Where W is the actual weight of the fish being measured and Ws is the standard weight for a fish of that length. The standard weight equations are actually the key to success with this technique, and biologists worked hard to develop reliable standards. In the pages to follow, we will provide standard weight tables in inches and pounds for your use. Fishery biologists often use millimeters and grams for their measurements because of increased accuracy and precision, but the inches-pounds tables will work well to help you assess the fish in your ponds. We have seen Wr values that range from the upper 50s to the 160s for a variety of fish species. Fish in the upper 50’s are so thin they are barely alive. Those at 140 or above look like plump footballs. Most biologists target Wr values of perhaps 90-100 as being acceptable. Please note that a Wr value of 100 is NOT an average. It actually means that all across their range, and across all seasons, 25% of the Largemouth Bass will have a Wr value greater than 100, while 75% will be less than 100. So, a Wr value of 100 is an above-average target, generally speaking.
