Cat Tip of the Day: Weigh & Measure a Big Cat

Most of us dream about catching that fish of a lifetime that could break the state record. We have had quite a bit of discussion on the Cat Forum about being prepared for that moment so that we can measure and weigh a big fish and still get it back in the water quickly and unharmed. Here is a listing of some equipment that would accomplish the task and is easy to store and have handy immediately when needed. With Christmas coming up you might try inkling a few of these items to the Bride so they are in your stocking hanging near the fireplace on Christmas morning.

Get a good Measurement. Getting good measurements and then weighing a large fish can be a struggle at times and if you are like me you are in a hurry to get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible. I’ve got the measurement thing down to a science. I keep a 60” metal ruler in my boat and all I have to do is set the fish nose on one end and then pinch the tail on the other end and I’ve got a length. I bought my metal ruler at Fleet Farm and they were available in 36”, 48” and 60” lengths. I got the 60” ruler because it fits easily across the back deck of the pontoon and I can just leave it there and it is not in the way at all.
To get an accurate girth measurement I keep several Tailor Tapes in the boat and in my cat box. They measure up to 60” and are easy to handle. What is nice is that they conform to the fish’s body so they are easy to use in getting a girth measurement. Just toss them in a bait bucket or live well when you are done and run them through a rag and they clean up like new. You can find them at any Walmart, Michaels or any discount store for about a $1. Get several and stash them around the boat so you have one when you need one.

Get a Grip. One of the first things that needs to be done after you get the fish in the boat is to get it under control and to be able to hold it firmly so a scale can be attached quickly to get an accurate weight. I have tried a lot of different fish holders and the cheapest one I tried is just about the most effective one in my opinion. Get yourself a Fish Gripper (Cabella’s, Moore’s Bait, Everts) and you are ready to control a big fish. They work with just about any fish from toothy muskies or walleyes, to channel cats and flathead catfish. They are designed for fishermen – they float, they have a rubber wrist strap, they lock on a fish’s mouth and they have a scale hole built in – although I have modified my scale hole to fit my larger digital scale. I just ran a short piece of ¼” rope through the hole to create a loop to hook my scale on because the scale hook was too big to fit in the Gripper hole.

Get a good Digital Scale. If you are hoping to catch a Minnesota state record flathead catfish and want to be able to verify its size at the time of a catch you will need a scale capable of weighing over 70 lbs. There are a lot of scales on the market that weigh to 50 lbs but not that many that weigh in the 100 lb range. You can spend a lot of bucks on a digital scale but I found one for under $60 that works well. A few years ago I bought a Coffey US Game Scale for $60 and it has proven to be a dependable, easy to use and accurate scale. I bought mine at Cabela’s but they don’t seem to carry it anymore. I did a Google search and found one right away selling on-line (MonsterMarketplace.com) for $48 so you shouldn’t have any problem finding one. They are a rugged, dependable scale, weigh to 110 lbs, backlit display, operate on 2 AAA batteries and stores easily in my equipment bag.

Get a good Photo. Like the saying goes –“It is just a fish story without a picture to prove it.” Getting the photo is usually the last step in the measurement and weigh in process. By the time you get here you are really in a hurry to get that fish back in the water. I fish mainly at night and most of the time I am alone so things can usually take twice as long as expected. I have streamlined my photo taking to try and protect the fish I catch.

First off, if you fish alone I would recommend getting a tripod that stows easily and sets up fast. You can find a reasonable tripod at Target or WalMart for around $15. Plan out your photo taking in your boat well before hand and practice where you will set the tripod, where you will stand, and how you will hold the fish. If possible mark those spots so you can find them easily in the dark and can set up quickly. I am able to set my camera up to take timed photos – I actually have it set to take 4 photos about 20 seconds apart. I position the fish – hit the timer – run to my position, pick up the fish and quickly get a silly grin on my face and then try to modify each of the 4 photo positions to best get the fish. I will review the photos on playback and most times I’m ready to get the fish back in the water after one series of photos.

I’m not much of a camera geek and won’t dwell on photo taking because of the variety of cameras available. I use a Canon PowerShot A570 which is easy to use and has some features I really like since I fish alone a lot. I also have a Kodak Zi6 which shoots HD capable video. I am still learning how to use it and hope to be able to take some video of a few big fish catches in the future. A word of advice – always, I repeat ALWAYS! – have spare batteries for your camera on hand and readily available. It never fails that when you turn on the camera you will get an Idiot light with the warning that you have low battery power.

Good luck and Good fishing.

Mount the metal ruler and get a stopper on the front. Lets you measure much faster and you don’t have to struggle around to make sure the fish right on top of a moving ruler.

Good stuff.

Steve
What do you think of the idea of putting the flathead into a cloth or mesh bag, then hanging the bag on the scales subtract the weight of the bag for net weight.
I just thought this might cause less stress on the fish than hanging them by the gill plate or the lip. Worse would have them flop off the hook and injure them selves in the fall. This may make for a quicker release.

Daveho

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Steve

What do you think of the idea of putting the flathead into a cloth or mesh bag, then hanging the bag on the scales subtract the weight of the bag for net weight.

I just thought this might cause less stress on the fish than hanging them by the gill plate or the lip. Worse would have them flop off the hook and injure them selves in the fall. This may make for a quicker release.

Daveho

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Dave – You really don’t need another bag if you use a Gripper. It won’t harm the fish at all and you will be amazed at the control you have of the fish. I have hung some big fish on my Gripper and they are not coming lose from it. If you look at the photo you can see how I added a small rope loop through my Gripper scale hole. Just turn on the digital scale and as soon as it is calibrated grab the scale hook and hook it on the Gripper. In only a few seconds you will have an accurate weight and the fish is unharmed. I never hang a fish by the gill plates or try to hang the scale from their lips – you will just end up dropping the fish and beat the heck out of them. You won’t drop them with a Gripper – at least I never have.

I used to use a replacement landing net minus the net hoop and handle to weigh fish and that worked OK – I at least never dropped them. I bought a replacement landing net (big salmon sized one from Cabela’s) and I have that stored in the boat. The trouble with the net is that it is cumbersome and it takes too much time handling the fish to get them into and out of the net. Using a Gripper the whole process only takes a few seconds.

I don’t weigh that many flatheads now – I prefer to use the Flathead Weight Conversion Chart which in my experience is pretty close. I weigh a lot of big channel cats because we don’t have a Weight Conversion chart that I know of for channels. But every once in a while I get the urge to hang a big fish for an accurate weight – I’ve found the Gripper is the way to go (fast, easy, accurate). I used the Gripper on the channel cats from the Red River at Lockport, Manitoba and we weighed some feisty, flopping 25 lb plus channels and we never had any problems using a Gripper and the Digital Scale. You can see from the photo that the Gripper has that fish tight – hang a scale on the loop and in seconds you have a weight and the fish is ready to be released.

A standard duck decoy bag is good to have as well. You can weigh your fish in the bag and it doubles as a livewell. I am warming to the gripper but I don’t like them in pictures.

Good tip on the Decoy Bag, Kev. I’ve got one in the boat as well and I used it once on a big flathead while I worked on a camera that was not cooperating. I was surprised how big a fish it will handle and the fish was none the worse for wear and tear after. The decoy bag stores easily and doesn’t take up any room at all. They are one of those accessories that is better to have and not need than to need and not have.