First prong into a Gee...

[steve wallin]

Went out for a morning bash today.  Wind, swell and current were good but all this wet has pushed alot of fresh out wide.
Spent a long time finding clean water, not much bait around and even less preds.

Did manage a nice spanish who is having a sleep in the esky... and rustled up a single Gee.
Was really only a rat but was keen to test out the tagging / measuring system I have sorted.

Just wondering what calculator you guys use to estimate GT weight.

The fish in question was 88cm fork length with 67cm girth measured at widest just behind the eye.

By the old pick it up estimate I would have said 12kg?  Anyone have any clues/ links on a good calculator to use?


Regards
Steve

[Colin P]

These people are the only ones I've seen who appear to have conducted a significant study -

http://fishingtanzania.20m.com/

Their formula would give your fish 10.8kg. Like all such formulae, averaging is involved in their build and the authors do admit to a +/- 1.5kg deviation. There is also the matter of honest measurement!

Whether you want to obtain weight estimates that are more accurate than "finger in the air" is of course a matter of personal preference. It is the work of moments to measure fork length and girth (immediately forward of the dorsal fin) and one would hope that this should not significantly affect the fish's well-being and fitness for release.

That said, I would only measure a fish that I thought may be a personal best since I have no desire to obtain more accurate weights for fish of a size I have already caught - and I see no point in retaining fish for even seconds longer than is necessary.

[Stephen Polzin]

Gday Steve, 12 sounds just about spot on, maybe a smidgeon more.  For a while I was taking scales out in my boat and weighed heaps around that size. 

[steve wallin]

Thanks for replies and links,
Normally such a fish would get unhooked boatside. But was a good first for me to tag. 

I have a 150L tank in the Wahoo floor with constant fresh water filling, Once a GT is slid into tank they are fully supported in water and stay very calm. Measured in tank, tagged and then can be released, as soon as they see the bottom they go for it!!

Anyways, hopefully the water will clear up and can get amongst em next weekend.

S