Best Scales and Measuring devices

[cby]

Question:

What are the best scales and Measuring devices available?

I have one of those Berkeley digital 50 lb scales that you can zero out. They seem pretty accurate. I weighted 10lb cannon balls and 15 lb cannon balls and it was pretty accurate. I think 10lb ball was 10.3 and 15 lb ball was 15.2.

So my assumption is that is pretty accurate to weigh fish with.

Also I have a flat rubber measuring tape with 80 cm marked off, plus a have wooden dowl cut to 80 cm for quick eye balling.

I know a fish is to be measured from tip of nose to fork in tail. But since the fish is rounded some what how is one to measure accurately.

I assume not to measure over the fish with the tape as it would include the curves of the fish. So imagine you either need to be above the fish measuring or lay the fish over the flat tape to measure, but that gets tricky as well.

So can someone advise how the proper measurement is done and what scales they use. I find it difficult to get an accurate measurement of a fish without have a caliper like what is used for crabs, so you can measure just above the fish from tip of nose to fork in tail. Maybe someone has made a caliper type device for salmon. It sure would be handy.

 

[Rain City]

This forum is hands down the best way to measure your fish. Just take a blurry picture at an odd angle and the members will let you know exactly how much it weighs... or doesn't weigh at least.

 

[Tips Up]

The only accurate scale is Chasin Dreams scale.
Everyone knows that.

 

[Tips Up]

Best measuring device I’ve seen was at the recent cheanuh derby. Had a flat end to put front of fish up to and a pin at the other end that went to the v in tail.

On my boat I have a stick to eyeball in water like you and if worth measuring I have an alloy yard stick with 80cm marked. That goes on floor. Fish in bet placed on top.

 

[acrowe]

I don't keep many Chinooks with the annual limit as I still want to be able to fish a little in the winter. I have used a measuring tape in the water to check any that I am thinking to retain. I was really scrambling to do this with my young nephew's first salmon the other day in the water beside the boat, as he was very excited and it looked pretty close to 64cm. Its not the easiest, and I had taken my metric tape out to wash and was converting inches. I like Tips Up's plan with the marked dowel. Because of the slot limit, I am not usually really concerned with how big my fish is except legally. as anything really big I must release. I generally use the formula in inches (length x girth x girth) / 800 and often compare with the 740 number. I only do it out of interest and am not super concerned or I would get a scale. When I was a kid I used to absolutely love to weigh any fish we caught at the scale at Hall's Boat House.

 

[brutus]

This forum is hands down the best way to measure your fish. Just take a blurry picture at an odd angle and the members will let you know exactly how much it weighs... or doesn't weigh at least.

Or tell you you are full of it