Fish weights

[katfish]

Over the years I have become increasingly annoyed at posts I see with fish
with grossly exaggerated weights attached to fish pictures. Is it just me or
are there more and more grossly claimed weights the last year or two.

I fish hard and take great care to have witnesses as I weigh fish or take pictures of
scale readings to avoid any confusion about what my fish weigh.

Can anyone tell me of a gentle way to post a gentle reminder to those
who somehow feel that everyone will believe any number they care to attach
to their fish? I find it increasingly harder to refrain from questioning the validity
of some claims of obviously false weights.

It seems that Facebook contains some of the worst of these miscalculations
or there are some really bad scales. I just followed one post of a 40ish blue cat
that claimed to be 84 pounds with a post that says "84 is a mighty large blue cat"

Do you think many people will understand that I meant larger than that one fella?

[mexicanthreat]

Just simply say "boy there are sure gonna be a lot of skeptics, i hope you took a pic of the scale too." "if not did you get some Measurements." or you could post a pic of a 30 and say here's my 30 they look about the same to me. or a 50 and say that looks smaller than my 50.

[monsterkat]

I just laugh at them n go on...NO likes from me!!!

[fisherman3234]

I find that most people that over exaggerate didn't actually weigh or measure the length of the fish, they are only guessing the weight. Of course on the other hand, if the perspective of the photograph is poor it can diminish the "look" of the size of the fish.

[mexicanthreat]

lol. it's extremely hard to diminish an 84lb fish. I myself usually just ignore and go on.

[captainbrad]

I wouldn't fuss over it. Do you have any idea how many times I get shown crappy phone pics of a 35 pound channel cat (maybe 20) or one that was at least 25 (maybe 18)? It isn't worth the effort to call BS. I know what I catch and I know my numbers are accurate and that is enough.

[rustyfish]

I agree. I already feel like I underachieve for the amount of time I have put into it, but then when people run around talking about catching 50s&60s with no pictures or bad pictures it just starts to get old. I must be the only fishermen in my county that hasn't caught a 50 or not willing to lie about it. Sure some people are always round up (a 28# may turn into 30# after a year or two) but when your excited and your adrenalin is pumping don;t let yourself turn a 40 into a 60.

On the other hand you never know. Pictures can lie and we have all seen it before. Sean and I both caught flatheads in the 30s this year. His was 41" 31# and mine was 42" and 38#. If you look at the pictures you would pick his fish as the bigger one every time probably by 10+ pounds. They were weighed on different scales so one or both could be off some but I think it was all in the perception of the photo. I would have never guessed his fish at only 31# from the photo.
Here are the two fish.
catfishfreaks.proboards.com/thread/2037/31-yak-flattie
catfishfreaks.proboards.com/thread/1978/personal-best-kayak?page=1&scrollTo=15670

[Blackhorse]

I agree Robby, when we post pictures, we sometimes post pictures of the scales. Other times we don't but we always have them if a question comes up as to the weight. We also subtract the weight of the net we weight in.

[chuckd67]

Can you believe some people. I know a lot of people can use the formula and get close but I can't eyeball a fish for nothing. In pictures I've seen with them scaled to the person holding them. There are a lot of people in the 8ft tall 550lb range. I had no scales on me for this one but I'm estimating around 76lbs.

[captainbrad]

I see enough cats that i can usually call the weight within about a pound. When looking at photos the tell tale of BS or some truth is in the hands. Forget how its held look at the hands holding it and you can gauge fairly close whether it is legit or not.

[katfish]

Chuck
I was thinking of making a smiley that included a bull and toxic vapors.

I guess maybe some of the folks are joking but others get outraged if
you question their ability to judge, estimate, formulate,average
the fish they catch.

I emphatically believe that weight is most clearly determined using a quality
calibrated tool known as a scale. I sometimes send people a link to sites
selling small digital scales that remain + - 2 ounces over a 100 pound range
and cost less than $10.

These little scales are easily portable and have tare functions to
automatically deduct net or weigh sling weights.

While most catmen work for years to catch a trophy catfish, there
are others who display a inferior photo of a fish and throw out a suggested
weight that they feel others will believe. This diminishes the accomplishment
of dedicated anglers and insults the intelligence of all.

All I ask is that they keep the numbers inside the realm of possibilty
so I can give them the benefit of doubt.

[monsterkat]

Dosent effect the acomplishments I've made in catfishing...guess im just not getting why I should care if some choose to exaggerate the size of there fish, guess the older I get the less controversy I want in my life, hence finding the humor in others stupidity or ignorance, they are only fooling themselves.

[chuckd67]

Yes Robbie, I Guess Some Folks Don't Have A Since Of Humor. I Have Worked With Scales For 20 Years. We Have Every Test Weight Available From Grams To 100Lbs. Its Important To Check Your Scale Freguently. Even Though They Are Right When New. A Strain Gauge Or Wheatstone Bridge Type Scales Can Loose Their Integrity CausiIng Them not To Hold A Calibration. Even Our Test Weights Have To Be Certified. Dealing With Mail They Don't Play. Some Folks That Don't Fish A Lot Are Usually The Ones Who Don't Have Scales. It Don't Bother Me To See A Fish Misjudged Because They Are The Ones That Look Silly. I Keep My Stuff Calibrated Only For Me. I Wonna Know What I Have To The Tee. If I Get Some Sort Of Record Then Them Conservation Boys Can Bring Theirs. Unless Its Going To Take Them A While. In That Case She's Going Back In The Water.

[chuckd67]

Pull Up The Bill Dance 110Lb Catfish And Tell Me What You Would Think It Weighed If You Did Not Know. Pictures Can Be Very Deceptive. The Cat Is Very Fat But It Don't Look But 80Lbs To Me. I Would Be Off By 25 Lbs. If I Was Guessing.

[bobbybobber]

you know the saying fisherman lie