weighing fish

[bucketmouth64]

Wondering how one goes about getting a bass weighed on a official scale if you think you have a hog. Let me preface this by saying if a lake, such as Chisago, has regulations that fish over 12" must be immediately returned back to the waters. What does one do if you think you have a hog? Pix and measurements your only alternative?

What about lakes without regs. Can you go somewhere and get it officially weighed and go back to the lake and let it go? Yes, this would mean transporting fish in the livewell with water which you can't do. But are there exceptions?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ok. On lakes that have regs you have to release them back to the lake as quickly as possible... I have 2 digital scales in my boat, and I test them to know how accurate they are(I use them to cull during tounaments...)A good length and girth measurement is also good.. but I dont think its a good measure of weight like a scale..

As for putting a fish in your well.. most Grocery Stores have scales for meat.. these are as close to Exact as possible... However, the ammount of time the fish would be out of water would be fatal to the fish.. it may not be dead when you get it back to the lake, but it would probably not survive...Notice I said probably.. it is possible.. HOWEVER, it would be illegal, and I am not aware of any "exceptions".. if you were caught by a C.O... I dont think they would let you off the hook on that one...

Its a tough situation.. if you think you have a state record... To get the state record the fish would have to die...If its just your own personal record.. It can live..

#1 alwyas have a ruler of some sort..
#2 alwys have a scale(and test it... know how accurate it is)
#3 have a camera..take plenty of pictures...I have a wall of fame in my house...a picture tells 1000 words, you can see your geeky smile, the hole in your boat carpe.. whatever.. its all there for your memories...

#4 if it is a state record, most likely its past its prime spawning age anyway...I'm not condoning keeping it or releasing it.. I just think anybody who calls you names or berates you because you did has problems of thier own...

On a side note, while bass fishing on Lake Vermilion.. I caught a 50" pike... measured it, took a ton of pictures(at that point in my life I couldnt afford a mount of that size, and also respected a fish older than I at the time, LOL) I cant believe the ammount of people who think I am crazy for releasing that fish... I dont look back and think I made a bad decision. In missed the world record catch and release by only 1/2" I believe...ohh well...

[sami0115]

i don't wan't to be nitpicky, but if a lake has immediate release regulations how would a person have time to weigh, measure and photograph a fish? Exude.. i am not picking on you, i think the regulations should allow for people to do this before they release the fish. afterall the fishing should be fun and i think that should include being given proper time to enjoy looking at and measuring your catch and most of all taking a picture. it seems unfair that if you catch a potential state record out of a lake with regulations that you shouldn't be allowed to be recognized for it.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I hear where you are comming from sami... I always have my stuff ready and would doubt I have any fish out of the water for more than 60seconds.. However, you are probably right.. they should be returned to the water right away... I dont catch enough monsters to worry about it(I dont weigh every fish if you know what I mean..)

[sami0115]

at my "home" lake in Park Rapids i actually have been measuring length and weight on every bass that i catch and keep it all in a log. hopefully i will be able to learn something from it. i'm sure it doesn't take more that 30 seconds to do it. fortunatly the lake doesn't have regulations that prevent me from doing this.

[riverrat56]

how do you guys weigh your fish? i always think of weighing a limit of bass one time just to see wat i would have ( weigh one then release and keep track) but i dont want to stick the hook on my scale through there mouths because it might hinder their feeding for awhile. do you use a bag or what? thanks in advance

[sami0115]

i have a Berkley scale that has a lip gripper w/ digital scale on it. i works real slick. i barely need to handle the fish.

[riverrat56]

sami,
what would a scale like that cost me and where can i get one? I have used a lip-grip before for land fish and they work slick a scale would be a great feture to have in there.

[sami0115]

i would think most any large retailer would have one. i got mine at Fleet Farm, but have seen them in Bass Pro and Gander...