Digital Scales(Replacing the water logged one today)

[Mike the Pike]

Hey folks well after flipping my 12 ft tinny in August I am slowly replacing lost and damaged fishing gear.First was my digi camera.Next will be a new rubber net.I need input on digital scales one you are happy with.

 

I had a rapala 50lb scale I just found it OK.May look at other brands.

 

input please.

 

Mike

[SlowPoke]

I've seen your catches Mike, this should do you...

It'll weigh accurately up to 200 grams.

 

[silveradosheriff]

Hey, I could use one of those....

[SlowPoke]

This looks like a good deal..

Cabelas

A couple bad reviews but most seem happy with it. Good price.

-Brian

[Greencoachdog]

I've seen your catches Mike, this should do you...

It'll weigh accurately up to 200 grams.

 

 

Dammit man!!!!

 

I wouldn't slam an Outhouse door that hard!!!

[JustinHoffman]

Hey Mike,

 

Check out the Berkley Tournament Digital Scale. It is new this year, and is reported to be the most accurate on the market, to within 1/4 oz. Only goes up to 15lbs, so mainly geared towards bass or walleye anglers....(maybe not the guys that hit Quinte though..)

I did a review of a bunch for OOD not so long ago, and was quite impressed. You can pick it up for around $35.

I have a Mustad digi, as well as an X-Tools digi. Both are excellent. The X-Tools is a high-end product, and retails for over $100.

 

Good Fishing,

Justin

Edited September 15, 2007 by JustinHoffman

[SlowPoke]

Dammit man!!!!

 

I wouldn't slam an Outhouse door that hard!!!

 

You're right Glen, that was a little harsh. Sorry Mike, just trying to motivate you!

 

-Brian

[carp-starter]

I have a Rapala 10 pound digital and I am very happy with it. I bought a 10lb and not a 50 ob because a 10 lb is more acurrate. There probably are better ones out there than what I have but I cannot afford to buy 2-3-4 other scales to compare. If I remember correctly, according to Rapala, the 10lb scale is supposed to be accurate to either +/- 2 ounce or +/- 4 ounces. I do know that the 50lb scale was +/- 8 ounces.

 

In any case, I do not use my weigh scale often - I use a tape measure.

 

I have tested my weigh scale against a known object the weight of which I know.

 

The object has always been a frozen chicken bought at Dominion.

 

RESULTS

 

Everytime I weighed my frozen chickens, the scale showed 5 to 6 ounces LESS than the chicken weighed.

 

This is good for me because if I use what the Rapala shows, no one can question me or my honesty. SOME SCALES READ HIGHER THAN THE ACTUAL WEIGHT OF THE OBJECT.

 

I have used my scale more often to test it out than to weigh a fish I have caught.

 

carp-starter

 

COMPARSIONS BY WEIGHT

 

 

the one shown by slow poke is accurate upto 200 grams which is 7.06 ounces.

 

2 ounces - 56.7 grams

4 ounces - 113.4 grams

5 ounces (as tested by me) - 141.75 grams

6 ounces (as tested by me) - 170.1 grams

 

It seems that my Rapala is doing well and so I should say that I am now happy with mine.

 

How many of you guys have tested your weigh scale?

[PERCHER]

Mike just use your bathroom scale.Get on get off get back on with your fish and then do the math....

[Roy]

Scales = self gratification. People still weigh their fish? :-)

[danc]

Everytime I weighed my frozen chickens, the scale showed 5 to 6 ounces LESS than the chicken weighed.

 

That's cuz Dominion exaggerates the weights of their chickens by 5 or 6 ounces so they can charge you more. Nobody (except you) goes home and actually weighs their chickens...

 

And I agree with what Roy said. Weighing fish seems to be a thing of the past. Take a measurement, snap a couple of photos and you're done.

[carp-starter]

I checked that Cabelas scale at $29.99 - Digital Fish Scale and Tool Kit.

 

Wow, you sure get a lot for $29.99.

 

But I would not touch it ith a ten foot pole even at 10 bucks CAD.

 

If I use a weigh scale to weigh anything, the most important thing is how accurate is the scale - otherwise why weigh your fish and be a lier. Remember that a long time ago someone on TV was selling something with the name of "De-lier".

 

And Cabelas is very misleading in their description of the scale.

 

They state - " Scale weighs to the nearest ounce up to 50 lbs."

 

The above is true but with a big BUT. The scale weighs up to 50lbs. The scale also weighs to the nearest ounce.

 

Most people will think that the accuracy of the scale as it was described is accurate to +/- 1 ounce.

 

Baloney.

 

The scale will weigh and show up to 50lbs because the scale shows 2 digits for the pounds reading. And it will also show up to the nearest ounce because there is only 1 digit that the scale shows for the "ounce" readings. What they are telling you that it will not show you 1.7 ounces. That is all.

