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I am curious about what you all think the length is on the fish in the pic below. First, some back story. A salesman for one of the vendors that serves our business called today and he is an avid fly angler. He was asking me how the Lopro had been fishing the past month or so and I showed him some pics from the past few weeks. I showed him a pic of that big whitefish I got a couple of trips ago. ( I posted the pic here previously.) He then commented that the state record was about that big. I was surprised by this so I went and looked it up. The catch and keep record was 21 1/2 inches and 4 lb 12oz. The C&R record is 24 inches. (My fish was immediately released after the quick pic.)
So looking at the pic below, do you think I might have had a state record? Besides the pic of the fish, I have a second pic of the fly rod with a tape measure alongside. The black mark on the tape measure is 24 inches.
First, my guess. Based on the pics, I estimate the fish is between 21 1/2 and 22 1/2 inches long, so it was in the ballpark of the catch and keep record by length. While it was about the fattest whitie I've ever caught, I did not think it exceeded 4 lbs at the time. (i've always sucked at weight estimates though) So no record IMO. I do not believe it was 24 inches long and thus not qualified for the C&R record.
What do you all think?
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That's sure a bummer that you didn't have a tape measure because you never know when it will come in handy. Good luck with it.
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[quote Flyfishinglover]That's sure a bummer that you didn't have a tape measure because you never know when it will come in handy. Good luck with it.[/quote]
No luck needed. This post is only for fun. I doubt I would submit anything if the fish was in record territory. However, I am curious what others would estimate the size to be.
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its hard to say exactly, looks like a 22, 22.5.
Nice whitey for sure
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Nice fish! I have the same problem of not measuring or weighing. Be aware this fish may grow as time goes on.
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I would bet a little over 21...big whitie for sure.
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That's a big fat whitie, thanks for posting about it.
As far as the record, I don't know. Is it your personal biggest? If it is, then that is the only record you need. I know it's bigger than any I have ever caught, so you have my record beat, for what ever that's worth.
I like em about 12" to 15", smoked, served with some dill dip on Ritz.
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Nice thick fish, but my guess is maybe 20" The marking on the rod is usually 15" to 16" on factory rods. Cork is 7" and reel seat 3 1/2". Tail isn't all the way to the end of the rod so, just left with using the cork as a measuring devise.
Could have been over 20+ but the picture isn't showing it.
I do like using the rod as a measuring device though. I use a rod with the stripping guide at 30 1/2", first connection 26 1/2".
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Okay I see. [  ]
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Needed a woman to chime in as guys ALWAYS over estimate length! [laugh][laugh][laugh][laugh]
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Hey, we're the ones that are told what 6" is...LOL
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One heck of a fish. Never caught a whitie that big. Definitely a personal trophy. Congrats.
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That is a hard picture to get an accurate length from. The fish is angled away from the rod, it's tail is mor closely measured at the base of the cork rather then the reel. I can tell you it is over 20 inches but not 24 inches long.
Awesome whitey though, when they get that big it sure is a fun fight!
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Thanks all for the kind words and the guesses. I very much enjoyed reading the input. Now I'll have to catch her again next year and carefully measure her then.
Happy Holidays!
P:S: Yes it was easily a personal best. I caught some big ones last year on the Lopro and I got a big one with gear on the Upper near Woodland many years ago when I was a teen, but nothing like that.
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It slightly less than 3 handle lengths. Probable 20 -20.5 inches. The next several months on the Lower Weber is the easiest time to pick up big whites. I'm sure most years fish bigger than the listed record are picked up. Now be warned you have to release a lot of big browns and an occasional record size sucker to get to land some of those bigger whities [ ] so it's not as easy as it sounds. I found overcast and even days it's cold and drizzling out to be the most productive. When there is a bit of water flowing up high try the Hennifer area but for now you need to be somewhere below where Lost Creek comes in.
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Looks like a 30 incher to me! [shocked] [laugh]
Seriously, a beautiful fish! Thank you for sharing it. I like whitefish. To me they are a grayling with a height challenged fin.
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[quote cpierce]
Seriously, a beautiful fish! Thank you for sharing it. I like whitefish. To me they are a grayling with a height challenged fin.[/quote]
I agree. I have never understood why some fly anglers don't like them. They fight hard, readily hit flies, can be a challenge to land due to their small mouths and they like to bite in the wintertime, when the trout are sometimes sluggish.
RE"The next several months on the Lower Weber is the easiest time to pick up big whites. I'm sure most years fish bigger than the listed record are picked up. Now be warn you have to release a lot of big browns and an occasional record size sucker to get land some of those bigger whities so it's not as easy as it sounds."
Dang, what a bummer catching big browns and monster suckers. ;-)
When I was in college, I would hit the middle Weeb a lot and caught plenty of whities there. In the day, the whitie numbers on the middle Weeb was as high as anywhere, but they seemed to only be about 14-16 inches. The lower one got, the bigger the fish, but with lower population densities. Sadly, getting to the Lower Weeb isn't easy for me now, time wise.
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