inches compared to weight size question

Dave...this is one subject I do find very interesting.
My wife caught a 4 lb 13 oz. smally that measured about 19 1/2" and this year nailed a 5 lb. 9 oz.(same digital scales) and we pulled out the pictures and compared them and I swear the smaller fish looks much bigger...you'd swear it was 6 for sure if someone hadn't said so.
Caught a 19" fish myself last year that was just shy of 5 and was by far the fattest smally I've caught and that includes the "footballs" I've caught at Erie...go figure....

I know what you mean...I usually can guess a bass' weight pretty close as I see a lot of them in my business but I have on a number of occassions been surprised when I put the fish on a scale....sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller. I have even taken my scale and checked it for accuracy with a known weight after a fish has fooled me just to make sure my scale was not wrong....lol.

Their is another formula that is for Bass (LxLxG)/1200.
(21.75x21.75x19.25)/1200=7.589
Do with it what you want, and take it however you want, just thought that I would share this with you all as it may be a "little" closer to the actual weight than the general formula used for all fish.

Lee

This formula shows the world record smallie to be 13.1 lbs...certainly not exact but certainly a lot closer than the other formula....probably a pretty good formula for quick reference...thanks.

Buy a boga grip. They have accurate weight to the quarter oz.You can send them off to be certified for state records etc. I have one that weighs up to 15 lbs and another up to 30 lbs. I didn't spend the money to have them certified, but a 5 lb and 10 lb bag of sugar is a perfect way to check them as are other various known weights about the home.

I have the best formula yet, and I don't even have to measure anything. Every smallie I catch weighs 8 lbs exactly, period. Hint, on short fish hold with arms outstretched close to the camera.

...BillH

The Smallies at Dale this year have been huge for me. I caught several 4 pounders that barely pushed the 19" mark in December. A friend of mine caught a 19 incher that was 5-6. My 6-4 went 22 3/8 but my 6-6 was only just barely over 21". Hope this helps.

Tight Lines

LxLxL/1600 ... LxLxG/1200 ... LxGxG/800 will give you different weights for your fish.

LxLxL formula puts your fish at 6.4lbs
LxLxG formula puts your fish at 7.5lbs
LxGxG formula = 10lbs

LxLxL formula puts my 7lb LMB (22.5 x 18) at 7.1lbs
LxLxG formula puts it at 7.5lbs
LxGxG formula = 9.11lbs
The fish was weighed on accurate scales @ 7lbs even.

If I were you ... I'd call it a 7lb fish (avg between LLL & LLG formulas). Then I'd get myself a set of scales & have them checked for accuracy. Or else, quit measuring them ... and just "eyeball" weigh'em ...LOL!! .......... cp

I dont think this formula is right. I should only weigh 148 lbs!
Just 100 lbs. lite! lol!!!
Rowdy

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-06-06 AT 09:44PM (EST)[/font][p]The formula is off on fish over 10 pounds but I would expect that much. But think about this. The fish, we know is a female, was caught in July after she spawned out, since the biggest fish move first, the stretching of the eggs added to the girth, but after spawn left no weight in the belly, I've seen a that looked over 6 lbs to everyone, but at the scales it was 4.89, you could feel a huge nothing when pushing on the belly, couldn't that be an exception, that recently spawned females would have a peroid of "flab" to add to girth but not weight. Just a thought. WOW, could you imagine how hard it would be to beat that record if the fish was caught during spawn?

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-07-06 AT 11:24AM (EST)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-07-06 AT 04:46*AM (EST)[/font]

In your words..."if the fish weighs over 10 lbs it may be off by a LITTLE"....in this case it was off by 4lbs...that is not a LITTLE. As far as imagining how long it would take to break the record if the fish had spawn out...I don't know that the fish was spawned out...it is not usual for a fish to spawn in the summer time but it does happen now and then....anyway, the record has stood for 50 years...that in my mind makes it pretty hard to break.

Shouldn't there be different formulas for smallmouth and largemouth given there somewhat different shapes, especially as they get bigger?