we were hitting the bass and pickerillo's up in stanhope, near Stevens state park... this 6.5-7lber hit the bass kicker frog through some thick slime. from the pic it looks like 5-6lbs but i was like 8 feet from the camera. wish i had the scale that day.

I know where you are.. looks like a solid 4 - 4.5lber.    

we were hitting the bass and pickerillo's up in stanhope, near Stevens state park... this 6.5-7lber hit the bass kicker frog through some thick slime. from the pic it looks like 5-6lbs but i was like 8 feet from the camera. wish i had the scale that day.

I agree with you, from the picture it does look about 5 pounds.

Take it from a guy who lived in New Jersey for 50 years, that's an ELEPHANT by Jersey standards...congratulations!

In that same vicinity, we've done a lot of bassing in Hopatcong, Lake Muscenetcong,

and Budd Lake through the ice (lots of hawg pickerel).

Roger

If you don't have a scale, should not estimate weight and post it. always my thought. ALWAYS hard to tell from a picture, but I would guess that to be 3-4 lbs. I still love the guy on my lake that caught MAYBE a 1/2 lb smallie and was screaming about how it was 3 lbs... was maybe 13 inches long lol.

Most 4+ pounders I have pulled in, the head is about the same size as mine. That pic the head is the same size as yours while your arms are fully extended. Either way, great fish. And who knows, you can't tell from a picture.

That being said, a 7 pound fish for these parts is great. I am yet to break 5 pounds in my home lake. Lots of 3-4 lbers, and 2 or 3 that were just on the brink of pushing 5.... but not quite there!

anybody still bassin in jersey? i know there has gotta be a couple die hards out there with me! Swartswood lake produced 3 LMB between 1 and a half to 3 pounds and 1 decent sized smallie. smallie fell victim to the shakey head and the LMB were slayed with the drop shot and carolina rig.

I was back in jersey for thanksgiving break and caught a fat 3 pounder.  I was just trying to learn to cast with a baitcaster and while I was reeling in I felt something pulling and it turned out to be a bass