Why do people weigh their fish?

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by tattoobob

No it just means your old

thanks bob...and i thought i was cool now i know i'm old

[Green Light]

I weight fish because I personally think it gives more a more accurate representation of fish's size. Length only gives you a two dimensional measurement of the fish. I measure fish because I like to know if I am improving. And isn't measuring fish via weight is like as old as the salt in the sea? .

[Zeno]

I do it becouse i cant tell the difference between 30 and 40...I might be the worst "guesstimator" you've ever seen....

[stiff tip]

self glory.... most of u girls have nrver caught a 40lber or bigger so u go nuts when it happens . its called look at me i.m great. if u get one set it free to breed be a man . it takes more guts to let the big ones go....btw if its selling season i kill m all

[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

[Back Beach]

When I first started out I was like many others in that I wanted to continually raise the bar on my "PB". Given the fishing climate at the time, everyone kept and sold most of their catch, thus everything got weighed as a part of doing business....you got a "slip" with the "official" weight on it.

I always carried a brass chatillion in my vehicle because many of my fish went into the back doors of restaurants and they relied on my scale (for better or worse) to determine the weight.

Once I stopped selling fish to restaurants (early 90's) the scale stayed at home as most of my fish were released if I couldn't sell them. The commercial fish were coming in bigger numbers for me by then because I had my own boat. It became impractical to unload big numbers of fish at restaurants(also illegal ) thus I took everyting to Chatham fish and lobster and got paid wholesale.

Past experience has given me the ability to guesstimate pretty well, and if its a really large fish I might keep it for bragging rights, documentation, tournaments, or consumption. I have no problem killing one big fish here and there.

Guys who made claims without producing weight slips were often looked at with suspicion, and in most cases (even today) its still the case.

I do carry a scale in my vehicle just to save me a long ride to an official weigh station if I get lucky enough to land a substantial fish. If the scale says its close to a weight I might want to get certified, I will then go to a shop and get it officially weighed.

[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

[Sea Dangles]

Lots of great responses here and some leave me puzzled.This year has been different for me in the weight regard.During comm season I may have gotten some to weigh in for the Cup but neglected to do so solely because it was not convenient.To hear someone say they weigh their fish so they know if they are improving is a little disturbing.To have another say any surfcaster worth his salt wants to know how large a fish is also makes me scratch my head.But the curiosity factor is hard to resist soto each their own.The response that made the most sense to me was from Sauerkraut and his secret society of bass avengers.If there are enough like-minded anglers out there perhaps the future for bass can brighten.I remember a thread where Numby was talking about the different stages of surfcasting and I may be coming to understand his point of view.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

I remember a thread where Numby was talking about the different stages of surfcasting and I may be coming to understand his point of view.

Oh my god!!!! Sex with wild animals??? Ugggg, you've changed. Make sure you wear protection.

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by stiff tip

self glory.... most of u girls have nrver caught a 40lber or bigger so u go nuts when it happens . its called look at me i.m great. if u get one set it free to breed be a man . it takes more guts to let the big ones go....btw if its selling season i kill m all

I love ya Dave but I always enjoy these comments from the former commercial fisherman who "Got Theirs" and had a hand in depleting the stocks back when! Those were the days when almost anyone could get a 40.....cause they were there!!! Not so many now for various reasons......but so what if someone wants to weigh it and release it or if they have the legal option to keep it as is the law?? Guys like you begrudge many of us the same opportunities you had in "your day". The day comes when I "Get Mine"......I hope to get a picture of it, boga the weight and get her back in the water.....I hope I can be that selfless....easy to do when you already spent a lifetime selling trophy bass. Damn right I will go nuts when I do.....it will be the accomplishment I hope for every time I go out there.....just like every other fisherman!

Still love ya Dave....don't hate me cause I am beautiful!!

[SAUERKRAUT]

Originally Posted by Zeno

I do it becouse i cant tell the difference between 30 and 40...I might be the worst "guesstimator" you've ever seen....

You are getting close-- however, I am the worst "guesstimator" you've ever seen. And I also cannot tell the difference between a teen and a 20. I have far less guesstimation practice between 30's and 40's; so, I do even worse.

