned my lesson, and will no longer allow myself to get so worked up that I call people out on public forums.

Peace,

Fish

[airborne_angler]

The comments I read are on the Basspro.com reviews of certain lures. I dont know the people whote write certain reviews but many of them swear they break off a 10-12 lb or larger fish.

I sometimes wonder how the scenario played out. Did the person actually see the fish,or was the fish maybe a 2-3 lb fish and wrapped up on a stump,to where the line would give a little and you could still feel the fish struggle prior to the line breaking?

[OH-bass614]

well we are fishermen...... isnt that what we do

[Matt Fly]

I love it better , when they get it in, take as picture then some the big bass guys here discredit the picture

+1,   Truth of the matter is, some of the experts haven't proven they are experts either.    

 

[cabullwinkle]

All's I know is that every fish that has ever broken off was a certain world record breaker. Some of them may have smaller bodies, but they were very dense.    

[roadwarrior]

Truth of the matter is, some of the experts haven't proven they are experts either.

On the other hand, we do have a few big bass "experts".

Mattlures, Randall, George Welcome, WRB, paul., RoLo,

Fourbizz and Chris Fish are a few prominent examples.

8-)

[skunked_again]

If a guy catches the bass of a lifetime and he says its 10, and it is actually 8.4 who cares? I will just celebrate it with him.

this is a good point. a good fish is a good fish. i never put a fish on scales enless i think its a double, but i do measure them most of the time out of habit.

it is fun to watch the "how big do you think this fish is" threads though..lol.

[skunked_again]

how fast is your boat?

"well let me tell you what............."

[backpain...]

I think that when someone esle's fish story or picture irritates us to any point we are taking the sport a little too seriously and need to take a deep breath. It isn't like they are trying to submit it for arecord, or win some tournament in a dishonest manner. They are normally making conversation about a sport they love just as much as the majority of this forum.

[Matt Fly]

Truth of the matter is, some of the experts haven't proven they are experts either.

On the other hand, we do have a few big bass "experts".

Mattlures, Randall, George Welcome, WRB, paul., RoLo,

Fourbizz and Chris Fish are a few prominent examples.

8-)

Catching is one thing, but identifying the size of another fish in someone elses picture hasn't been proven, its opinion at best.

   jmo.

[cabullwinkle]

Next time you catch a big one, if you want a easy way to compare you catches, put a dollar bill up next to it.  Everyone's got one.

[roadwarrior]

Hey Matt, I know what you mean. It's very hard to tell from a picture

alone just how big a fish really is. Like I said earlier in this thread, I

don't care what someone claims unless they ask.

8-)

[WRB]

Hey Matt, I know what you mean. It's very hard to tell from a picture

alone just how big a fish really is. Like I said earlier in this thread, I

don't care what someone claims unless they ask.

8-)

Lets analyze those beautiful smallies you are holding, just for fun. Not much to judge the length by, only your hands; give or take about 4". Would guess those bass to be 20" to 22" or 5 to 6 1/2 lbs.

This is only an exercise in guessing based on one object, hands and could easily be off by 25%.

When someone claims to catch a giant bass, like the 18 1/2 lb Georgia bass recently, then that gets my attention. Giant bass are so rare anyone making a claim should be scrutinized.

Way off topic. As the old sign read; "Everyone is a lair, except you and me and I'm not so sure about you". Good fishing.

WRB

PS; how much do the bass weigh?

[Matt Fly]

25% is big error margin.   The bigger the fish, the larger the error margin.

    A 2lb fish has a .50 lb error margin, thus that fish could weigh 1.5 to 2.5  with your guess.

  A 10 lb bass would have an error margin of 7.5 to 12.5 lb based on 25%.

   The larger the bass, the larger the 25% error margin.    

25% length, 20-22 inches would be 15 inches on the lower extreme and over 25 on the upper extreme.    So your guess based on 25% could be 15-25 inches.    

   Thats alot of play on both side of the numbers don't ya think?    

[DINK WHISPERER]

Next time you catch a big one, if you want a easy way to compare you catches, put a dollar bill up next to it. Everyone's got one.

In these times, i haven't seen one in months man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      

[WRB]

25% is big error margin. The bigger the fish, the larger the error margin.

A 2lb fish has a .50 lb error margin, thus that fish could weigh 1.5 to 2.5 with your guess.

A 10 lb bass would have an error margin of 7.5 to 12.5 lb based on 25%.

The larger the bass, the larger the 25% error margin.

25% length, 20-22 inches would be 15 inches on the lower extreme and over 25 on the upper extreme. So your guess based on 25% could be 15-25 inches.

Thats alot of play on both side of the numbers don't ya think?

The 25% was based on the hand size; 4" in the photo, average size hand due to angles holding the bass. Do those smallies look like 15" or 25"? Lets see what those bass weighed.

If we know the length and girth, then it's possible to get within 5%, otherwise it's a guessing game.