This weekend I set a new PB at the strip pits and pulled in a HAWG. It measured 25 inches long and 15.8 inches in girth. We use a cheap Berkley digital scale, and it said the fish weighed 7lbs and 1oz. However, when I got home and looked at some of the estimation charts online, they estimate it to be 8-10 lbs. What do you guys think?

I think your scale is closer than the online chart. The fish looks like he needs to start eating because he looks skinny for his length. Nice fish none the less.

Those cheap Berkley digital scales are pretty darned accurate, much more so than the estimation charts. I agree with Packard. Regardless, that fish is a Hawg. Nice Catch!

Big ol head on her, shed probably go DD with a big gut. You can test a scale with a gallon of water and know pretty close how accurate it is

NGaHB

A few years ago we had six or seven of those cheep berkley scales. I thought it would be cool to see how accurate each of them were and to my surprise not a single one was more than three ounces off. I would trust the scale.

Congrats on the hog! And trust your scale!

Jeff

Thanks guys!

Nice fish whatever the weight.

Yeah...scale trumps calculator. My biggest LM last year was 25"L/17"G that weighed 8.3lbs on two scales. Calculator put it at ~10.4lbs.

Your digital scale can be off 2% with good batteries, weak batteries the reading could be 10% or more off and weigh heavier or lighter. 8 lb bass with a 2% digital scale could be 1 1/2 oz from true weight, at 10% the weight could be off by 12 oz. The best you can do with calculated weight is about 5% variance due to how accurate the measurements and what the bass has in it's stomach at the time it's weighed.

Length X length X girth / 1200; 25L, 15.8G = 8.22 lbs with a 6 oz variance. ( 1 oz = .062 lbs) 7.6 lbs to 8.84 lbs is the estimated weight based on your measurements.

Go with weighed value, it is what it is a big bass!

Tom

Weigh 7 pounds and 1 ounce and see what it weighs. Or the excellent suggestion of trying a gallon of water answering how your scale does. I have seen n those digitAl scales be way off. That said a 15.8 forth on a 25 inch bass will man for a lighter than should be fish.

That is a monster bass!!

Well I just had a 8oz difference. Caught a good one that weighed 7"2 on a Berkeley scale and 7"10 on a certified high dollar scale that is used for all our tourneys.

Years ago I saw an 8 weigh 5 and 3/4. Test the scale. it is a skinny fish but might weigh more than 7.

A gallon of water weights ~8.34 gallons, which is around the weight your trying to test, fill up a milk jug and see what you get.

NGaHB

Those charts are so off, try not to use them as a reference