# Big Steely



## bigcatjoe (Sep 6, 2006)

Hit the rock yesterday with two of my buddies and had a good day. We hooked into nine fish, most between 22" and 28", and I ended the day with this monster 35" buck. We estimated the weight to be around 15 or 16 lbs but didn't have a scale with us. The fish was quickly returned to the river and swam off. Does anyone have a good weight estimate for me?
thanks
-joe


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## hollandbass (Aug 8, 2007)

whoa thats a nice fish! i say 14lbs to 16lbs


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## corndawg (Oct 24, 2007)

That is one big fish, nice catch. Its not scientific but I estimated the reel seat on your fishing rod to be about 4 1/2  long. Taking that I estimated the girth to be somewhere around 18-20 . Which would put it around. +-15 lbs. What did you catch it on?


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

really nice fish ya got there . is the river frozen? looks like ice behind you ?


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

That's a nice fish. Wouldn't you guys say that is a PA fish? It doesn't seem to have the girth of a manistee of equal lenght. Congrats on a nice catch. I'm glad you threw it back so I can catch it someday!


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## joe01 (Apr 16, 2004)

thats a big hen, nice job,


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## jojopro (Oct 9, 2007)

Wow! Nice catch! That's awesome that you released him...I don't think I could let a big 35" buck like that go...he'd be goin on my wall for sure. I'm no expert at estimating but he looks too skinny to weigh more than 14 pounds. Regardless, that's still one hell of a fish you caught there, Congrats!


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## Dock Time (Sep 12, 2006)

Nice fish...fresh one too. It looks to be a female. If it actually measured out at 35 inches (mot guestimated), I'm sure she is all of 16lbs. My 34 1/4 was certified at Grand River Tackle as 15.6 lbs. She wasn't super fat and it was mid November. 

Great fish any way you slice it...nice work.

Dock Time


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## bigcatjoe (Sep 6, 2006)

Well the pic is crappy but I'm sure its a buck, he's just fresh so the mouth isn't really hooking yet. If you look closely the jaw is cut pretty far back for a female but I could be wrong. Wow, that sounds like a hog! I'm sure that fish was alot chunkier than mine!
thanks
-joe


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## erieflyguy (Dec 6, 2007)

I'd say 14-15 lbs. Monster fish!  Nice work.


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## Brian.Smith (May 18, 2006)

wow very nice fish congrats


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## stream_stalker (May 10, 2006)

archman said:


> That's a nice fish. Wouldn't you guys say that is a PA fish? It doesn't seem to have the girth of a manistee of equal lenght. Congrats on a nice catch. I'm glad you threw it back so I can catch it someday!


PA fish are short and stocky, that fish is typical for a manistee in shape (long and slender, kind of torpeado like).


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

I was always told that PA fish were longer but more slender. Manistees don't get quite as long but have more girth.


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