 

They are not telling you that it is accurate within one ounce (+/-).

 

If it were accurate to the +/- one ounce, it would be a bargain if it would last.

 

carp-starter

 

EDIT TO THIS POST

 

DanC

 

I use a frozen chicken to TEST my scale. The last time was about a week ago when I read a thread about scales and their accuracy. Thanks for your info. I will check the weight of Dominion chickens on their scales.

 

Roy

 

Scales = self gratification. People still weigh their fish? :-)

 

You are correct. I do not carry a weight scale when I go fishing but I do carry a tape measure just in case it is a huge fish.

 

Otherwise, who cares.

 

I cannot remember ever using my weigh scale on a fish. But I do remember the last time I used my tape measure to weigh a fish.

 

It was in 1984 when I caught my first steelhead - 26 inches.

Edited September 15, 2007 by carp-starter

[JustinHoffman]

I'm afraid I disagree with you, Roy and Dan, that weighing fish is a thing of the past, and measurements are the new standard..

Yes, when it comes to big fish, such as muskie and pike, a tape measure seems to be the new thing. Most muskie anglers are out to break the 50" mark. However, when it comes to bass, and also walleye, weight is still the number your fish is judged on. For instance, a trophy bass in Ontario is 5lbs. That is what most are looking for. I don't hear many people say they are after a 21" bass. Same goes for walleye. The magical mark to hit is 15lbs. Again, not many folk go around saying they are searching for a 38" walleye.

The problem where measuring can be misleading is when fish are abnormally girthy.

Here's why - my biggest largemouth to date is 6lbs even, weighed on two seperate digi scales. Not sure on the length, but she was very fat. That is the standard I have set, and in terms of trophy hunting, I am now after a fish that exceeds that weight. The problem with measuring bass is, you could have a very long fish (which makes you believe it is trophy status), but said fish may be very lean and skinny. The only true measure, then, is by weight.

Again, these are just my thoughts.

 

With the temps. beginning to drop, you can bet I'll be out over the next few weeks, searching for that 6+ lb fish!

 

Good Fishing,

Justin

[SlowPoke]

If it were accurate to the +/- one ounce, it would be a bargain if it would last.

 

carp-starter

 

All good points carp but speaking for myself, it would be nice to have something in the boat to weigh a big fish. A deadly accurate scale in the 30-50lb range would cost a fortune and take up too much room. I was looking at scales locally just yesterday and it's tough to justify $60 for a Berkley or Rapala scale (marginally accurate) for the odd time a recreational angler gets into a fish in that range. If I were culling for tournaments, an accurate scale could pay for itself the first time I used it.

 

-Brian

[PERCHER]

When out fishing the Salmon Derby all I use is a 30.00 spring scale.It is cabable of 50lbs.During the derby I caught one that weighed 26lbs on my scale and when was offically wieghed it was 25.8lbs.Thats close enough for me.The only time I use a scale is on large fall Quinte Walleye and during the Salmon Derby.Salmon are hard to guess there weight and I dont want to take a Salmon from the Lake that will NOT be in the top 10.As far as the Big Quinte walleye I am just trying to beat my personal best as well as Mikethepikes.dan

[JPD]

Hey Mike, don't even bother with digital..there are too many variables that effect the calibration of the unit such as humidity and barometric pressure. Go with a good spring scale that is certifiable. I have been using the Chatillon scales for a bit now and think they are the best that I have ever used. I have a 6 pound scale for tournaments that weighs to the ounce, a ten pounder for Lake Erie Bass in case I get a giant and a 50 lber for carp and salmon etc... just get the 50 lb and you wont regret it...

 

here's the link... http://www.scalesgalore.com/chfish.htm#in

[danc]

Yes, when it comes to big fish, such as muskie and pike, a tape measure seems to be the new thing. Most muskie anglers are out to break the 50" mark. However, when it comes to bass, and also walleye, weight is still the number your fish is judged on.

 

 

That may be. I've never caught a muskie and don't give a darn about Pike. You could probably put Brook Trout in that category too. But I haven't weighed one in over a decade. It just doesn't matter to me if my 23 inch Brook Trout weighs 5 lbs. 3 oz. or it it weighs 5 lbs. 9 oz. To me it's just one less step, and most likely the most stressful for the fish, that can be avoided as far as data collecting goes. All that I want in this day and age is a nice photo of my prize fish. The topic of this thread is the accuracy or inaccuracy of scales these days. Read the replies. Maybe your 6 lb. bass was really 5 1/2 lbs. Who cares? Show me an accurate scale. Judging from the replies, apparently there aren't too many of them out there. So what's the point??

 

"measuring can be misleading" Really? Not unless you're using a rubber tape measure. IMHO weighing a fish can be far more misleading that measuring one.