Estimate My Bass Weight! 2025
HeavyFisher reply :
Hey guys! These last few weeks have been the best bass fishing of my life. A lake I normally go to is pretty covered in weeds during the summer. Over the last month the cold weather has greatly decreased the weeds allowing me to fish in spots I have never fished before. My catches have been the best since I've moved to upstate NY from FL.
I caught my personal best a few days ago. I took a lot of pictures but none that I feel really show off the true size of him. I need some help determining the weight. I guesstimated around 8 lbs. I have no measurements. In my haste I wasnt thinking and wanted to get it back in the water as soon as possible.
My dilemma is I really would like a more exact weight because I want to get cast done based on the pictures I have and a general weight/length measurement. By looking at the pictures below what would your guesstimates be?
All the fish you see below were caught on a Koppers Live Target Bluegill Wake Bait 3-3/4"
Here are some others that I've caught In the same location over the last 2 weeks.
GIANT Chain Pickerel!! Thing was well over 3 feet long. These things at this size are pretty rare from what I've read.
WRB reply :
Give up the length girth numbers!
Tom
HeavyFisher reply :
I really want a mount done, but yea I think I screwed myself on this one. The pictures make it look a lot smaller than it was.
tatertester reply :
On one pic it looks 5 to 6 ,but on others 7 to 8?????
HeavyFisher reply :
I feel like the best way to guess the size of the bass is the mouth shot. That thing was huge!
Grizzn N Bassin reply :
Its really tough to tell from those pics for me... where about upstate did you move to?
HeavyFisher reply :
Hopewell Junction, NY. Hudson Valley area
paul25 reply :
Either way its a hawg congrats on a awesome fish!!
HeavyFisher reply :
Thanks man. You guys think I could potentially catch it again? Its more of a big pond than a lake and all those fish pics we caught in the same area of the pond. Would I have a better chance catching it on a different bait?
WRB reply :
You don't need a tape measure with you, although it would help! Use you line to measure the fish with. A length of line from the closed mouth to the center of the tail= length, cut off and save it. Wrap another line around the widest area, cut it off, put a overhand knot in the middle = girth, save it.
Length X length X girth divide by 1200 = weight in pounds.
Best estimate without any way to validate length; the bass is 21" long, about 5.7 lbs.
Tom
HeavyFisher reply :
Reading that estimate makes me so ticked I didn't even attempt to get a length or width. I was just so excited at the time lol. I just bought a tape measure and digital scale so this never happens again. I can use the line method as a last resort. Thanks for the input though,from now on I know I'll always have a method to get the weight!
WRB reply :
What swimbait did you use? Or how long is it? Maybe I can use that for a reference.
Tom
HeavyFisher reply :
Koppers Live Target Bluegill Wake Bait 3-3/4"
WRB reply :
Doesn't help, was hoping it was a Rago 6",swimmer. That's for the input.On 10/19/2013 at 10:55 AM, HeavyFisher said:Koppers Live Target Bluegill Wake Bait 3-3/4"
Tom
HeavyFisher reply :
Here's a few more, probably not going to help though.
Bassintheweeds reply :
here is one tip that may help you. Measure the width of your thumb that you can see in the picture and then estimate how many times that goes on the fish. That can help with the length and a rough estimate of the girth.
HeavyFisher reply :
That a pretty good idea. Will do that!
WRB reply :
You are beating a dead horse, the swimbait is only 3.5" long and one photo has a good shot with the swimbait, easy to make a length estimate. Keep in mind LMB adult size fish, the head from the tip of the jaw to the gill cover is 1/3rd the body lentgh. Average hand is 4" wide, average thumb less than 1", this bass is close to 21” long, +/- 1", 5 to 6 lb bass. To be 8 lbs it needs another 3", .I'am not that far off!On 10/19/2013 at 11:23 AM, Bassintheweeds said:here is one tip that may help you. Measure the width of your thumb that you can see in the picture and then estimate how many times that goes on the fish. That can help with the length and a rough estimate of the girth.
This is still a big bas for NY.
Tom
Bluebasser86 reply :
$20 for a cheap, digital scale will make it so you don't have this problem in the future! Nice fish regardless of the weight!
HeavyFisher reply :
Yea, as soon as I got home I purchased a digital scale and a tape measure. This will never happen to me again.
Comfortably Numb reply :
Great fish especially for NY. Must be old and wise. Coming from NY myself I know fish up there are usually like footballs. Short and fat. I estimate 22" or so and 6-7#.
Fish in my avatar was 24" and i guess 7-8#. My digital scale came in the mail the following day LOL.
Dwight Hottle reply :
The guy who buys a scale and weighs every fish is always the best estimator of how much a fish really weighs.
KyakR reply :
Awesome fish! Wish I could help with estimate. Pleases me that after fishing Florida you caught your PB in NY 
I bought a scale with calipers but my arms are so short I can't get a pic of the whole bass. sigh
Mainebass1984 reply :
I weigh every bass I catch that is 3 lbs or better. I hate to guestimate and that is why I always bring my rapala digital scale, extra set of batteries and a one pound weight. If I were to guess I would say between 5lbs 8oz and 5lbs 12oz. It does have a big mouth but it doesn't have the mouth of a 7 or 8 lber. You should be able to almost fit both hands in a 7 or 8 lbers mouth.
Mainebass1984 reply :
Its a nice bass none the less !
HeavyFisher reply :
Thanks guys. I've caught 5lbers before, this guy was much bigger. My pictures really did not do a good job of showing off his size. It was hard for me to shoot him at different angles and honestly I wasn't even thinking about it at the time. I barely hooked it in the lip so little damage was done to him. I'm going back to the same pond this Thursday to try and catch him again! Either way the area that I fish is filled with nice size bass so hopefully I can catch a few of decent size photograph and weigh them to get a better estimate of the big boy.
Comfortably Numb reply :
Go catch her momma 
HeavyFisher reply :
Crap news, rain and wind Whens and Thurs. My only days off work. Part of me wants to just go for a swim with my spear gun. Oh well another time I guess.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
On 10/19/2013 at 12:42 PM, WRB said:You are beating a dead horse, the swimbait is only 3.5" long and one photo has a good shot with the swimbait, easy to make a length estimate. Keep in mind LMB adult size fish, the head from the tip of the jaw to the gill cover is 1/3rd the body lentgh. Average hand is 4" wide, average thumb less than 1", this bass is close to 21” long, +/- 1", 5 to 6 lb bass. To be 8 lbs it needs another 3", .I'am not that far off!
This is still a big bas for NY.
Tom
I dont know about another 3" being necessary. The one in my avatar was only 22" and was 7-8. Just depends on the fishery and how they are built.
OP, you are right about the pics. I was gonna guess 4.5lb or so....
PotomacBassin reply :
6 pounds 1 oz. Exactly.
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