while i completely respect everyone's opinions
and find these interpretations MOST interesting,
it seems to me that a BENCHMARK, by definition, is
a benchmark that IS NOT
subject to change. we use them daily
when we plumb the columns of our structural buildings and if we allowed
for fluctuations from one benchmark to the other, one surveyor/angler to the other,
then ALL the buildings in Boston would resemble the Leaning Tower of Pisa
.................
a STANDARD is a standard for ALL to aspire to;
regardless of whether or not you've ever hit that MARK, and
defined by the same definition that the people for generations
have considered to be LAHHHGE from then to today.
in other words, while it may "feel" subjective until you reach said BM, once you "get there" don't most people aspire for something more and BIGGER??? likewise, by having a uniform weight we can ALL be measured by the same BM and not by what your best friend or yer Momma says to enable your relative mediocrity..................
i don't think that Today's surfcasting legends were sticking
40#'ers out of the womb ~~*though sum have suggested that Mr Nolan was born part Striper, that's how he knows the way they think*~~ so at some point they also had to aspire to the lofty weights, at that particular time of their individual angling developement, of 30#'s and up. for example Newbie, Hungry, Sharpie. the point being, they started somewhere and through due diligence and many moonlit haunts they've angled themsleves into the Striper Coast's Legends that they've become by fishing hard and not settling for 20# to 25# as LAHHHGE. still a dink at that weight, if ya ask me.
AND, just because large and up is a regular weight for them that doesn't change the standard it just means that their levels of expertise have them landing more trophies/monstahs than the rest of us schlubs that don't have the experience and know-how that they do................still the standard remains the same ~~30#'s and up is LAHHHGE, imho.
my own scale goes a li'l sumthin' like this:
0" - 28" ;;;; schoolie
28" - 30#;;; rats to big bass
30# - 40#;; LAHHHHGE
40# - 50#;; SLOB
50# - 60#;; TROPHY
60# - 70#;; COW
70# - 80#;; IGFA World Record
80# - 90#;; MONSTAHH
90# - 100#; FISH OF A LIFETIME
those are the goals for me, so far so good,
and i LOVE the challenge and the mindset that
is required to not settle, and TO go for sum Big Gurls.