Why do people weigh their fish?

[DZ]

Chris,
Before the 1980s I also sold every legal bass I could. During the early 1980s I realized the fish I loved to chase stood a real chance of disappearing. I "saw the light", changed my ways and vowed I would do all I could to keep that from happening.

Started carrying a Chatillon brass scale in 1984 - the year of the RI striper moratorium. Damn thing must have weighed three pounds. Tried other scales through the years and finally settled on a Cardoza "No rust" 60 lb spring scale. Carry it with me most of the time. I'm a pretty good judge of size - when/if I'm fortunate enough to land one that takes two hands to lift I weigh and release her.

Let's face it - any surfcaster worth his salt wants to know how large his fish is. Dyed in the wool striped bass fishermen (especially surf casters) have that "50" pound pinnacle always in their sights. Those that say otherwise...

The scale, in small part, allows me to continue what I love to do, and allows me to see if I've reached another pinnacle without killing the largest of the species I love to pursue.

DZ