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Chub Weights

Stephen Scaysbrook

Stephen Scaysbrook

Senior Member
When do you chaps think the Chub stack on weight. I ask this question because over the last few weeks since the weathers been so cold a mate and I have been doing quite a bit of chub fishing and catching quite a few.
We've been catching fish that look every bit of 4.5lb plus but when we put them on the scales there struggling to get much above 3.5lb.
Some of these Chub are 20ins plus long but do seem to have hollow bellies so when might they peek in weight???.
 
Difficult to answer precisely Stephen. I've caught chub that seem "empty" and also "full" ones at all times through the season . Other than the really large ones being females which I'd expect to be at their heaviest just prior to spawning in the Spring; at the lower sizes (3-5lbs?) I wouldn't know how to sex them so maybe that's where the difference lies?

The only time I've personally witnessed a re-capture was a chub I caught in November at 5.10, which I netted for my mate the following February at 6.03.
 
I've always understood that they pile on the weight in the autumn but my only known repeat capture was a very distinctive fish caught in the same swim in both August and November at 6-5
 
I also think you have to take river conditions in weight gain and loss. When rivers are low and conditions like they are think fish would loose condition as no natural food & anglers bait getting to them. Then high water gets natural food like worms to then and we go fishing. Weight must go up & down but mainly up through winter as they stock up for spawning...?
 
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