How many of you still weigh your big fish?

[AlbertanGP]

I caught an 8lb Rainbow Friday morning and the guy I was fishing with got lost and wasn't there when I caught it. So I measured it (26") and was in the process of reviving it when he showed up. We got a couple of pictures and a weight on the scale quick. When I got home, I checked a bunch of length to weight calculators that all estimated around 6lbs. Being old school, I always prefer to weigh a big fish and this incident didn't inspire me to change. But taking a length seems to be all the rage on YouTube, so I thought I'd see what others *really* do.

[35 whelen]

Have being doing length for many years ,

[Smoky buck]

I rarely measure, weigh or even take pics anymore I just enjoy my day and look forward to the next one

[Talking moose]

Length only

[yoteblaster]

Length only

[Jigsalot]

Length only for walleye to make sure it’s legal to keep and always measure big perch hoping it’s a PB. 14.75 is my best perch so far. I never weigh any fish and don’t keep snot rockets.

[calgarygringo]

Like a lot of other things us old guys need to always be updating to the current times. The days of weighing fish are getting very slim. Most tournaments, certifications etc. are moving to length not weight. Welcome to the new way.

[ghostguy6]

The only ones I weigh are the ones I keep. I measure length to see if a fish is legal or not.

[fishn_palmer]

If I know it has monster potential, I’ll weigh it, especially lake trout. But I’ll weigh it in the net and subtract the weight of the net for a good guesstimate.

[CNP]

Length only at the time of the catch. If it's a keeper I'll weigh it at home, if I'm curious.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

First comes the mishandling of the fish. Then trying to find the phone, finding the phone and taking pictures. By this time the fish is nearly dead. Then it’s time to start looking for the scale and the fish is dead.

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by MooseRiverTrapper

First comes the mishandling of the fish. Then trying to find the phone, finding the phone and taking pictures. By this time the fish is nearly dead. Then it’s time to start looking for the scale and the fish is dead.

Yeah. I guess if that's your level of preparedness, things are going to die...

I guess I really am a dinosaur. Still, I don't see it changing. If I had my choice of a photo, a weight, or a length, I'm taking the photo every time. That's hard to do alone though, so I've been thinking about that recently. Between the length and the weight, I can do both in nearly the same time depending how co-operative the fish is for a length. Maybe the calculators that use both length and girth are more accurate. But that's definitely more time topside than a quick weight. At any rate, the calculators I found online are horrible. That's unfortunate.

[Talking moose]

Really big fish should be weighed from a cradle.
You can mess up a big fish by hanging it vertical.

[JohninAB]

Walleye fishing it is just a length to see if legal. Pike I try to release with out removing them from the water. Perch, if big and keeping, I will measure to see if I have beat my pb.

In the past I was hung up with taking pictures and weighing big fish but the undue stress you are putting the fish thru to get a picture or weight is not worth it.

[58thecat]

Hmmm I caught a fish the other day....each time I tell the story it gets bigger....

[old dog]

For really big fish I use the cradle as well. If I see that the fish is stressed when I get it along side of the boat, I release right away I would rather see it swim away than see it’s weight.

[trapperdodge]

I haven't weighed a fish in years.

Handling fish is usually the kiss of death. You still see pics in the magazines where fish are held vertically by their gills. Doing this almost always damages the spine and spinal cord.
In some pics the fish is held in a position where the hand is in the gills but hidden from the camera. And how about those bass fishermen who hold the fish vertically out of water by the bottom jaw?

If you intend to release a fish you need to retrieve it immediately. Limit the fight to as short a time as possible. This usually means using a heavier rod and line. Fish that are fought to exhaustion and then released have high mortality.

There is good research on catch and release. It is not the benign activity the C&R proponents would have you believe.

[Quigley2000]

If the fish is big then length only, and if the fish is a potential personal best then I’ll weigh it in the net. I figure that way you can get a weight with minimal damage.


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[AK47]

Only if it is close to personal best and if I am keeping it.

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by trapperdodge

I haven't weighed a fish in years.

Handling fish is usually the kiss of death. You still see pics in the magazines where fish are held vertically by their gills. Doing this almost always damages the spine and spinal cord.
In some pics the fish is held in a position where the hand is in the gills but hidden from the camera. And how about those bass fishermen who hold the fish vertically out of water by the bottom jaw?

If you intend to release a fish you need to retrieve it immediately. Limit the fight to as short a time as possible. This usually means using a heavier rod and line. Fish that are fought to exhaustion and then released have high mortality.

There is good research on catch and release. It is not the benign activity the C&R proponents would have you believe.

[3blade]

Length only for years, and only for keepers.

If I’m going to release a fish I don’t mess with it, just try to get it landed, unhooked and back as quickly and gently as possible.

