I caught a very large bass at Choke Canyon in April and just got my replica from fish scale taxidermy this week. Couldn't be happier with the work they did. Absolutely awesome. However one thing has been bugging me since the day I caught this monster. When I landed her I immediately put her on my cheap little Berkley scale and it said 13.3 lbs. My screaming caught the attention of a guide who brought me a better scale to use and his scale said 15.4 lbs. It was one of those high dollar scales I've seen and wanted to buy, but just couldn't get myself to spend the money on it. I got extremely exited at that point thinking for sure I had a share lunker, and maybe even a lake record. Chokes Lake record is 15.45 lbs. I had launched at south shore and immediately headed to the ramp, trailered my boat and drove to the Callaham Bait Store for an official weight. When I got there, the store clerk/owner broke out this table top scale from another room, blew the dust off of it and laid it on the counter by the register. He then goes and gets a card board box, like would be on the bottom of a case of soda, sets it on the scale and says, bring her on in. When I went to my live well, she was upside down, still alive, but barely. I took her in and placed her on the scale and the clerk said, sorry it's only 12.76. I was surprised, but didn't take the time to argue about it because she was almost dead and needed to get her in the water fast. I drove to the Callaham ramp, measured her length and girth, took a couple pictures quickly and got her into the water. Fortunately she was revived and swam off. I was happy the fish was still alive. Her length was 28.5" and girth was 21" using a sewing tape, which according to the formula puts her well over 15 pounds. I have two questions:

Is that how a certified scale is suppose to be?

What weight would you call her when people ask you how big it was?

I've been going by the certified scale weight of 12.76, but I think I got hosed on that deal. The link below has pictures in it of my fish from the day I caught her. One of the fish in those pictures was around 9 pounds so just ignore that one.


http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/7396191/First_DD_Bass#Post7396191

Gotta go with the certified weight.

hosed IMO

Why not bring a 15# dumbbell to the marina and see what it weighs?

Don't take this as being rude because it sounds that way but it's not intended to. Thats a nice fish for sure but def no way it's 15, I'm suprised it went 12.76, you must have huge hands and she must been plum full of eggs. Call it what you want 12 or 13 nobody else really cares what it weighed except you.

I don't think you will get any answer that is going to make you feel better about the situation. Just be happy you caught such a nice fish. Congrats!

She was dropping eggs on the box he put on the scale and in my live well before I let her go. So yeah, she was full of eggs. My hands aren't big, but I also wasn't holding it 3 feet away from my body toward the camera.

Weigh something of known weight on your scale, the stores scale and the guides scale if you can track him down. You will be able to figure it out for certain from there...a lot of work but if it were me I would want to know too.

Oh, and. Congrats on an awesome fish!

Jason

ive caught 2 over 27" and they both weighed over 13lbs. one was 27 x 21 and weighed 13.31, the other was 28.5" but i didnt get the girth. it was at night during the heat of the summer. she weighed 13.60 and was thin.

big fish no matter what with those dimensions. hard to believe it wasnt over 13 if you measured right. if you look at past sharelunker length x widths. yours would definitely fall in the 13+ range

,,,

I don't catch a lot of big fish, but given that mouth size, I'd say the 12.76 is the most likely weight. She's big in the mddle, but not a lot up front or back.

texan4liberty -- hmmm....there's alot I'd like to say to that response but, anyone reading your response will probably be thinking exactly what I am. Thanks for your insight though.

+1.....

Hosed certified scales shouldn't move much and should be certified regularly... That scale sounds like neither of those. The hugely swinging weight is weird, though I will say I NEVER trust guide scales

I would weigh something around 14 at post office .....then on stores scales.....that being said there are lots of douche bags on this forum.....I've been laughing at a lot of them and their dobyns this and currado that ......how fast my boat goes and how many thousands my electronics cost.......rec anglers hating on each other all the time....just silly.