Thread: How to acknowledge a big crappie-Weight of Measure?

Weight.

In Oklahoma, to be a lake record it must be a minimum of 2 lbs. They have weights listed for other species also. They are using weight instead of length.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong. That's just the way it is.

I like going by length. It has not always been that way, but after fishing several tournaments out of a kayak (catch, photo, then immediate release) I have became a believer.

Length doesn't shrink on seasonal basis, while weight will vary throughout the year. Also I have seen way too many scales that read way off. It is also hard to get a photo of the fish with the scale showing the weight. With trough style measuring board, it is easy to show length (ie no long arming).

We do both but wieght and length is relative to the lake you are fishing, 18 inch fish might not weigh 3 lbs or better at most lakes but on a few we fish regular it would be over 3 any time of the year and before spawn would be pushing the heck out of 4. We had one weighed in at one of our tourneys last year that was 17.5 inches long and weighed an awesome 3.77 lbs. All relative to where you are.

Originally Posted by bfish

I like going by length. It has not always been that way, but after fishing several tournaments out of a kayak (catch, photo, then immediate release) I have became a believer.

Length doesn't shrink on seasonal basis, while weight will vary throughout the year. Also I have seen way too many scales that read way off. It is also hard to get a photo of the fish with the scale showing the weight. With trough style measuring board, it is easy to show length (ie no long arming).

If you get caught in KY with a bunch of fish that are just 10" using the method (open mouth) in your photo I'd say at the end of the you're wallet would be a lot lighter. Mouth closed, tail pinched.

I should've stated "KY Lake" in my above post.

I like to see both figures. There are lakes where I wouldn't consider any crappie under 11" worth cleaning because they are so thin, and lakes from which a thick-bodied 9 3/4-incher will deliver meaty fillets.

And I'd be more excited to catch a 15" two-pounder than one the same length but a quarter-pound lighter.

They are pretty no matter how much they weigh or how long they are! Just to add to length debate, what about the difference between white and black crappie? White crappie tend to be longer is a 17 inch 2 pound white crappie better than a 15 inch 2.25 black crappie?