I don’t fish to attract anyone else’s attention, and certainly don’t give a flying rats hind quarters what a record book says. pointless amateur measuring contests are destructive and need to go the way of the dinosaur

[SNAPFisher]

Same hear. I never really have weighed any that I do not intent to keep - maybe the odd one over the years. Rather get them back healthy.

[Brandonkop]

We never weight fish being released and almost never weigh fish. When we fished in idaho for large perch and we were targeting fish over 2 pounds we did indeed weigh the fish. But other than that length is a good measure and safer for the fish.

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by Brandonkop

We never weight fish being released and almost never weigh fish. When we fished in idaho for large perch and we were targeting fish over 2 pounds we did indeed weigh the fish. But other than that length is a good measure and safer for the fish.

Did you fish Cascade Lake? I've been meaning to make a trip down there someday.

[Zip-in-Z]

I just bought an electronic scale yesterday, just so I can weigh stuff maybe even a big White, who knows maybe I'll even catch a 20 lb Burb this winter, that pic would definitely include a scale & big smile, too.

D.

[Brandonkop]

Originally Posted by AlbertanGP

Did you fish Cascade Lake? I've been meaning to make a trip down there someday.

Are you relatively new to the forum? You want to see???? Here are links to videos from four years of trips to cascade.

Year 1:
Monster Idaho Jumbo Perch Ice Fishing with Jaw Jacker FishHunter Directional 3D

https://youtu.be/zfZaC5-GeJA

Year 2:
How to Ice Fishing: Cascade Lake Jumbo Perch
https://youtu.be/fUSiT6QJ2jE

Ice Fishing Storm Front for Cascade Lake Idaho Jumbo Perch
https://youtu.be/595C-pK3QJc

Year 3:
Cascade Lake Jumbo Perch with Back Country Tackle Free Tungsten Jig Giveaway
https://youtu.be/IvNumT9WK_A

Jumbo Perch Fishing Tips and Techniques for Cascade Lake Idaho
https://youtu.be/LS7s51WL_UI

Cascade Lake Ice Fishing Giant Perch Outtakes
https://youtu.be/CCImbHg14iY

Year 4:
Cascade Lake Jumbo Perch Disappointment - Warning Trout Were Caught
https://youtu.be/SItb5SB2HV0

Vanishing Jumbo Perch of Cascade Lake Idaho
https://youtu.be/ajtVOXX6fZo


We skipped out last year cause fish year 4 was so poor. Then last year they caught fewer fish but some serious super tankers. This year still less fish again on test netting from last fall. So suspect still some big ones but less fish every year. Population in decline seems to be age related rather than fishing pressure.

Still an amazing trip.

[Cageyc]

I weigh and take the length.

[Coiloil37]

I can’t lift my big fish so I usually estimate and if they’re a size I haven’t seen before I take a length and girth measurement while we are swimming them beside the boat. Usually I can just estimate and be within 20kg which is close enough.

Now the “big” for the species “little” fish, yea I weigh the odd one if I’m killing it anyway. For example I’ve weighted a few larger model Spaniards, wahoo, tuna and dorado. If it’s catch and release I don’t bother.

[zabbo]

I only get length and often not even that. Have lengths marked on the handle of my net. If the fish seems tuckered out I just get them back in the water ASAP!

[AlbertanGP]

Originally Posted by Brandonkop

Are you relatively new to the forum? You want to see???? Here are links to videos from four years of trips to cascade.

Year 1:
Monster Idaho Jumbo Perch Ice Fishing with Jaw Jacker FishHunter Directional 3D

https://youtu.be/zfZaC5-GeJA

Year 2:
How to Ice Fishing: Cascade Lake Jumbo Perch
https://youtu.be/fUSiT6QJ2jE

Ice Fishing Storm Front for Cascade Lake Idaho Jumbo Perch
https://youtu.be/595C-pK3QJc

Year 3:
Cascade Lake Jumbo Perch with Back Country Tackle Free Tungsten Jig Giveaway
https://youtu.be/IvNumT9WK_A

Jumbo Perch Fishing Tips and Techniques for Cascade Lake Idaho
https://youtu.be/LS7s51WL_UI

Cascade Lake Ice Fishing Giant Perch Outtakes
https://youtu.be/CCImbHg14iY

Year 4:
Cascade Lake Jumbo Perch Disappointment - Warning Trout Were Caught
https://youtu.be/SItb5SB2HV0

Vanishing Jumbo Perch of Cascade Lake Idaho
https://youtu.be/ajtVOXX6fZo


We skipped out last year cause fish year 4 was so poor. Then last year they caught fewer fish but some serious super tankers. This year still less fish again on test netting from last fall. So suspect still some big ones but less fish every year. Population in decline seems to be age related rather than fishing pressure.

Still an amazing trip.

Ahh, that's you. I've watched several of your videos. Good stuff and I thank you for taking the time to make them. I've picked up some good info from them.

I haven't seen your videos of Cascade Lake, but I'll try to have a look over the next few days. Thanks for linking them.