# 18 in smallie weight



## Jjju187 (Jan 28, 2011)

Caught an 18 in smallie that's girth was ten inches around just wondering based on those numbers what you experts estimate the weight to be. Thanks -Jason


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

There are many weight calculators you can go to online to estimate any species with length and girth. They seem to vary dramatically even using same mearsurements. Your fish is most likely in the 2.2 to 2.8 lb range. Regardless of weight, an 18 in smallmouth is a very nice catch, congrats.


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## qwertyegg (Mar 6, 2010)

I caught a 17 in this morning and it weight 3lb 5 oz, normal shape not too fat not starved either. Guess your's around 4lb.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Forget the weight, an 18"er is BIG time! Way to go! On the offset chance weight keeps you up at night, try this: Length x Girth squared \ 800 = weight


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## Jjju187 (Jan 28, 2011)

Thanks guys, it was a good morning in the river caught that 18 a 14,12 and a little dink smallie. Also a guesstimated 6 pound channel cat all on venom tubes. Def worth getting up at 6!


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## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

what river were you fishing ??


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

i agree with the first response


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

You are likely in the 2.5 pound range, like others have said. Nice fish!


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

qwertyegg said:


> I caught a 17 in this morning and it weight 3lb 5 oz, normal shape not too fat not starved either. Guess your's around 4lb.



i,ll have to go along with this one. a 18" smallmouth will usely outweigh a largemouth by quite abit. smallmouth bass just weigh heavier than other fish of the same size. i have always under guessed the weight on them. but here a 17" fish weighted 3 lb 5 oz. so from that i would guess around 4 lbs for sure.
sherman


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

sherman51 said:


> i,ll have to go along with this one. a 18" smallmouth will usely outweigh a largemouth by quite abit. smallmouth bass just weigh heavier than other fish of the same size. i have always under guessed the weight on them. but here a 17" fish weighted 3 lb 5 oz. so from that i would guess around 4 lbs for sure.
> sherman


I have the exact opposite opinion.


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## Bucket Mouth (Aug 13, 2007)

I have caught several 18" smallmouth, and I wouldn't put any of them over the 3 lb mark. I would say you are in the 2.25-3 lb range.

Once the fish get to 20" is when they really start to put on weight. I caught a 20"+ brute that when I looked at was conviced was a 5.5lb fish - it weighed 4.58 lbs. Then, 10 minutes later, I got an absolute behemoth 21"+ that I thought FOR SURE was a 6.5 lb fish when I looked at it, even after just looking at the previous fish I caught. When I got it on the scale, it was 5.08 lbs. 

Fish weights can be deceiving, especially when you catch fish that are at the big end of what you are used to catching.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

sherman51 said:


> i,ll have to go along with this one. a 18" smallmouth will usely outweigh a largemouth by quite abit. smallmouth bass just weigh heavier than other fish of the same size. i have always under guessed the weight on them. but here a 17" fish weighted 3 lb 5 oz. so from that i would guess around 4 lbs for sure.
> sherman


thats not true, smallies dont start getting heavier then largemouth until they get over that 20"ish range and even then it depends on the fish. any averge gerthed largemouth from 8" all the way up to 20" is going to out weigh a smallie. its just a fact.

smallies can get ridiculously fat but it usually doesnt start happening until they are maxed out in length. and for a 18" smallie to weigh 4 lbs, it would have had to be stupidly fat.


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## jcustunner24 (Aug 20, 2007)

lordofthepunks said:


> thats not true, smallies dont start getting heavier then largemouth until they get over that 20"ish range and even then it depends on the fish. any averge gerthed largemouth from 8" all the way up to 20" is going to out weigh a smallie. its just a fact.
> 
> smallies can get ridiculously fat but it usually doesnt start happening until they are maxed out in length. and for a 18" smallie to weigh 4 lbs, it would have had to be stupidly fat.


As a rule, I almost always ignore these weight threads, but I second everything stated above. I also find the claim of a 17-inch 3.5 lb smallmouth to be patently absurd.


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

Almost always largemout outweigh smallmouth of equal size. One exception probably is erie. They tend to be pretty thick there. I agree with the others.


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## Jjju187 (Jan 28, 2011)

Ya I was thinking it was probably in that 2 1/2 -3 range def had some girth to him. Either way it was a lot of fun, appreciate all the responses and hopefully next week ill be posting 20+ inch smallie weight? Lol or at least I can dream..

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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

i wont argue either point with any of you. as far as what his fish weighted theres just no way to know for sure. i was just going by what the guy said his 17" fish weighted. but in my opinion from all the largemouth and smallmouth ive caught at dale hollow over many years. there smallmouth at 18" will out weigh there largemouth of the same size. thats my opinion and im sticking to it. you are intitled to yours as well. enough said!!


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

this fish was 21" long and weighed less then 4lbs. just sayin


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## SConner (Mar 3, 2007)

lordofthepunks said:


> this fish was 21" long and weighed less then 4lbs. just sayin
> View attachment 47309


That is a beast of a smallmouth, I am impressed!


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

yeah, wish i would have caught that fish pre-spawn instead of post spawn. thats sort of what they look like when they come from ohio lakes not called erie.


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## LearningtoFly (Apr 2, 2011)

Smallies thrive in a cooler water habitat than do LM. Access to 68-70 degree water for as much time as possible helps smallies pack on pounds faster. Largemouth can stay in the black, metabolically speaking, in water 10 degrees warmer than smallmouth but smallmouth are more efficient metabolically at lower temps than largemouth. Whether a lake's average 12" smallie weighs more or less than the same lake's average 12" LM depends on the habitat the lake offers.

Smallmouth from most central and southern Ohio waters will often be more streamlined like the fish lordofthepunks posted (nice fish btw!). Smallies from more suitable cool water habitat, especially cool water lakes rather than streams (Erie, St. Clair, Chautauqua etc.), can start getting 'shoulders' when they top 18" but I've rarely seen or caught smallies from warmer waters with that football shape no matter how long they were.










This Erie tributary fish is shorter than the fish lordofthepunks posted but see how much meat it is packing above the mid-line? Fish from warmer waters have a really hard time packing on that extra weight so when guesstimating a smallie's weight based purely on length, in addition to knowing if it is pre- or post-spawn, it really helps to know if the fish comes from a cooler or warmer water habitat.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

thats a fatty!


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

here is a fish from the same lake that was pre-spawn and slightly longer, weighed just under 5lbs


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## LearningtoFly (Apr 2, 2011)

Nice big fish! See, now I want to go fishing. I wonder if it is too late for me to sneak out of the house and do some night wading?


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Ok, this thread is starting to make it look like a 20" + smallie is just another day on the water!!! 

The big ones sure scatter when I hit the water . . . Errrrr . . . !!!! 


Anyways, nice fishies being postered in this thread!


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## Davidd (Jan 23, 2011)

> this fish was 21" long and weighed less then 4lbs. just sayin


learningtofly and lordofthepunks; some of the smallies are bigger than my one your old child. WOOW:Banane22:


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)




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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

If we are talking dale hollow. Here is a 4.5lb smallie vs a 6.75lb largemouth. Again i beleive most of us were thinking ohio when comapring largemouth to smallmouth but as someone said the lake and habitat has alot to do with it. If you watch a flw or bass tourney in new york at a lake like champlain, a lot of guys will go for a limit of smallmouth then try to upgrade with the lakes less abunant fatter largemouth. I think quite a few tourneys have been won on the green fish in the last few years at champlain.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

either way this has turned out to be a good thread. we,ve got to see some nice pictures and good coments. good fishing to all you guys.
sherman


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