Funny, but A-Jay is so right. However those without a scale, or refuse to weigh their bass, will also ignore A-Jay's formula. I find the guys who say they caught a 5 pounder are guessing. The guys who say they caught a 5.7 lber are telling the truth. The guessers will usually round up their bass to an even number while the weighers will give you the weight down to the ounce. One guy I fish with is always telling me he caught 18 and the largest was a 7 lber and a 6 lber. He goes with me he catches 5 and when I weigh his largest it's about 2.8.

 

I agree, that is why I was irritated when I caught my PB and it weighed 8.0 exactly.  I was glad it was 8 lbs., but I knew saying it was 8 even would make it sound like a fish story.  I put her in the water for a few moments and weighed her again, once more the Rapala scale read 8.0.  I even went home and tested the scale with some weights & it was right on.  d**n.

 

How in the world can I get so discouraged that a fish weighed 8.0 instead of 8.1? 

This reminds me of a time I was bank fishing with a guy near me. He caught a dink, maybe 1.5 lbs tops. After that his friend came over and he said "Dude I just caught a 3 pounder!" Made me laugh, I just kept quiet.

 

HAHAHAHA I have seen this many times by anglers; they catch a little one (1-8ish), on the way back to the dock it becomes a 2-0 then at the dock they all of a sudden have caught a 3-0 PLUS..... I love it

One of the most idiotic and hypocritical things I have ever seen is the self-appointed expert casting doubt on a person's story, while expecting other's to treat them as being above reproach... 

 

Wait, is it irony if you believe that statement to be above reproach?

 

Just kidding...

What if i think its a 2lb bass? 

 

that means you actually got skunked but don't want to admit it  

Found it. 

IMG_0065.jpg

Found it. 

you need to put that inside a ziploc bag, put that ziploc bag in another ziploc bag, and finally put that in a big ziploc bag. The bass can't smell it if you do that.

You can catch those biguns, just don't let them know you have a scale haha

you need to put that inside a ziploc bag, put that ziploc bag in another ziploc bag, and finally put that in a big ziploc bag.

The bass can't smell it if you do that. You can catch those biguns, just don't let them know you have a scale haha

 

I used to do that, but before I could open all the bags....the bass would die! 

I used to do that, but before I could open all the bags....the bass would die! 

it takes technique

 

If you (as the angler who landed said bass) believe the fish in question to be  . . . .

 

Between 3-5 pounds – the actual weight is at least 1 pound less than you think it is.

 

Between 5-7 pounds – the actual weight is at least 2 pounds less than you think it is.

 

Between 8-10 pounds – the actual weight is at least 3 pounds less than you think it is.

 

 

 

From what I see, I don't believe those weights to be accurate.   

From what I see, I don't believe those weights to be accurate.   

 

My fish scale has called me a liar so many times, that now I "underestimate" fish weights.

So, to compensate for my traumatic bias, I'll just add a couple pounds to my best guess 

 

Roger

I generally underestimate fish. I have surprised even myself at weighins many times, thinking I had x amount of weight when in reality I had x+3lbs of weight. Heck, the little BR tournament I put on on the 4th of July on Toledo Bend I though my big bass was 5 or 5 and a half. Ended up going 7 on the weighin scale.

My mental scale says either dink, chunk, hawg, or tode. I use my spring scale for confirmation.

all the five pounders have disappeared since I started using a scale. My profile pic shows my pb....7 lbs I think. I caught it pre scale on a 36 inch long topwater lure!!!