Why do people weigh their fish?

[Steve K]

I only weigh and measure large fish. I like to know if i just caught my pb. The rest I estimate.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[stiff tip]

the truth hurts ..sometimes.. yup ive caught all sizes.lots of bigs and tons of smalls .....i can.t help to be jaded. i have been luck to lived through the great fish days of the 60,70 and 80s BUT also fished throught the bad times when u would catch 300 blues to one bass ,so i know the bad times too. i like to set the bar high,to me the holy grail is a 60+lber,though i did see a 58lber last month. larry if u get all squrmie and act like a girlyman when you get a 30lber its ok ..just remember " we all can.t b me " not enouph room in my head......

[Bocephus]

if I dont have a buddy that has a 60boga on him, ill bring my digital and keep it on the rocks. This is the reason.....caught a big fish one morning after fishing all night, was very tired and not thinking clear, thought it was low 30's and released it. Caught and kept a 37 later that night, and I realized that the one that I put back was definitely bigger. It was probably over 40, and would have been my PB, but I cant confirm it. So I weigh stuff now when its needed. If I think its under 30, Ill just guess.

[BigFish]

Dave anything over 25 pounds thrills me to death! I take anything I can get and I am happy with that! Bigger is better but I have learned to just be happy with the entire experience of being out there with great friends (yourself included) under the stars or the sunshine or in the rain, enjoying the beauty of all that is fishing for stripers be it at the canal, the sandy back beaches, an island off New Bedford or my local spots......that is all I need.......but a slammin' 40+ pounder would ice the cake any day!!!! Sorry to go off topic Chris!

[BassDawg]

good querries Chris,

for me, it's simply a matter of confirming PB's and
if i go Mega Cow, then i'll weigh it on the rocks first to determimne
whether or not i should kill her for some schwag and a shot at some prize dough!!
don't really need a scale for the 30#~ 40# class fish.

i use inches first, and pounds second~~~
lemee clarify, on my rod i have taped 36" and 54" with some yellow electrical tape as points of reference. for me, a fish has to be 36"+ to be a keeper, and unless it's over 54" it's not going to see the scale. however, when referring to catches~~~ inches are for wannabes and pc, commie, beeotches!! reel men go by poundage whether it means you're OLD school, just OLD, or Old Cooool doesn't mean much to me~~~ it is much easier and makes more sense, imho.

so this year, unless i bury the scale out on the rocks,,,,,,,,they'll swim away. i'm NOT killing a fish to "get on the board". pb or not, i'll know the weight with my scale and that's good enough for me. i just use the cabella's knock-off, 60#'er, that i picked up last year and only go there should she pass the tape test. i also take my Olympus TOUGH 6000, when i remember it, to record any releases worth documenting. oddly, some of my biggest C&R's were when i was "sans digitalis"

[StriperZ]

I measure and weigh my fish so when I post the numbers on these boards they are accurate. Plus I like catching big fish on light tackle.

My best. Eagle GT Rod, Shimano Spheros 4000 reel, 15 lb Magibraid braid, 20 lb leader. June 3rd, 2010. 42" - 25 lb striped bass. When the blues start in, I switch to 20 lb braid and 50 lb leaders (and check them regularly).

Today we caught big blues, up to 15 lbs (or so -- no scale on board today) off Chatham.