[Fishoholic]

Originally Posted by BigFish

I love ya Dave but I always enjoy these comments from the former commercial fisherman who "Got Theirs" and had a hand in depleting the stocks back when! Those were the days when almost anyone could get a 40.....cause they were there!!! Not so many now for various reasons......but so what if someone wants to weigh it and release it or if they have the legal option to keep it as is the law?? Guys like you begrudge many of us the same opportunities you had in "your day". The day comes when I "Get Mine"......I hope to get a picture of it, boga the weight and get her back in the water.....I hope I can be that selfless....easy to do when you already spent a lifetime selling trophy bass. Damn right I will go nuts when I do.....it will be the accomplishment I hope for every time I go out there.....just like every other fisherman!

Still love ya Dave....don't hate me cause I am beautiful!!

Well said...

Hell I still get all excited when a catch 35" bass much less a 35lb. If you don't still get excited what the hell is the point?

and in regards to the OP.. I don't carry a scale. Boga's are too much $$ and as much as I'm in the water anything else would probably be an inoperable chunk of rust after a week or two. I do carry a tape and if it's a nice one I plan on putting back I just measure the length and girth and do the formula.

[lighthouse]

I just bought a 60lb boga and I promise not to cry about it. Up until this year the 30lb boga has been all I needed. But as good luck and paying attention have paid off, PB after PB this year I want to know what the weight of the fish are. Is it 35 or 37? the 30lb boga is priceless when it comes to handling schoolies or large fish. Anyone who has taken a swallowed beachmaster out of a cows mouth knows it could get dicey without the proper tools. That being said I will not figit with a digital scale in the surf or anywhere else for that matter. The boga is built to lip the fish and weigh it with ease ensuring a quick release. I will never take a might be PB to weigh it at home because I did not have the right tool. Even a digital scale, a 40 pounder wiggles falls off and smaks down on the rocks, you might as well keep it at that point. Catch and quick release is the name of the game to preserve , respect and enjoy the fish. The way I see it go about your business quickly when it comes to catch and release and any other tool besides the boga is subpar.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by lighthouse

I just bought a 60lb boga and I promise not to cry about it.

I almost bought one too, but I tried a cheaper model first to see how it was carrying around a scale.I didn't like having another piece of gear hanging off me so I didn't get one.

Also, trying to weigh a writhing, live fish can be tough sometimes. Partner and I tried weighing a fish this year while out on the rocks wetsuiting. We didn't get a real close weight on the fish because it was squirming and thus, killed one that would have been released if it was more accurately weighed as it turned out 5# lighter than we thought it was.

[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"

[redlite]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

I almost bought one too, but I tried a cheaper model first to see how it was carrying around a scale.I didn't like having another piece of gear hanging off me so I didn't get one.

Also, trying to weigh a writhing, live fish can be tough sometimes. Partner and I tried weighing a fish this year while out on the rocks wetsuiting. We didn't get a real close weight on the fish because it was squirming and thus, killed one that would have been released if it was more accurately weighed as it turned out 5# lighter than we thought it was.

That reminds me, I have a top o the line 60# Lip Gripper scale which is ten times better than the crappy bogas. Seperate T handle to hold while weighing the fish. No slippage with clamp. Easier to read. Maybe I should dust it off and get it recalibrated so it doesn't read like your old %$%$%$%$illion scale that reads about 5lbs too heavy.....no wonder you used to use it when you sold out the back door................

[Zeno]

ouch...the claws come out quickly

[Sundowner]

I need to weigh my fish to make myself feel good....women eat Hagen Daaz......I weigh fish. Really sad I know, but I can't help it.
f me, I just scrolled past sooooo many articles and %$%$%$%$, dont you pils go nowhere

[Sundowner]

appearently my eyeballs suck. if it wasnt for 3 prongs in a fishes mouth tonight, I would've said I released a 28" son bitch ended up being 36"

[timmah]

I weigh them if they are heavy. Otherwise I eat them.

[Mr. Sandman]

Length means nothing anymore a 50" fish can weigh 35-65# nowadays.

I never heard about anyone ever measuring a bass until the Gen X arrived on the scene. I remember weigh people started telling me how long their fish was...huh? who cares, what does it weigh? You weigh fish to know how big it is, period. Records are based on weight, not length. I am old school when it comes to fish size, weigh it.

That said, I rarely weigh a fish under 35#...whats the point? (unless it is an albi or bone, they I weigh the big ones)

[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.