So I caught my new PB 8-0 last weekend, weighed it and then let her swim to fight another day thinking to myself I did not need to measure as I wanted to wait for a DD to make a replica... Now I am half changing my mind... I thought I could use the length of my middle finger in the pic below to get a ball park. Boy was I wrong.

My middle finger is 4.5" and I realize that it could be variable to the angle of my hand in the pic, etc... But 27.75 seems way off...

So based on the TPWD site it could be 23.5-24.5. Is that a fair estimate? We used this scale for a tourney and it was not too accurate with a 5lb fish I caught, ended up reading 6 on the chart. See chart below.

Chart

Here is my fish!



Should I contact a replica company? Any recommendations? Maybe they can get closer than my silly arse with a tape measure to a laptop screen and a calculator!!!!

just catch the DD

I have done hundreds and hundreds of bass. That being said, a 8 lb. bass that is healthy like yours would measure 23-24" with a 17-18" girth.
Here is a picture of that size.(painted like a clients Georgia bass.)
It is 24x17 3/4 and weighed 8 lbs....I have several in this range.
inbox me if you have any questions.
FM

LOL BassinBilly. I plan on it one day!!!

Fishmounter, very helpful! Does look like the same length and girth! I will keep ya in mind if I do decide to make a replica!

hold out for a DD! To me 8 pound is around the line where it goes from "that's a nice fish" to "dang, that's a huge fish!". my cutoff for replica is 10 though. 8's are beautiful fish though and look good on the wall.

Just so long I am not stuck on 8 as I was on 7s.... 8 years!!!!!

if you don't catch a 10 in 2 years go back and you can still do the 8. I agree, 8's will go 22.5-24. My 8.5 at Fork this year was 23.75. I guess an 8 post spawn could be 24-26.

Good point... I will reconsider by next spring/summer maybe. Lots of time to land a DD at Falcon!

I caught a 12.38 last year weighed it on a certified scale.The formula of Length x width x girth divided by 1200 was real close figured to 12.45 lbs.

I have a replica of a 8.11 that was 24 x 18. Just for help on the reference.

I have caught 3 fish over 8 and always said I wouldn't have a replica done until I caught a DD ..... well 2 weeks ago I caught a 10.2 and with all of the excitement of catching a DD I completely forgot to get measurements of her before I got pictures and released her !

I've always said I would mount a DD and now after 3 I still have no replica. Lol

Nice fish but it is highly unlikely she is much over 23". A bass that is 27.75" long is a rare animal.

The best way to make sure you will catch a bigger fish is to go ahead and do a replica of this fish. ;-)

this was an 8 1/2 or so, went a little over 24, last yr post spawn in june.

for comparison, this is a 14.8 and measured about 28, girth was about 20, full of eggs in april.