Too funny.
20lb would be my guess.
Hell of a bluefish!

According to those weight measurement stats taken from New England catch records I found online at another site:

The average 39" bass weighs 24.5 pounds. The upper limit of the range is 27.2 pounds. (Yes this sounds a bit heavy to me).

This easily falls within the range of Rhody's record bluefish which is 39" and 26 pounds. I tried to find a pic of that fish online but couldn't. I'll try harder later. Must have been a real pig.

Man it was cold this morning at day break. I was starting to think I must have lost my mind to be there. Not many guys out either. I rode several miles before I crossed paths with anyone. Wasn't lucky enough to get any fish but saw a lot of breaks and had many chances at getting some but the fish were not interested. Not all these fish were of schoolie size IMO.. I did not see anyone get a fish on top, even if you hit them in the head with the plug. I did see adult pogies and something else about 3 to 4 inches being chased. Most of the bait I saw the fish feeding on were the size of a half dollar though, very small. Don't waste your time getting up early either as they were not showing till an hour after the turn the last 2 days, at least in the area's I was fishing. On a positive note I spotted a very large fish while on the bike out in the middle for 100 yards following some bait had one chance at him, dumped my plug bag off the bike in my haste, and he wasn't interested, but a very big bass. I did see 1 keeper on the rocks in my travels. I did not go further east than pole 125 or west past 275. I'm a middle of the canal kind of guy anyway. May try again tomorrow morn. but not too early. Good luck.
FWIW I had an 18 lb blue that was 36 inches long in 1993

Uh, no it doesn't. I catch between 500 and 1000 bass a year--naturally, not all of them are 39" long, but I've been catching bass a long time. 40+ years. One 39" bass in 1000 weighs 24.5 lbs. Most weigh between 19 and 22 pounds. Especially today with the skinny bass that currently dominate the population.

Get one 42" and then maybe you're talking 27 pounds. If it's fat and has something in its stomach. I've seen 50" bass this year that didn't break 40 pounds. It's certainly possible for a 45" bass to top 40 pounds, but again, it's one bass out of a thousand. And the girth has to be enormous for it to do that. Bluefish simply don't have the girth to top 20 lbs at 38".

I think the other source of error is that most people nowadays measure fish from the tip of the tail (sometimes even squeezed together and over the curve of the body) as per state reg guidelines. Most record fish (and fish estimated by length/girth formula) are measured by fork length on a flat surface. Makes a significant difference.

May 23rd '08;
45", 44#
2 VanStaal reels
$500
cabo rod and reel
$100 Boaters World gift certificate
other prizes to boot

That was a very fat fish if I remember correctly. I had 2 fish that went over 50 " this year and none went past 46lbs. All I got was $3.50 a lb. You got a better deal.

Well the best part about all of this is. I didn't weigh the fish, and can only say from what I caught it was deffinetly in 20-25 pound range, but I am not into arguing that fact. The best part of the story that all fisherman a like enjoy is the fight this beast put up while standing on shore. It was a true beauty of a fight. I wanted to release this beauty, but for one, it broke my TICA pole, and for seconds one treble was in the lip, and the other was jammed in the gills. All things aside I know it wasn't a record, but a true champion blue in my books. pound for pound it put up a fight that only stories of 50 pound bass have been told to me by the old salties. This blues stomach had 3 or 4, 7-9" full shads in the belly.

I'm agreeing with you that's why I said those figures I posted are high. :spin: They must be very old or possibly measured to the fork. The stats on SOL do seem much more realistic.

Of course they do since the Rhody record is 26lbs. at 39" :D Although certainly an anomaly there must be plenty of blues that went 38" and went over 20lb.

wow ...alittle hate this morning. i like that...i only tells what i sees ,but u right its way to crowded downs there this week.paul great report , makes it e z er. i know what u mean about hitting um on the head n no respond wtf ....i cant figure it this fall ..i think the big stuff stayed off shore w/ the sea herrin ??? who the F--- KNOWS. not me ....

That was exactly the one 45" fish in a thousand I was referring to ;)

The ditch wasn't so bad this morning. Not too sure if all the sea herring are off shore stiff ;)

hay thats good to know ...but most r offshore w/ the bass

I already yelled at him in person. Besides he rides a bike along the canal and anyone who rides a bike spends more time pedaling and yacking to other bikers than actually fishing.

Canal biker reports are basically worthless info.

Beautiful conditions at canal this morning but unfortunately no quality fish. A couple twinkies landed and a couple bigger ones spotted chasing large bait in the middle several times.

Some pics.....

Beautiful pics Mike. That is the same situation I encountered last few times out.

Many small fish around chasing small bait last night. Gorgeous night out there - 10 knot east wind, warm, no crowds, and very little rain. Just needed some bigger fish to make it perfect.

You are not kidding, those are beautiful pics, very nice and thanks for sharing.