A Formula For “Guesstimating” Weight

Posted: April 17th, 2013 by Bill Dance

Oh, when it comes to the size of the fish we catch, we fisherman may stretch the truth now and then. But there is a guideline for standard body length and weight. The American Fisheries Society (AFS), has removed some of the guesswork by setting national standards for the “average” weight of an “average” bass in an “average” body of water. These averages can vary some according to the growing season, water quality, type of forage and other factors. For example, relative weights may be higher in Alabama than, say, Pennsylvania, Ohio or Minnesota. However, a general standard, a baseline for monitoring fish, would look like this:

Target Weights by Length

Length / Weight

8 inches 5 oz.
9 inches 7 oz.
10 inches 9 oz.
11 inches 11 oz.
12 inches 14 oz.
13 inches 1 lb., 3 oz.
14 inches 1 lb., 7 oz.
15 inches 1 lb., 13 oz.
16 inches 2 lb., 4 oz.
17 inches 2 lb., 12 oz.
18 inches 3 lb., 4 oz.
19 inches 3 lb., 14 oz.
20 inches 4 lb., 9 oz.
21 inches 5 lb., 6 oz.
22 inches 6 lb., 4 oz.
23 inches 7 lb., 3 oz.
24 inches 8 lb., 4 oz.

As always, catch one for me!